The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-10-15

which ~ h NeceenoTy TUE cses -
Make These Quick ChAnges-
To be able to play two parts in the
same piece-to portray, perhaps two
characters Of totally different caliber-
is not an undertaking which many ac-
tors care 10 attempt. 1t is only the ex-
perienced artist who may attempt the
feat with impunity, and even then,
though he may appear to the audience
to achieve his end without an EFFORT,
there are many more difficulties in his
path than meet the eye Of the habitual
theater goer.
Not only must the actor be possessed
of no small amount Of histrionic talent.
but he must often call in the aid of an
understudy, whose duty it is to gull the
onlooker into the belief that their favor
lite is performing the impossible feat OF
being in two places at one and the same
time. For in nearly every play OF such a
character it is well nigh impossible for
the author SO to arrange his piece that
the actor may never be called upon to
be OH the stage with his double.
Any one who has been to see THE
Prisoner Of Zenda" performed at the st.
James theater, must have marveled ut
the lightning celebrity with which Mr..
George Alexander, q moment before the
drunken king Of Ruritania, suddenly,
as by some act Of witchcraft. reappeared
as Rudolf Rassendyll, clad in the ordi-
nary costume of the English tourist.
Then. TO every ones surprise, the supine
body of the king was carried in 30 that
TO all appearances Mr.. Alexander was
gazing upon his own person. In reality,
Of course, it was merely a lightning
change, and the understudy had to be
requisitioned to supply the person OF the
king.
A more famous case Of double imper-
sopation, however, is that Of 1.-The Cor
sican Brothers," the first play perhaps
in which Sir Henry Irving gave ne q
taste Of his wonderful talent.
In the first act-to give a slight re-
sumo of the play-the ghost Of Louis
killed in q duel by a certain Chateau
Renaud in the forest Of F~ontainebleau
appears to Fabien, his brother. The sec
ond act takes us to Paris, and through
varied incident to the death OF Louis
Here Irving was Louis
In the third act, however. 1t Is Fabiel
who is once more before us, who ma
constituted himself the avenger Of hi
brothers. death. he meets Chatea'
Renaud and demands satisfaction. Re
. maud is worsted and falls to the ground
s Then suddenly the ghost OF Louis AZ
pears, and, to personate the spirit
the dead man, Irving had had to fly {
the wings, make his way below tn
+, stage and take his stand upon the traI
which conveyed him upward to tn
gaze Of the thrilled spectators.
vi How was it done? The audience WI
. amazed. Yet the explanation Is con
paratively simple: Irving stepped b
hind q property tree. His double
instantly filled his place, taking goo
'~'|care not to face the audience when
was necessary for him to confront Il
d ghost. Hence the lightning change fro
s. mortal 70 spirit and the resultant b
wilderment Of tie beholders.
Neither is the "Corsican Brothers
= the only play in which Irving has CO
:. trived to take a double part and y
nonplus the audience by the adroitne
of his metamorphosis.
=, These who are familiar with q
=. LYONS Mall will doubtless remer
ri Der the most telling scene in the pla
a, Here Dubosc, the murderer, is in
attic, gazing down upon the prepar
lions being made for the execution
the innocent Lesurques-whose hkent
as to the real murderer has brought nj
h. to such a terrible pass-an expressi
,er of horrible glee upon his face, clappi
no his hands o. he sees the apparent
doomed man step forward to his deat
ms But his exultation is premature. l
he suraues is reprieved, and the cro'
ne suddenly catches sight OF the villaine
!. face of the real murderer at the ct
no window. The door Of the room is b
=. tered in. Behind il stands Dubosc. I
~ wretch is dragged from his refuge, a
., as they do 70 Irving esurques COO
re. walks in upon the scene OF turmoil
Iol. The door Of the attic Is made to Of
IlnWuIu, illus suueeiuB A'A
our from view Of the auditorium. In a I
me ment he slips through a trap.
double takes his place, to be hust
unceremoniously by the crowd of +"
~ pers," whose duty it is also to conc
the mans face in case the fraud sho
the be discovered. Irving-L esurQues
hen come on in his new role.
be But an actor has been known to r
ON. two parts without the assistance o
yea dummy.
: al In q certain play IL was the dut.
=. the hero to leap out Of the window
.RR, his room and to enter from a door ON
opposite side Of the stage clad in dill
ling ent clothes, though otherwise the sa
hing This, however, was juggling
i. j. aud simple. The actor dropped into
second dress in much the same wa
an American fireman is reputec
Jump into his uniform. The cost
= CONSISTED Of but one piece with a pa
fastening down the back, and al
leaped through the window frame
XIV. leaped into his clothes, which, 81
- speak. shut behind him and left hin
habilitated.
Neither Is the part Of the unders'