Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-12-20
PLAYING TWO PARTS.
INSTANCES w WHICH AN ACTOR HAS
 SEEN Two MEN AT ONCE.

The ''Prisouer of zenda.r "Corsican Broshs
 CTS" and the Lyons Mail'' Are PIayr in
 Which It Is Necessary For the Star sa
 Make These Quick Changes.
 To be able to play two parts in the same piece--to portray, perhaps two characters of totally different oaliber-- i is not an undertaking which many no- tors care to attempt. It is only the ex- perienced artist who may attempt the feat with impunity, and even then, though be may appear to the audience to achieve his end without all 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 histrionio 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- ite is performing the impossible feat of being in two places at one and the same time. For ill 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 Do on the stage with his double.
 Any one who has been to sec "Tha Prisoner If Zenda' performed at the St James theater, must have marveled at the lightning eeierity with which MT. George Alexander, a moment before ths drunken king of Ruritania, suddenly, as by some act of witchcraft, reappeared as Rudolf Rassendyll, clad in tho ordi- nary costume of tho English tourist. Then, to every one's surprise. the supine body of the king was carried in so that to all appearances Mir Alexander was gazing upon his own person. In reality, of course, it was merely lightning change. and the understudy had to be requisitionod to supply the person of the king.
 A more famous case of double imper- sonation, however, is that of 4The Cor sican Brothers, ' the first play perhaps ln which Sir Henry Irving gave us a taste of his wonderful talent
 In the first aet-to give slight re- sume of the play-tho ghost of Louis killed ill duel by certain Chateau Renaud i'll the forest of Fontainebleau, appears to Fabien, his brother. The sec varied incident to the death of Louis. Here Irving was Louis
 In the third act, however, it Is Fabien who is once more before us, who has constituted himself the avenger of his brothers death. He meets Chateau Renaud and demands satisfaction. Re. maud is worsted and falls to the ground. Then suddenly the ghost of Louis ap- pears, and, to personate the spirit of the dead man, Irving had had to fly to che wings, make his way below the stage and take his stand upon tho trap, which conveyed him upward to the gaze of the thrilled spectators.
 How was it done? The audience was amazed. Yet the explanation is com. paratively simple: Irving stepped be- hind property" tree His double" instantly filled his place, taking good care not 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 of tEe beholders.
 Neither is the "Corsican Brothers'' the only play in which Irving has con- trived to take double part and yet nonplus the audience by the adroitnesa of his metamorphosis.
 Those who are familiar with the Lyons Mail" will doubtless remem- ber the most telling scene in the play. Here Dubose, the murderer, is in an attic, gazing down upon the prepara- tions being made for the execution of the innocent Lesurques-whose likeness to the real murderer has brought him to such terrible pass-an expression of horrible glee upon his face, clapping his hands as he sees the apparently doomed man step forward to his death
 But his exultation is premature. Le- surques is reprieved, and the crowd suddenly catches sight of the villainous face of the real murderer at the attic window. The door of tho room is-bat- tered in. Behind it stands Dubosc. The wretch is dragged from his refuge, and as they do so Irving -Lesurques coolly walks i'll upon the scene of turmoil.
 The door of the attic is made to open inward, thus shutting Irving -Duboso from view of the auditorium. Iil mo- ment he slips through trap His double" takes his place, to be hustled unceremoniously by the crowd of "su- pers, ," whose duty it is also to conoea. the mans face in case tho fraud should be discovered. Irving Lesurques caa hen come on i'll his new role.
 But an actor has been known to play two parts without the assistance of dummy.
 In a certain play it was the duty of the hero to leap out of the window of his room and to enter from a door on the opposite side of the stage clad ill differ cut clothes, though otherwise the same.
 This, however. Was juggling pure and simple. The actor dropped into his second dress in much the same way as an American fireman is reputed to jump into his uniform The costume consisted of but one piece with a patent fastening down the back, and as he leaped through the window frame he leaped into his clothes, which, so lo speak. shut behind him and left him re- habilitated
 Neither is the part of the understudy one to be given to any ordinary super from the mass of warriors, countrymen and the like that go to make up a stage oroxU1 ETo ..,,.ef ks x.o-.oo.o1 =.