Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-10
theatrical Performance In siam.

Afler dinner we had theatrical enter.
tainment, or !" lacon," as it Is called in
Siam. The scene which presented itself
a. we passed out Of the house was novel
and effective. A largo court ut the back,
was used for the display, and here at one
end small stage was erected with some
painted canvas behind, representing the
front of . house, through the doors Of
which the performers appeared and disap-
peared. On the stage woman, gorgeous
iy dressed in tight-ftting costume, glis-
tening with gold and silver beads and
scales. and huge, comical head dress,
likewise gilt, was squatting. In front of
the stage were two rows OF male and fe-
male performers, dressed In . similar
style. squatting on the ground. Behind
these again was the band, and on the left
of the performers were number of wom-
en- and girls. armed with sticks, which
they bring together with clash, keeping
time to the music from beginning to end
Of the performance. Imagine the result
of this Changing, kept up for five or six
hours without ceasing. On the right hand
side q clear space with chairs was re-
served for the Governor and party. and
the background was . living mass OF
faces the whole lit up with lurid red
glare by torches set on stands, in rows, on
each side Of the stage and performers. |
cannot give you . very vivid account Of
the performance for the simple reason
that there was nothing TO describe. A
more dismally -monotonou affair / never
witnessed; oil talking and going through
extraordinary contortions with hands,
arms, fingers and nails, turning them up
and down and round and inside out. The
principal female actors have nails to the
fingers of one hand three or four inches
Tonga disgusting sight, but, believe, a
sign of high breeding, showing that work
Is beneath their dignity. The Siamesc
audience sat 1t out very stolidly, with inn
passive faces and open mouths, doubtless
enjoying themselves immensely in a quiet
way. The most amusing part OF the affair
Ito usl was the Governors young boy, \
little dot hardly three years old, who
smoked the whole time, although hardly
high enough to reach the cigarettes off the
table. The only drawback TO this anus.
ing phase Of childish precocity was the
ingenious way In which he burnt holes in
unsupported parts OF our wedding gar
ments with the lighted end OF his cigar.
Another source OF parental pride must
have been the playful way In which he
would plunge his fst into the pit of our
stomachs, the joke OF which We did not
quite enter into, though. Of course, one
had to smile pleasantly. Altogether he
Was rather . nuisance. After sitting pa.
tiently for three hours, we became rather
anxious whether there was going to be an
end, for VIC had heard Of Siamese dramas
continuing over century, terrible pros
pect i think the Governor must have no.
ticed our tagging spirit, for many were
nodding In their chairs, and he brought
the performance to close. The prompter.
contrary TO our custom, sat well in the
center and called out the parts In o loud
and clear tone, heard everywhere. But
then IL would be rather too great an effort
OF memory to commit to II play lasting
q century or so--Leisurs Hears