The Corps de Ballet on Strike.

Evening Star, Issue 7406, 29 December 1887, Page 1

The Corps de Ballet on Strike.

Meyerbeer’s r L’Africaine ’ was about to ,be produced on the stage of- a Jarggf provincial theatre. The most.gorgepns scenery, together with the costumes’, and machinery, had'beenobtained direchfrom Paris; the' most popular singers—maleiumd femalehad been engaged ; the ohortftes -bad been strengthened—in sliort; evetytßlnghad been . done to make the opera a brilliant Success. One difficulty had, hoWewsri not been thought of, viz., an objeßtkwntl the part of tile -eorps de ballet, ladles flatly refused* to3<paintf their faces black or brown, jfor foar r of r ppoQiiig their 'fpoSs., ThehtA^«%^:^S^espair. . 'Miioune ’ with ' white' rfcana? The long-expected ;,)iw ft) uo abandoned, as there wpeareo, 'no way out of the difficulty. 1 . . indnung the chief manager receiTed%n WTonymous letter in an nnknottn.hand, ,trtiich,ran as follows: —“lhave hearaViti regret of the refusal ' of the ballet? uses brown lor th^.perf p!, Jhe Afittaine.’ I would advise you to ‘ issue the following instructions • Every ladj) bpllet who la ynnng and beautiful mpat paint herself UA § anyone. admire thedplendlS performance Of tjt& fillet, all the . members jof which, *o%ihi»d &cepU(m, hi*j*inted their faces dark-lrfwn.— * Le Menager fioilfeaax.’ ; r

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