The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-26
A CHINESE THEATRE.
HOW THE PERFORMANCE IS con-
QUOTED IN LOS ANGELES, CAL.

Tho Stage Open, without Certain or
Scenery-Plays Not Divided into Acts
The Woes of the Heroine-Sone Fin s,
Acting.
As we descended the billy street leading
from the piazza to the theater, strange
unearthly sounds like a night throat
splitting effort at recitative in some barba-
ric opera, accompanied by wild blast of
discordant horns and the clang of braZen
Gym balls, foated up to us on the night air
rs faint foretaste of what was to come
AS have said, the interior was rough
and unfinished; there was a rude gallery
at the back and on either side running
forward as far as the stage. In the side
galleries, well to the front. were the pri-
vate boxes, looking for all the world like
so many grain bins, those on one side be-
ing for the ladies, on the other for the
men. No women sit down in the body OF
the house. The seats were rude benches,
both with and without backs. On these
the audience sat, lounged, or squattei, as
the spirit moved them, and a more motley
crowd could hardly be imagined Smok-
ing is almost universal-the air )eing red
olent and blue with the yapors of cheap
cigaretS, cigars and opium. Through this
haze can be seen the vender of narcotics
as he quietly picks his way in and out
among the crowd disposing of his wares,
while the internal braying Of the orches-
ira makes it impossible to hear the shut
fling about that is continually going on
The stage is open, without curtain or
scenery, and devoid of everything in the
shape of properties, with the exception of
a table or two, some chairs, and make
shift screen; at the back sit the seven
members of the orchestra, all smoking
and each seemingly endeavoring to drown
the others out. Their instruments con-
sist of fiddle with one string, which
makes n sound similar 10 that emitted by
two cats when they clinch; two horns
ditto; n pair of enormous cymbals which
are no tipklers, for every time they come
together one is lifted bodily six inches
from his seat; a brazen gong suspended
from the ceiling by wire, which is
pounded vigorously as the action becomes
more impassioned two or three dwarf
banjos, and species of kettledrum made
of wood and snake skin.
PLAYS NOT DIVIDED.
There are no divisions of their plays
into acts, but from the beginning to the
close, whatever action is going on,
whether the scene represents battle, the
hush of midnight, or desert solitude, the
orchestra, like Tennyson's brook, goes on
forever, making the air thick with sound.
Above the stage is deep recess, gorgeous
with yellow and red, in which and before
which lights are burning. Deep within
this box resides the joss, who is supposed
to take as much interest in the play over
which he presides as his worshippers be-
low. The actors make their entrance
through n doorway hung with crimson
curtain ut the back and to the right of the
stage, and their exits through one to the
left. Above each doorway are notices in
Chinese characters, which, indeed, can
be seen posted everywhere on the walls of
the building
We arrived in time to behold the woes
of the heroine intensified by the entrance
of the heavy villain in Mother Hubbard
pants and face hideously painted to rep
resent moral depravity. The cymbals
clashed, the gong beat louder, the horns
brayed; the villain fiourished his sword,
and the lady shrieked in high falsetto.
Right here might say in perenthesis that
in a Chinese drama all the women are
men-that is, all the female characters
are taken by men, women not being sup
posed to possess sufficient intelligence to
act, thougI | believe there is a woman in
San Francisco, who, becoming imbued
with the spirit of her American sisters,
has broken through national prejudice
and become fairly successful actress. 1t
Is rather startling to see the villain lay two
or three of his enemies out stiff, and in a
moment after see all the slain rise and
walk coolly off the stage as though moth
ing had happened. But the Chinese rec
ognize nothing incongruous In this. In
deed, they let their immaginations carry
them over many dead points, as it were.
For instance, there being no scenery,
whenever it is desired to represent a
change of scene, all the actors move to
another part of the stage or else promen-
ade around two or three times, IL depend
ing altogether whether they wish to rep
resent the action as changing from one
room of house to another or to n distant
province.
QUITE FINE ACTING.
witnessed one bit of quite fine acting.
The character was evidently crossing a
mountain range, going from one prov
ince to another. Such realism never
witnessed on any stagei 1t was quite
equal to the celebrated pump and wash
tub scene of Mr.. Vincent Crummles. The
mountains, with their dangerous canons,
We're represented by n plank stretching
between two tables, and two chairs
wherewith to ascend and descend. The
individual, it was n woman, climbed to
the table with much effort and te- he-ing,
advanced TO the plank, placed one foot on
1t, the orchestra gave an extra sh rick, like
the band in a circus when the man in the
uapeze gives Jump; and she quickly
withdrew it, apparently overcome with
terror at the danger to be encountered.
1t took fully fifteen minutes to get over
during which time the actor admirably
portrayed trepridation, anxiety, indecis-
Ion, cautiousnass and resolution.
One word about the costumes: They
were elegant. Heavy satin in all colors-
plain and embroidered, with many col
ored silks, together with gold and silver
threads in the most gorgeous barbaric de-
signs! Huge dragons, nameless mon
sters, and impossible forms were repre-
sented in every variety of color, as well as
gorgeous flower and arabesque designs
OF course the earnings of a company must
be considerable to enable the manager
to supply such rich. costumes for his
plaXerS and they are Not only can he