The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-30


There seems to be a curious and utter lack, in
the Chinese theatre, of anything approaching to
those finer touches or standings of character and
meaning tc which we are accustomed, and
which we expect. In almost any other place it
would, for instance, in the case of the heavy
villain we have just alluded TO, have been quite
sufficient to have merely intimated his wealth,
and one would have very tisfactorily seen in
imagination the rotund proportions of the money
bag, and heard in fancy the seductive cnk OF
the Mexican dlolas." Not so, however, with
the guileless children of the Orient, and in the
interesting and almost infantile crudity of their
drama, everything must be plainly put before
the audience; hence, to return to the illustration
before u.s. the villain constantly appears with
his jingiing bag and thus, by this material at
tribute he is always plainly labeled -.
But to return to our play. The parent still
continued relentless, and the suitors persistent;
till at last, to our half comprehending eyes
and ears, the plot perceptibiy thlckened, ana
the climax seemed to be reached, when, Just as
the weeping damsel was about to be wed to the
proprietor of the money-bag, just at this critI-
cal juncture, the poverty stricken rival rushed
in, brandishing huge and formidable weapon,
which resembled butchers cleaver. This spec
tacle apparently so completely cowed and sub
dued the prospective bridegroom that without
word, and like lamb to the slaughter, he
meekly walked over to an adjoining table, laid
his head down on the edge and without shad-
ow of resistance. permitted his assailant to ele-
vate his fierce weapon, which he waved about
down with the traditional dull, sickening thud.
1t was with feeling of immense relief, how
ever that one perceived it light on the table, at
least two feet the other side Of the victims
throat The proceeding was nevertheless in
tended to indicate, as Mr.. Choi assured US, that
the quondam villain and rival was henceforth
to be considered as wearing head; which
statement the gentleman in question himself
further emphasized, by tumbling gracefully
under the table, just as he might be supposed to
do were he genuinely decapitated. This sum
mary execution so terrified the obstinate parent,
that he discreetly and precipitately fed, wisely
preferring that the now triumphant sutton
should become the devoted cleaver to the damsel,
for better or for worse, rather than that the cold
steel article should be devoted to the damsers
parent. Meanwhile, the blissful lovers having,
by this brilliant stroke at once happily rid them
| selves of the odious rival, and at the same time
become the proprletors of that gentleman's
tempting bag, they gave themselves no further
concern about its former owner whose supposed
CORY corpse still lay in heap where it had fallen.
| was a little curious to see how they would dis
pose of this, as there was absolutely no SEM
blance of curtain to draw over the scene of car
mage. / imagined, however, that, of course,
some supernumerares would come in, and, to
slow music, carry out the mangled remains.
But no; the minutes past, and the supernumer-
aries did not put in an apprenticeship fact they
knew better-for. the object of my conjectures
soon displayed an astonishing and commendable
ability to take care of itself, rather himself
For while the lovers were still engrossed in bill
ing and cooling, the gentleman under the table,
deeming that he had reposed there a
sufficient length OF time to impress all with his
headless condition, now first gave a colossal
yawn Il have heard of graveyards yawning. but
this was the first time ever knew Of one of their
supposed subjects performing the feat, after
which he stretched carefully and deliberately
and rolled over. assumed a sitting posture, and
then majestically arising with q smile that was
childlike and bland, and a look of proud salts
| faction Sn faJthfu1Iy Mi nod
part for the evening, turned about and ambled
off the stage at brisk trot, disappearing with
an ostentatious bang through one of the doors
in the rear; proceeding which, if perhaps
scarcely in accordance with the most approved
canons of histrionic art. nevertheless had the
merit of being entirely unique of its kind, and
was. moreover extremely reassuring after the
startling demonstrations with the cleaver In
fact, the whole episode was but another striking
illustration of the comically naive way these
Orientals have doing things up ON the stage. And
now, the ecstatic lovershaving so successfully dis
posed of all obstacles to their bliss, and the al
legged corpse having so gracefully disposed of
itself, there was really no further object in con-
tinuing the performance. which accordingly came
to close.
The evenings entertainment. however was
not quite over, and we staid for the afterpiece
that is, part of it. But indeed it requires a
word of explanation; for, as a curiosity in the
way of theatrcals this last piece takes the lead
of anything | ever before saw.
gins as some sort of primordial protoplasm and
descends little each night going through vari-
GUS stages OF development, and continuing on
till the oriental idea of the perfect human ami
NAL is attained; which object being accomplished,
the next night he begins and descends all over
again. 1t is impossible to always gauge the
length of time which this process will occupy,
for though each presentation is exactly the same
as that preceding. yet, owing to the peculiar
manner In which the theater is run, the number
of nights required is constantly varying for the
performance IS carried on indefinitely each night
in fact just as long as there is any audience to
play to; the prices of admission being wisely
! varied, according to the time at which one ar
rives; becoming smaller as the hours grow less.
This remarkable performance, the part of
which we Witnessed, had really begun some
sixty nights before, and ortinued, as we after
ward learned, for not less than one hundred and
twelve in all. There appeared to be no particu
lar plot that we could see the actors arriving at
intervals, on the STAGE and each presenting al
together the most grotesQue and utterly fan
tastic appearance conceivable. All wore sort Of
Masks or rather false heads each of some diff
ferent animal, while the upper portions of their
persons were arrayed evidently in some vague
effort to correspond with the head. The animal
character ceased, however, with the lower
folds of oriental drapery; while there
was no attempt to disguise the feet
In fact in every instance and without exception
the development seemed to have struck feet first
and to be proceeding upward All alike APP
peared to possess the power of speech, and to
have made beautiful and astonishing progress
in the Chinese language, considering the fact
that some sported heads of roaring lions others
dogs, leopards. tigers and many other ferocious
and unacceptable animals, while one indi-
vidual capered about the stage with head like
a huge ash, and who seemed to be developing
into an ancient Roman, judging from his ex-
| tremities. about which the drapery hung with
all the dignity of senator's toga, and which i'm
| parted to his outer head gear with its round,
solemn, ishy eyes and tapping Ans, an expires
sion which was simply irresistibly comical Yet
one dare not laugh for there sat the whole pig
tailed audience stolidly smoking regarding the
antics on the stage with grave, slant, inauiring
eyes, and doubtless deeming themselves greatly
edited by the calculation of science
there going ON. Some of the performers
seemed TO engage in long dialogues, which