The smell of the greasepaint (literally), cold cream,
spirit gum, horse hair wigs and beards and false
mustaches and black out wax for teeth. A beat up
top hat and Mom's old black velvet opera cape and
assorted old clothes, accessories and sheets as needed.
Greasy faces, painted freckles and scars, blackened
teeth, red lipstick, itchy wigs. I longed for a glitter
mask, a little tulle, perhaps a magic wand.
Something pretty.
One year when I was 5 or 6 and had a Halloween party to attend, our next door neighbor, Ann Roth
made my costume. A modern dancer with many
beautiful costumes and accessories.
Ann Roth and me
pulled up under my armpits and tied at the waist
with a long silk scarf. Pinned with a perfumed
nosegay of handmade silk pongee roses. More on
the skirt, another on my shoulder and some on my
hair. Pink lipstick and cheeks.
So pretty I walked on tiptoes. :-)
Was that Ann Roth, the Academy Award winning costume designer? We held an exhibit of some of her work at the Warehime-Myers Mansion here in Hanover earlier this year. How cool that she designed your costume!
ReplyDeleteSorry, not the same Ann Roth.
ReplyDeleteMy Ann Roth was Anna Criss Roth,
a dancer and teacher of Modern Dance.
She came from a distinguished family of
artists. Her brothers were painter
Francis Criss and Oboist William Criss.
Her husband, Manny, played in the
Philadelphia Orchestra.