Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-03
A CHINESE THEATRE.
HOW THE PERFORMANCE IS con-
QUOTED IN LOS ANGELES, CAL o..

QUOTED IN LOS ANGELES, CAL.
The Stage Open, without Curtain or
scenery-PIsys Not Divided into Acts
The Woes Of the .seroine-some Fins
Acting.
As we de see nded the hilly street leading
from the piazza to the theater, strange
unearthly sounds like night throat
splitting effort at recitative in some barDa-
ric opera, accompanied by a wild blast OF
discordant horns and the clsng OF orazen
cymbals, fioated up to US on the night air
"a a faint foretaste Of what was TO come
As have said, the interior was rough
and unfinished: there was 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-
yate 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 squatted, as
the spirit moved them, and a more motley
crowd could hardly be imagined. Smok-
ing is almost uniyersal-the air being red
olent aud blue with the yapors OF cheap
cigarets, cigars and opium. Through this
haze can be sen the yender 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 impossib bic 10 hear the shut
fling about that is continually going on
The stage is open, without curtain or
scenery, and devoid of every thing 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 endeayortng to drown
the others out. Their instruments con-
sist of fiddle with one string, which
makes a sound similar to that emitted by
two cats when they clinch; two horns
ditto; a pair of enormous cymbsls which
are no tinkIers, for every time they come
together one is lifted bodily six inches
from his seat: a brazen gong suspended
from the ceiling by a wire, which is
pounded vigorously as the action becomes
more implssioled: two or three dwarf
banjos, AID species of kr r'tledrum made
of wood and snake skin
PLAYS NOT DIVIDED.
into acts, but from the beginning to the
close, whatever action is going on,
whether the scene represents a battle, the
hush of midnight, or desert solitude, tho
| 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 plsv over
which he presides as his worshinyers be-
low. The actors make their entrance
through doorway hung with a crimson
| curtain at the back anu to the right Of the
| stage, an 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 villa in in Mother Hubbard
pants and face hideously painted to rep
resent moral deprayity. The cynbals
clashed, the gong beat louder, the horns
brayed; the villain fourished his swort,
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, though 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 q
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 1t were.
For instance, there being no scenery,
whenever it Is desired to represent a
change of scene, ali the actors move TO
another part Of the stage or else promen-
sde around two or three times, it depend
ing altogether whether they wish to rep
resent the action as changing from one
room of a house to another or to u distant
province.
QUITE FINE ACTING.
Witnessed one bit of quite fine acting.
The character was evidently crossing 8
mountain range, going from one prov
ince to another Such realism never
| WlIneSStu On any stage II was Quito
equal TO the celebrated pump and wash
tub scene Of Mr. Vincent Crummles. The
mountains, with their dangerous canons,
were represented by plank stretching
between two tables, and two chairs
wherewith to ascend and descend The
individual, 1t was woman, climbed TO
the table with much effort and te-he-ing,
advanced to the plank. placed one foot on
| it, the orchestra gave an extra shrek, like
the band in circus when the man In the
trspeze gives jump; and she quickly
withdrew 1t, 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, tpdects-
ion, cautiousness and resolution.
, One word about the costumes: They
were elegant Heavy sstins in all colors,
plain and embroidered, with many col
ored silks, together with gold and silver
threads in the most gorgeous barbaric de
signsl Huge dragons, nameless mon
sters, and impossible forms were repre-
sented in every variety. OF color, as well a
gorgeous flower and arabesque designs
OF course the earnings OF q company must