Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-18
JAPANESE ACTING.
A QUAINT AND CURIOUS PLAY AND PITS
MYSTERIOUS PLOT.
The Villain, Pursued by Pretty 'ouhg
Girl with a Weird Song, Cuts
Her Head on.

One day, curio-hunting with several ON
GERS NV father among them. says winter
in the Boston Post, our attention WAS
turned in the direction of a house whose
banners and gay decoration heralded some
thing quite unusual IN that otherwise
quiet vicinity. man on square pat
form at one side of the door beat drum
necessarily, and on the other SIDE STOOD
young man expatiating on the Atuacllfe
programme WITHIN.
In a Japanese theatre, seated on the front
row. There was no curtain before the
stage. and in full view was pain room
with a covered box about two feet hlgh III
in the centre. The house was hned very
soon. and IL was not long before we were
attracted toward an entrance at the lett OF
the stage. Heavy footsteps ana louu
voice heralded man VINO came
strutting on the stage; closely iol ,.,St
by his wife. He was dressed IN biacA
satin garment. or "kimoye," as 1t ~ called,
covered with gold-embroidered storks. A
dark sash completed his outfit. Wescarcely
noticed the meek little wife, 40 much dld
the man absorb our attention. and alter the
play none OF US could remember how she
looked or what she had on. Following
quite closely behind them came what APP
peared 20 be the subject OF MS wrath-a
very pretty young girl with wnlte race,
vermilion lips. and dark, glossy mar: III
was the song which so eXaspera'eu MN
relating 10 some crime he had committed.
Still She persisted in singing It, though
he unite tired me ont with his rantlng:
until finally. in perfect frenzy. he seized
a short dagCer-and cut of her head AS
he did so the body of the young girl halt
fell under the table and we could see only
from the shoulders down. This was the
end of the scene. ! forget what sort OF
curtain was used. Scene presented tne
head of tho young .glri on the box; tue
neck wrapped around with cloth. when
we had feasted orr ewes on chs sight mo-
ment the vermillion lips opened and the
head began to sing-slng this same weird
song. oven TO the other side OF the grave.
II was very CHASTITY and we oil wondered
what the fate OF the man could DO who was
thus pursued. But he did not appear du-
RING that scene and we had only TO feast
our ewes on this singing head.
In the third scene, however, the villain
stood before Us, smiling and as volnbie as
ever. but this time he turned our attehU'un
not to himself. but 20 a coffin winch ne was
holding before Us 20 examine Having tap
ned ali sides to assure us II was whole, he
nut II down and placed the headless wo-
man inside. took the head Of the table,
which | noticed even III death could not
refrain from giving one defiant look OF the
ewes and shutting down the lid. put his
knee upon il. He began 70 fan himself and
TO sing. We bought tickets over AGAIN
after the first play, as II was only halI an
hour long. and ! recollect tnat We ASKED
the villain not TO put his knee on the box
or sing. but ho refused 10 comply. Alter
few moments he picked up the box and
tine woman was gone. ms ended the
play. ~.
mystery was performed that we all troOped
ont and bought tickets again. But even
the second time we made very little pro-
gress. The way in which tho girl oppor-
timely fell under the table when her mead
was cut of we could explain, but the sing
ing and the coffin We're mysteries STILL ne
third time we sent out % buy our tickets,
forwe wanted TO stay and think all the
time and each ono of US had a different
theory which we wished 10 prove. Before
the piav began for the third time we had 80
discussed the matter, dropped old theories
for better ones. as 90 conclude that ne
meath the table ono person must nave
worked the eyes and mouth and another
must have sung. the only objection to TINS
being that the voice seemed 10 come dl-
rectly from the lips.
Another valuable discovery or suggestion
was that one quttLef OF t,lt Iooiu ""9 "'-it
redected. for we noticed that no one ever
vaIfed in the right back portion. and once
when the man was over In that part ne
balanced himself and put one foot directly
in front OF the other, as though walking on
| the edge of board SO We drew an lmag
nary line for ourselves and noticed
that the end of the coffin came
| about where the mirrored part lay.
Still at the end Of the third perform
ance we felt slightly dissatisfied with our
conclusions. and. though it was getting
dark then. no doubt we would have, STAYED
as long as the play was presented, but the
| firm hand Of duty. in the form OF a gag
waiting on the canal. was not TO boayoided,
and q couple of night-watohes doomed up
we filed out Of the theatre with parting
| nod TO the old villain. who doubtless
| laughed behind our backs to think now
well he had foiled Us.