Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-01
THE COSTUMsR Is THE BOSS.
Behind the Scenes Upon a Chinese Stage
Harmonious Com nanies.

Behind the Scenes Upon a 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 il 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, SIS per
month and per cent. Of gross receipts; Sean
Sung Hong, $50 per month and per cent.
OF gross receipts. The balance Of tie COM
pany got only their salaries of on an average
$55 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
tire and took seat Ia rear corner of box.
This mysterious Individual was Ii On. 1t is
said that his company mad invested nearly
100000 to organize the Swintien Lob dra-
matte company. There is no doubt the cos
tunes cost big sJl,n of money, as every
piece of the gorgeous costumes was intri-
cately hand wrought work and bore the
closest inspection Of artists
A long row Of big freproof boxes, each
weighing probably about 200 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 next batch of
actors Immediately above these are the nails
for the various and fantsstical headgear and
false whiskers and masks. Each actor as he
comes IN from the stage takes off his toys"
folds them up carefully, and lays them upon
a separate stand, to be put back into the box
by the care taker.
Chinese actors don't waste much time in
dressing, as ali the garments are made in
such a manner that the most fastidious actor
could be rugged up from head to foot in less
than five minutes. Only the female inper-
senator, Mr.. Taxa Wing, takes longer time,
and that's because of bis hair and the cut
landish painting Of the face. Even he does
not take more than twenty minutes There
is nothing ike stage fright" or nervous
ness" among Chinese actors, at least in the
Swintien Lob company. They go from be-
hind the scenes 10 the stage in some Of their
most trying parts us unconcernedly as if they
were going to play fantan.
The only individuals that take their tasks
to heart are the suPss, or those fellows that
usually aot es pages or soldiers to the gladia-
tors. They generally go through the motions
just before they get out on the stage. All
Chinese actors are drilled from early child
hood Chinese actors have the best OF har-
mony among themselves There is hardly
ever a scandal or an eiopenent They may
be jealous of each other IS TO women outside
Of their own circle, or as TO the relative
sickness and brightness OF the opium pipes
which each actor owns, but jealousy Of mem
bers OF their own company Is out OK the ques-
ton. Mr.. Taxa Wing is the only pretty girl
among them Even she IS nine-tenths Of the
time pure and unauthorized nan Ike the
rest Of the company So there is nc chance
Of theatrical scaadal Tney can truly be
said to De tie only happy troupe ia America
w oag Chin Foo.