The San Francisco call., 1898-01-14
PIOU0 AND HIS
 LITTLE DECEPTION
If You Would Succeed in the AcrObatic Art Take a
 Foreign Name.
So Says a Clever In1personator Oi That Highly MischievOus
 Character.

A gymnastic team which was billed under the names of Paulinetti and Pi- quo lately appeared at the Orpheum Theater in this city and presented an act on the horizontal bar that was probably as entertaining as any sthat has ever been witnessed on the stage One would infer from the Italian na- ture of the names that the possessors were born and reared in Italy'S sunny country, but would be somewhat sur prised to learn that instead of being of foreign extraction the two gentlemen are both natives of these glorious Unit ed States, and to use the words of Pi- quo himself they are proud of it. There are tricks in all trades. and the theat- rical profession is no exception to this general rule, but in an interesting talk with Piquo the reasons for this as sumption of foreign cOgnomenS were readily understood and it must be granted that the little deception prac- ticed on the American public is fully warranted by the attendant circum- stances. It is a well known fact, says Piquo, that a variety artist who ap- pears under @ name peculiar to Euro pean countries is almost invariably as- sured of being well received by an American audience simply because there is a mistaken impression that whatever is foreign must be good. This, says he. initiates against the Ameri- can artist, especially in acrobatic per formances, and Piquo evidently knows whereof he speaks, for he Is no novice in the theatrical business. He first commenced to earn regular salary and thereby professionalism himself in 1868 in the city of New York, where he was born. His proper every day name is T. s. Dare, or Tommy Dare, as he is familiarly called by those who know him best. He played the part of the clown in the act, and will be remem- bered as having caused considerable merriment in that character. His partner who rejoices under the name of Paulinetti when he is doing his turn, is Ph. Thurber when he is not going through his very clever and diffi- cult scientific work on the horizontal bar.
 Piquo says that the immediate cause of their taking the foreign names was the fact that they had travelled ex- tensiVely throughout Europe, showing at the best music halls in the princi- pal cities. and on returning to this country conceived the scheme. The first manager to whom they applied for an engagement, on learning that they had just arrived from across the pond and had closed a successful sea- son of several months at the Folies Bergeres, in Paris, Immediately con- tracted for their appearnce at his the ater and paid them double salary for the European name. When they first went to England as the American ar lists, Dare and Thurber," they were coldly received by the English mana gers, who said there was surfeit of that horizontal bar business in the theatrical market, don't you know but condescended to give them trial The managers soon thawed out, how ever, on the opening night, when they saw how well the team was received by the languid English audiences, who really became enthusiastic in their applause. After that long en- agreements were the rule. MT. Dare Cor Piquo), for his identity must be preserved, is authority for the state ment that English acrobatic artists cannot compare with the Americans engaged in the same line. In their gymnastic work, while the former are slow, studied and numbering, the lat Piquo also says that the feats which he and Paulinetti perform are not one half as difficult as answering to their foreign aliases. After a performance one evening a gentleman of color was overheard to remark to his companion,
 say, JOnnSOn, Oem IellerS, HOlllnarlS and Pie-cut, were de best on de pro- gramme."
 Piquos countenance became sad when he said that there was some dan ger of the team separating. on account of some little misunderstanding, but 1t is to be hoped that such an event will not occur, for two people who work so we'll together in public should experi- ence no difficulty in getting along in their private life. But Piquo says that 1t is the gratitude of the world To use his language: T have had a score of partners in the course of my the atrical career; have given them all the benefit of my thirty years experience in the acrobatic business, and then they gave me the frigid shake But, never mind. if this one leaves me I will soon get another one. and we will hold on to the name of 'Paulinetti and Piquo' even if the new man should be a Scandinavian"