Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-15
TAEATERS IN JAPAN.
r,n.,co Served to the Audience M ~
anttdote to the Play.

r.n.,co Served to the Audience M -"
Anttdote to the Play.
From San Artists Letters from ia
nan" written and pictured by John Ia
FARCE in the Century, we quote as ioi-
iows. .srhe doctor took us on SUNDAY
aftornoon to his club-whose NAME l
think. means the perfume OF the hlapio
to see and to listen to some Japanese
nlavs which are given in the club thea
tor for the purpose. We went there ID
tho afternoon, passing by the Shiba tenn
nlos and our kurumas we're drawn up az
one end of the buildings. Ihere eVery
thing was Japanese, though l near
atories Of the other club and its ultra
European ways-brandies-and-sooas' SIN
Gle eyeglasses, etc. However that may
he. on this side we were in japan WIFI,
opt mistake. We sat ON the steps ana
had orr shoes taken off, according to the
Jananese fashion, so as not to lnlure
mats and we could hear during the
operation long wailings, high notes.
and the piercing sound OF nutes
and stringed instruments; the curlousiy
sad rhythm mingled with background
of high, distinct defamation. we
walked in, with careful attention TO
make no noise, forgetting that in our
stocking feet we could have made none
had we wished, and we found the doc
tors Mace reserved for him and us, and
marked with his name, writ large. Other
low boxes, with sides no higher IMAM
our elbows as we sat on the mats, dlvlo-
ed the sloping floor down to the stage
The stage was pretty little building
projecting into the great hall from us
long side. 1t had its own roof, and con-
nected with large gallery or BRIDGE
along which the actors moved as they
came on or disappeared, in manner
new to u.s. but which gave a certain
natural sequence and made beginning
and an end-a dramatic Introduction
and conclusion-and added greatly to
the picture when the magnificent
dresses Of stiff brocade dragged slowly
along to the cadence Of the music.
"a quiet, sleepy appreciation lowered
over the scene; even the devotees near
us, many of them older people and be-
longing to the old regime, showing their
approval or disapproval with restrained
criticism. could see without turning
my head the expression OF the face OF
my neighbor, former daimio, man
of positions; face Of Japanese transla-
ton of the universal well-known aristo-
cratic type--immovable fatigued, with
the dropping under lip. Behind him sat
former retainers, Isuppose-de ferential,
insinuating remarks and judgments to
which he assented with inimitable
brevity Still, l thought that | could
distinguish, when he showed that the
Youthful amateurs-for most of the
actors were n-professional-did not
come up to "a proper standard, that his
memory went back to a long experience
of good acting. And so catching are
impressions of crowd that l myself
after a time believed that l recognized,
more or less distinctly, the tyro
and the MASTER even though l only
vaguely understood what it was all
about. For l need not tell you that the
libretto would have been still more diff
fcult for me than the pantomime before
me; and very often it was but panto-
mime. the actor making gestures to the
accompaniment of music, or the decla'
nation of the choragus, who told the
poetic story. Occasionally these move
ments amounted to a dance, that is to
say, to rhythmic movements-hence
called the No dance-to which emphasis
was given by rising or falling on either
foot, and bringing down the sole with q
sudden blow.
I'VE had tobacco to cheer us
On our arrival the noiseless servants
had brought to us the inevitable little
tray containing the ire-box with hot
charcoal and the little cylinder fol
ashes, and tea and little sugary balls
and then, besides, Notwithstanding the
high-toned repose of the audience, there
was enough to watch"