And
there have been doubts about hair-powder and its compatibility with
tragic purposes. Mademoiselle Mars, the famous French actress, decided
upon defying accuracy of costume, and declined to wear a powdered wig
in a serious part. Her example was followed by Rachel, Ristori, and
others. When Auber's "Gustave, ou le Bal Masque," was in rehearsal,
the singers complained of the difficulty they experienced in
expressing passionate sentiments in the powdered wigs and stately
dress of the time of Louis XV. In the masquerade they were therefore
permitted to assume such costumes as seemed to them suited to the
violent catastrophe of the story. They argued that _"le moindre geste
violent peut exciter le rire en provoquant l'explosion d'un nuage
blanc; les artistes sont donc contraints de se tenir dans une reserve
et dans une immobilite qui jettent du froid sur toutes les
situations."_ It is true that Garrick and his contemporaries wore
hair-powder, and that in their hands the drama certainly did not lack
vehemently emotional displays. But then the spectators were in like
case; and _"explosions d'un nuage blanc"_ were probably of too common
occurrence to excite derision or even attention.
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