San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-22
Behind the Scenes Upon q Chinese Stage.
Harmonious Companies

With the exception Of those Of the one or
two stars, all the costumes of Chinese the
atrical troupe belong to a stock company OF
SPECTATORS. The actors pay for the use OF
them, usually giving up certain percentage
of their fees. The stars having their own
costumes can make their own terms The
stars of the "Swintien Lob" company that
recently played in New York got certain
share of the gross receipts, as well as salary,
as follows:
Moo Sung Jee, 500 per month and 10 per
cent. of gross receipts; Taxa Wing, S'5 per
month and per cent. OF gross receipts; Sean
Sung Hong, $50 per month and per cent.
of gross receipts The balance of the COM
pany got only their salaries of on an average
$50 per month and board.
The real boss of the troupe is the property
man, the one that owns or manages the cos
TUNES. He hires his agents and sub-man-
ayers, and is responsible to the stock COM
pany in all his transactions. This individual
is usually in the dark. During the entire
two weeks performance at the Windsor, al
though the boss was in the city, he did not
show himself among the actors except once
or twice. when he stole quietly into the thea
ire and took a seat in rear corner of box.
This mysterious individual was Ii On. 1t is
said that his company had invested nearly
SlOo,o00 to organize the Swintien Lob dra
| matic company. There is no doubt the COS
tunes cost a big sum Of money, as every
piece of the gorgeous costumes was intri-
| cately hand wrought work and bore tha
| closest inspection of artists
A long row Of big fireproof boxes, each
weighing probably about POO pounds, lined
| against the back wall, stood convenient for the
| different articles of dress to be pulled out by
| the three attendants; there are two rows OF
| temporarily put up clothes racks on either
| end of the room, upon which are hung the
| costumes to be used by the ReXt batch OF
actors; Immediately above these are the nails
| for the various and fantastical headgear and
false whislEers and masks. Each actor as he
comes in from the stage takes off his "togs,
folds them up carefully, and lays them upor
a separate stand, to be put back into the box
| by the care taker.
Chinese actors don't waste much time il
dressing, as all the garments are made il
| such a manner that the most fastidiOus actor
could be rugged up from head to foot in les
than five minutes Only the female imper
senator Nj, Taxa Wing, takes longer time
and that's because of his hair and the out
ltllltllsll painting OI Tue Lace. Even lIt ltUG
not take more than twenty minutes. There
is nothing like stage fright or nervous
ness among Chinese actors, at least in thc
Swinticn Lob company They 90 from be
hind the scenes 10 the stage in some Of tAeil
! most trying parts rs unconcarnedly As if they
were going to play tuntan.
The only individuals that take their task
to heart are the supas or those fellows thai
usually act as pages or soldiers othe Gladia
tors. They generally 60 through the motions
just before they get out on the stage A!
Chinese actors are drilled from early child
hood. Chinese actors have the best of har
mOny among themselves. There is hardly
ever scandal or an elopement They may
be jealous of each other as to women outside
of their own circle, or as to the relativ,
sickness and brightness of the opium pipe
which each actor owns, but jealousy of mem
bers of their own company is out of the ques
ton. Mr. Taxa Wing is the only pretty cir
among them. Even she is nine-tenthS of the
time a pure and unadulterated man like tn,
rest of the company. So there is no chance
of theatrical scandal They can truly bt
said to be the only happy troupe in America
Wong Chin Foo.