, 1897-09-08
PLAYING TWO PARTS,
INSTANCES IN WHICH AN ACTOR HAS
BEEN TWO MEN, AT ONCE.
The "Prisoner Of Zenda," .C0rsIcap Broth.
ers" and the Lyons Mali" Are PLAY, in
Which 1t IL Necessary For the Star to
Make These Quick Changes.

ers" and the Lyons Mail" Are PLAYS in
Which 1t Is Necessary For the Star to
Make These Quick Changes,
10 be able to play two parts III the
same plece-to portray. perhaps two
characters of totally different caliber-
Is not an undertaking which many ac-
tors care to attempt. 1t is only the cx-
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 o. of histrionic talent,
but he must often call i'll the aid of an
understudy, whose duty it is to gull the
onlooker into the belief that their favCl-
lite Is performing the impossible feat of
being in two places at one and the same
time. For in nearly every play of such Il
character it is well nigh impossible for
the author so to arrange his piece that
the actor may never be called upon to
be on the stage with his double.
Any one who has been to see 1.-The
Prisoner of Ierdn' performed at the st.
james thcatrr, must have maj veled ut
the lightning celebrity with which Mr..
George Alexander, Il moment before the
drunken king of Ruritaria, suddenly,
as by some act of wilchcraft. lCappcarcd
as Rudolf Rasscniyll, clad in the ordi-
nary costume of the EngIi.h tourist.
Then. 70 every ones surprise. the supine
body of the king vas Carl | in 81 ..iut
to all appearances Mr.. Alexander WAS
gazing upon his Own person. In reality,
of course, it was merely il lightning
change. and the urGcrstuiy had to be
requisitioned to Supp the person q. the
king.
A more famous case Of dCUblc imwr-
sonation, however, is that OF The Ger.
sican Brothers, the first play r,rnaIS
i'll which Sir Henry Irving SAvu rs Il
taste of his wonderful talent.
In the first aCt-tO give il slight 70.
sumo of the pluy-the ghost of Louis,
killed in Il duel by II certain Chateau
Renaud in the forest of Fontain"hI,au.
appears to Fuhicu, his brother. The scc-
ond act takes rs to Paris, and through
varied incident to the death of Louis
Here Irving was Louis.
In the third act, however, it j. Iubieu
who is ICE more before us. who has
constituted himself the avcnger CT his
brothers death. He meets Chateau
Renaud and demands satisfaction Re.
naud is wOlstei and falls to the ground.
Then suddenly the ghost OF Louis APP
pears, and, to %pcrsonate the spirit Of
the dead man. Irving had had to fly to
the wings, make his way below the
stage and take his stand upon the trap.
which conveyed him upward to the
gaze OF tho thrilled spectators.
How was it done: The audience was
amazed. Yet the explanation is com
paratively. simple: Irving stepped be-
hind u property" tree. His double"
instantly filled his place. taking good
care net to face the audience when it
WAS necessary for him to confront the
ghost. Hence the lightning change from
mortal TO spirit and the resultant be-
wilderment IF tie bcholdcrs
Neither IS the "Corslcau Brothers
the only play in which Irving has con-
trived to i.se Il double part ann yet
nonplus tie audience by the adroitness
Of his mc'amo,phosls.
Those Who are familiar with the
Lyons i!ail' will doubtless renlcm-
her the most telling scene i'll the play.
Here OuLusc, the murderer, is in an
attic, gazing down upon the prernra-
tons being made Tor tn" execution OF
the innocent Lesurqucs-whose likeness
to the real murderer las brought Inn
to such II terrible pass-an expression
of horrible glee uEoa his 1nCe, %clappimg
his hands rs he secs the apparently
doomed man step forw ard to his death
But his exultation is premature. Lee
surques is repiisvCh, and the crowd
suddenly catches 81 1T Of the villainous
face of the real murderer at the attic
window, The door of the room is bat
tered in. Behind it stands Duhosc. The
wretch is dragged trom his refuge, and
as they do 80 Irving csurques coolly
walks in upon the scene of turmoil
The door of the attic is made to open
inward. thus shutting Irving Dubosc
from view of the auditorium. I'm Il mo-
ment he slips through II trap His
''double'' takes his place. to be hustled
unceremoniously by the crowd of "gu
pers," whose duty it is also to conceal
the mans face in case the fraud should
he discovered Irving Lcsurques can
heu 90 II, on ia hi'naw role.