New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-17

self as Augustus Caesar from Sarah Bernhard, is
remarkable
Some Of the people who look do not believe in
Il all. They say that he Is not and cannot be al
ways the same The writer, who has no pos
sible interest in deceivng the public. takes pleasure
in informing any douber that he is. beyond any
possible question: always the same man. The most
OF the people who Fregoli. however. are so
stated with wonders that they not In the habit OF
doubling things. but that does not by any means
move all curiosity to how he does It.
Well. the doing OF 1t depends first upon two
principles which all actors know. and which Fregoli
has applied. and then excellence OF system. in
having everything ready and plenty Of help at hand.
with ingenously contrived costumes that almost fall
on Of themselves and. finally in no small degree on
skill and expertness In making the changes after all
the aids that can be used have been found and
poyed. And all these means applied effec-
lively that the first thought which comes to the
mind Of one who stands behind the scenes and sees
the changes made for the first time Is not How can
ne do II so quickly" but How slow he Is about III"
change which seemed impossible when only
the result Of 1t was proves be 50 easy that
the novice wonders why he did see through It
at once. Yet this Is not always the feeling Some
OF the changes are just wonderful when they
are seen from behind the scenes when they are
seen from in front. and you stand within ten
feet Of the actor and scarcely know. when he has
finished putting on suit OF clothes. how It
was that he did Il.
LITTLE CHANGES THAT LOOK BIG.
Now to the principles before mentioned. OF
which FregoH has made use. Perhaps they all
be summed up IN one. that II Il marked change is
made IN character the details do not much
matter And - at times the audience loudly APP
plauds the appearance OF new character. when
all that the actor has done has been to snatch off
a wig and hat and put on different ones. to-
gether with such alteration OF the face 1t
produce with other aid than It's own muscles.
Everything else that he Is the same. yet the
whole look OF the man is so different that the
audience thinks that he has changed everything
that he had on. Actors know how much character
there Is in a hat. The kind OF hat that man wears
makes more difference In his appearance than all
his other clothing put together.
Another principle which Fregoll also turns TO
count just AZ this point is that most people cannot
remember what he wore for five minutes at time
any way. II. for instance, he puts a pair OF
plain gray trousers. which will attract no attention
to Themselves. he them in two or three
successive approximations. with different and
hats and not six persons I'm the house will notice
that they the same His change OF manner
further carries out the Illusion In Of his little
plays the changes are from a husband to he wife.
then the wfe's lover. back to the husband again
and The lover is a lively fellow and skps
about the stage In sprightly way. He wears a
light straw hat lie darts out at the door, the
or's attendants thrust another coat upon him, he
catches up the wig and whiskers OF the husband
made In piece and practically self-adJustng-
caps on a tall hat and re-enters with the slow and
deliberate pace OF an older man, and the whole APP
pearance and manner changed that the audi
ence Is deprived OF the power OF thinking how
simple the change has really been
OF course the making Of the costumes Is part
like the evening dress Of fireman, that Is all In
tpIfa "A
hat and puts the blonde wig, and at the same
time one OF his attendants has put the yellow satin
gown around him. 1t Is In single piece and 1t
takes only two seconds TO adjust II and fasten It,
o. ns up OF ns sf he hsf on h is
s one Of the tricks. TO have one costume cover up
the whole Of another. And another trick is to
under =" the one which precedes It,
FIFTEEN PARTS IN ONE PLAY.
The most elaborate of Frego.rs performances so
far has been the one In which he successfully i'm
personates n number Of musc-ha.l performers, ap-
nearing in some fifteen characters in all The prepa-
ration for this act begins with laying out all the
dresses separately on chairs and tables. that is to
saw the parts of them that he does not find 1t
venien to wear at the start. He has on portions
few changes are simple. consisting only OF such
lille things taking of coats putting on hats and
harder things taking Off trousers and disclosing
others under them putting on gowns and bonnsts
aids the time Of such changes Is made almost as
short as that OF the simpler ones. The last garb IN
which he has to appear In this act is common
ing dress A man in ordinary life has been known
10 take as much as ten or twelve minutes TO get
into his evening clothes. even when he was not
dressed as a soubrette to start with. But Fregoi
mas his waistcoat, shirt bosom. collar and
necktie made all In one piece. and this is an obvl-
ous advantage when time-saving Is the main object
They are ali capped upon him by an attendant In
rather less time than 1t would take TO put on an
ordinary belt and almost before the skirts Of the
soubrette have vanished from the stage the man
in scrupulous evening dress is in sight OF the au-
di.nce ready to conduct the orchestra. IL must be
admitted that this change Is one that leaves even
the watcher behind the scenes a trifie dazed and
heviidered Even one who stands close by and
looks on can scarcely see how II is done. .
The magician depends for his success with his
audience on the principle that the hand Is quicker
than the eye. Fregos whole body Is quicker than
are surprising TO those who them only after
they are made are even more astonishing TO one
who sees the process. tries TO. and then finds
that ne cannot tell how the change was made AFTER
be has seen 10