Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-21

on the stage at the Forsyth theater.
all in the person of Mr.. Owen Nc
Giveney.
Huh scoffed the sweet young
thing, when the actor had completed
his marvellous feat of quick changes,
sit can't be did"
Being a person much given TO the
vaudeville habit, she was as sophisti-
Gated as you please Thus all the
regulars are affected. But never
mind; she was wrong this time, be-
cause it could be did" and Is. And
even when you watch Mr.. McGiveney
back Of the scene, making his
changes, you are not disillusioned.
Hence this explanation.
Changes in Three Seconds.
1t requires him no longer than three
seconds to make any change of cos
tune. And depend on it. there is
complete change-wigs, shirts, jack
cts. coats and everything.
This is made possible as much by
the deXterity of his two assistants
back of the stage as by his own art.
Bill Skies, for instance, is on the
stage, growing at the world. In the
wings the two assistants have Fagin's
makeup ready-the wig, beard, long
coat and hooked nose. Bill Skies
strolls out of sight of the audience.
Immediately his studied stroll be-
comes a frantic dash. He plunges to-
ward Fagin's wig, held out toward
him by one of his assistants.
AS he plunges, he filings out his
arms, and the other assistant with
one hand whips off hte Bill Skies wig
and with the other snatches the Bill
Skies coat.
Assistants Kept Busy.
The actors head shoots into Fagin's
wig, to which the whiskers are at
tached. Assistant Number One has
Fagins coat ready, and Mr. Nc
Giveney's arms are in the sleeves
quicker than thought. Fagin, COM
pletely arrayed. totters out onto the
stage
Then the two helpers snatch the
next change, the costume of Nancy,
and hold it ready for the actor. Fa-
gin backs off the stage, and is grab
bed by the watchful pair in the wings.
one hand whips off the BIZ Skies wig
other slaps Nancy's hairdress on his
head and whips a skirt tight around
his waist In the intervening half
second, McGiveney has seized Nancy's
shawl, which hangs ready on a tripod.
and Nancy is off.
Then the helpers fall TO shooting
talcum powder into the sleeves of the
coat of the Artful Dodger, who next
appears. so that the actors arms may
Srat TAln
1t is all done with CELEBRITY tina
is marvellous, and that makes more
than interesting a sight of the me-
chanics of the act.
Was College Lecturer.
Back of the stage, behind the paint
sd scenery, where the romantic glare
of the footlights does not penetrate,
and where the music of the orchestra
IL heard but dimly there is supposed
to exist the domain of disillusion-
ment. But in the case OF TINS act,
back stage is the most interesting
noint of inspection. Sometimes Mr..
McGveney might be persuaded to DO
II all in the open, and then the know
ing vaudeville Watchers Will s'"i g
sure enough.
owen McGiveney, the performer,
WAS hut lately a lecturer on Dickens
In English colleges. From his in
telligent study of the novelist he ac-
ouired his knack of artistic interpre-
tation of the characters.
Then he conceived and worked out
the quick change act, with the help
Of his brother, Jack, an English actor,
the two enlisted the services OF
f,iend who is a Frenchman Of noble
,amilv. Mr. McGiveney assures you,
and they set out to startle the show
going world The brother and the
French Count are the two assistants
behind the stage.