Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-14
A CHINESE THEATRE.
HOW THE PERFORMANCE is con-
QUOTED IN LOS ANGELES, CAL.

The Stage Open, without Curtain or
scenery-Plays Not Divided into Acts
The Woes OF the HerOine-Some Fine
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 a wild blast OF
discordant horns and the clang of brazen
Cymbals, hOated up to US on the night air
IS a faint foretaste of what was to come.
AS l nave said, the interior was rough
and unfinished; there wa 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
80 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 squatted, as
The spirit moved them, and a more motley
crowd could hardly be imagined. Smok-
ing is almost universal-the air being red
olent and blue with the vapOrs Of cheap
cigaretS, cigars and opium. Through this
haze can be seen the Yender of narcotics
IS he quietly picks his way in and out
among the crowd dispOsing Of his wares,
while the internal braying of the orches-
tra 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
u table or two, some chairs, and a make
shit screen; at the back sit the seven
members OF the orchestra, all smoking
and each seemingly e~ndcavoring to drown
the others out. Their instruments con-
Sist of a fiddle with one string, which
makes a sound similar to that emitted 10y
two cats when they clinch; two horns
ditto; q pair of enormous CymbalS which
are no thinkers, for every time they come
together one is lifted bodily six inches
from his seat; q braZen gong suspended
from the ceiling by q wire, which is
pounded vigorously as the action becomes
more imprisoned; W or three dwarf
baujOS, and n species Of kettledrum made
OF wood and snake skin.
PLAYS NOT DIVIDED.
lLcIS are uN btNlSipilS " NlltAI lAlNS
into acts, but from tho beginning to the
close whatever action is going on,
whether the scene represents II battle, tine
hush of midnight, or desert solitude, the
orchestra, like TennySou's brook, goes on
forever, making the air thick with sound.
Above the stage is adeep recess, gorgeous
with yellow and red, in which aud 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 prcsides as his worshippers be-
low. The actors make their entrance
through a doorway hung with a rimson
curtain at 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
ciashed, the gong beat louder, the horns
brayed; the villain tlourished his sword,
and the lady shrieked in high falSettO.
Right here might say in p~erenthesis that
in q 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
net, though | believe there is a N in
San Francisco, who, becoming imbued
with the spirit Of her American sisters,
has broken through national prejudice
and become q fairly successful actress. 1t
IS rather startling to see the villain lay two
D? three of his enemies out stiff, and in n
moment after see all the slain rise and
walk cDOlly off the stage as though moth
iag had happened. But the Chinese rec
Cgnize nothing inCOngruOus in this, In
deed. they let their immaginations carry
them over many dead points, as it We're.
For instance, there being no scenery,
whenever it is desired to represent q
change of scene, all the actors move to
another part OF the stage or else prOmen-
qde around two or three times, it depend
ing altogether whether they wish TO rep
resent the action US changing from one
room of n house to another or to 4 distant
province.
QUITE FINE ACTING.
l witnessed one bit Of quite fine acting,
The character was evidently crossing u