Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-08
"A CUBAN THEATER.
An Entertainments and an Audience
..'l'-' In the Ever Kaithfnl Isle.

/
entertainment is complete without its
President. The curtain may not rise till
his Excellency has taken his seat; the
actors may not respond TO call or an
encore if the President is not agreeable,
and does not Autter the big play bill be-
| fore him in token of his acquiescence.
The box TO the right is the lawful prop
erty of the censor, who like most Span
ish authorities in Cuba, rarely pays for
his pleasure. He is extremely affable
and condescending with everybody be-
fore the curtain, though so stern and I'M
| yielding behind the scenes. His daugh-
ters, charming young ladies', are with
him. and fiirt freely with the numerous
Pollos, as the youth of Cuba are called,
who come to pay their homage. That
stall in the center of the pit is occupied
by the editor of the Diario a Cuban
daily paper, whose politics and local in
formation are strongly diluted by CEN
sorial ink, and which is therefore, unln-
| telligible and devoid of interest. The
editor of the Diario is extremely lenient
in his reports of theatrical entertain
ments, and on him the manager at least,
may always rely. His contemporary
and rival, the editor of the Redactor,
| government organ, is seated IN stall
near his Excellency, the Governor-Gen-
eral, who is enthroned in wide stage
box, and is dressed in full uniform, COW
cred with orders. His Excellency is ac-
companied by an aide-de-camp and a
half dozen bronze-faced, heavily-mus-
tached officers, all of whom are more or
less laden with orders, crosses and other
military decorations. In the bend of
the theater are the boxes Of the English
and American Consuls. But what are
| those mysterious Enclosures with trellis-
work before them on either side of
the proscenium? Those are special pri-
| vate boxes for the use of persons or
| families who are still in a state Of half
mourning, and may not yet expose them
| selves to public scrutiny. But these
| boxes are not always occupied by
mourners, whispers Tunicu, in great con-
| fidence. There are certain class, he
tells me, who wear kind of halfmourn-
ing, which never becomes out of fashion;
these are the halfcasts or quadroons,
who dare not be seen in public with ac-
kpowledged white people. The gallery
\ is, as usual devoted to soldiers sailors
and persons Of slender means; and in
the extreme background are few
benches set apart for the exclusive ac-
commodation of mulatto girls and ne
groes of both sexes, most of whom are
elegantly attired, for colored people are
scrupulous in their dress on all public
occasions.
After the overture-a medley of Cuban
dance music and Spanish fandango,
played upon ordinary instruments by
| black musicians-a big bell, to summon
all stragglers to their places, is heard,
the curtain is raised and the performance
begins There is nothing peculiar in a
Cuban drama, except that no allusion
| to political matters is made, and that the
profane and immoral are somewhat free
ly INDUCED in. The comic players per
plex the prompter with inordnate gag
ging, and delight in personalities with
occupants of the orchestra and pit.
There is much applause when the comic
man shufiles through the charinga-a
popular negro dance, difficult of perform
ance, and shouts Of laughter are pro-
duced in the scene between a Yankee,
who speaks very broken Spanish and a
lady who speaks Spanish with the APP
proved Cuban accent. 1t is an enthusi-
astic and excitable audience.
The entirely new drama is a complete
success, owing to the realistic perform
ance of the famous star from old Spain.
That gentleman is on the point Of break
! ing blood-vessel in his effort to imper-
senate the convulsive thief; but he is
saved by the doctor in the private box,
who is suddenly summoned to the actor
dgessing-room. This interesting incident
makes deep impression upon the sym
pathizing public, and greatly increases
the interest Of the drama. Then the
curtain is lowered amidst rapturous ap-
plause and calls for the infirm player,
who is presently led on the stage, sup
ported by one of the company and by the
doctor. In the following act the star as
tonishes his audience by a vivid repre-
sentation of detected thief gone mad,
and his private commissions being still
fresh in their memories, many are seen
to direct their gaze toward the doctors
box, in doubt whether that gentleman
| will be required to administer also to a
mind diseased. But all conjecture on
this point is presently set at rest by the
acting mailman himself, who is duly re-
stored to his histrionic senses at the con-
clusion of the play
| An interval of from twenty to thirty
minutes elapses between each act, during
which the whole audience rise from their
places and promenade around and about
the theater. The ladies' 'betake them
| Al 1,&l.I - ~ fo N nj nd ra-
fresh themselves with ice sorbetes. The
gentlemen from the pit are everywhere.
Some are comforting with friends in the
grilles, or mourning-boxes; some are
smoking cigarettes in spacious saloons
provided for smokers; others are in the
Street drinking orchata or bul, a COM
pound of English beer, with iced water
and syrup. The stage itself is, however,
their favorite resort. Open doors give
access to that mysterious ground from
the front of the theater, and the pit pub
lie is thus enabled to wander into every
nook and corner, from the traps below to
the flies above. The players do not shun
their visitors, but rather court their so
ciety, for friend in front is considered
desirable acquisition, and halfway to-
/ WardS atfepuJablon as ldNoTltci W say
nothing of benefit nights at the end of n
season. A small crowd of Pollos way
lay the first lady as she leaves her dress
ing-room. As many as conveniently
can enter the leading actors room
to congratulate him on his sue
cess and his speedy recovery from
the sensational scene Another party Of
Pollos chokes the narrow passage leading
to the premiere danseuse's boudoir, and
great is their joy when they catch a
glimpse of the gauze goddess as she
hutters hurriedly past on her way to the
green-room The stage is thronged with
these walking gentlemen, who require no
rehearsal or prompter, and whose most
attractive performance consists in un-
bounded cigarette smoking and in getting
in everybody's way. Ii is miracle how,
in the midst of this dire confusion, car
penters, seene-shifiers and managers con-
trive to set the stage for another act;
and what scene would be disclosed if
the drop we're to rise prematurelyl Pres
emily voice is heard to cry Fueral
this being Spanish for clear the stage"