Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-13
THE STAGE IN CHINA.
San Francisco Saw the First Almond
Eyed Actress Few Years Ago.
4 BIG CELESTIAL INNOVATION.
The Prices Charged in Shanghai and Odd
Scenery Provisions
CLIPPINGS FROM THE PLAY-BILLS
A BIG CELESTIAL INNOVATION.
CLIPPINGS FROM THE PLAY-BILLS
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

/ I"hlIrEN FOh THE DISPATCH.l
The Chinese theater of to-day differs in
but one or two respects from that of the
earlier centuries. As in other things, 80 in
| their amusements do the Chinese resist
innovations and improvements They are
as bitterly opposed to change in the theatre
cal line as they are to the building Of
factories and railroads, and no inducement
has been of sufficient weight so far to re-
move their prejudices
Up to within 80 years theatrical enter.
tainments in China were given in the open
air. The size of the stage was generally
regulated by the character of the play or
plays to be presented, some of them re-
quiring only 20 actors, while others brought
in as many as 300 people. These actors
were all men, but it is not to be supposed that
there were no female characters in the plays
No company was complete without its star
who could successfully represent the female
character or heroine, and this actor general
ly drew a salary which, compared with that
paid the others, was enormous. This artist
was supposed to have gone through years of
training to adapt his voice to the high pitch
which was necessary to the successful por-
trayance of the character ne represented.
A Sensation in frisco Chinatown.
Quite recently the restriction against the
appearance of a real woman on the stage has
been removed. There are at least dozen
companies now on the road, each of which
has a real woman star. This innovation 10
due more or less to the influence of the
American stage, and they were greatly i'm
pressed by American women on the stage.
The first Chinese woman to go upon the
stage was the wife of an actor who had been
one of the chief impersonators of the fe-
male sex. There was some opposition
among the Chinese to her appearance, but,
as the laws of China did not prevail in San
Francisco, her husband insisted that she
should be allowed to try. She was very
successful and the theater was crowded a.
it had never been before, every one of the
sc, 900 Cinnamon in San Francisco being
anxious to witness the unusual spectacle.
News of this event was carried to Shang-
hal, where, after determined effort lasting
for over a year, the theaters were permitted
to employ women on the stage. An Ameri-
can might not, perhaps, perceive the i'm
proyement, for the women persist in using
the unnatural high-pitched voice that is
supposed to fit them, while the men talk in
greater advance in the art than can be esti-
mated by one who does not understand the
Chinese language and the history of the
stage of the country.
Inside the Shanghai Theaters
There are now three theaters, "Ths
House of the Celestial Fairies, Z" ''The Chant
to the Rainbow" and '.The Old Red Cassis
Tree" in Shanghai They are arranged
somewhat after the style used in the court
yard entertainments, only the whole il
rooted in and lighted with gas or electricity.
The stage contains no scenery, and is simply
a raised platform, the center of which is
reserved for the performance. The dressing
rooms are the sides at the rear of the stage,
where the actors change their costumes in
full view of the audience. At the sides Of
the stage are number of chairs reserved
for invited guests or important visitors, and
the orchestra is scattered about in front Of
the actors, where the musicians squat down
SO as to obstruct the view as little as pos
sible. A screen serves the purpose Off
curtain, though it never hides more than 10
or IL feet at the back center of the stage.
All kinds of vegetables, such as cakes,
samshoo and melon seeds, are served in the
house, and regular feast goes on from the
beginning of the performance to the end,
the venders of the wares crying them out,
no matter whether an act is on or not
Women are always present in the audience
in large numbers, but they never sit in the
pit or any place except in the boxes or
stalls or at the side Of the gallery. The
scale of prices is very reasonable compared
to American prices. They are: Boxes,
holding 20 people, S6; stalls, 40 cents per
head; pit. 20 cents; front of gallery, 10
formances are given daily, matinee from
1 to in the afternoon, and in the evening
from o'clock till midnight. From to 20
plays may be acted during performance,
or it may be that the same piece will last
month; that is, it is given in continued per-
formances like serial story. If there is
more than one play billed, no time is lost In
the intervals. The curtain is simply
spread across the back of the stage and i'm
removed.
Leaves From the Play Bills.
Following is programme from the thea
ter of THE Fairies Tea Gardens"
The 18th Of the tn Aoon-Dayligh Performances
The Emperor's End. The Terrace of Jasper.
a5e On 6oa GoR fHen so soRT Of Pa1s aTfSi
~ "0 Battle of Tsin Chao.
The 18th Of the zh Moon-Euening Performance
iwo Faithful Unto Death.
;tory of q Changed Sword.
White Lotus Temple.
| buse of Tsao-Tsao. The Moment of Fragrance.
oncifying the Northern Seas.
Visiting the Ten Fanes,
Ten Times a Warrior.
One of the plays which consumed sixteen
lays in its performance was. named The
Triumph of the Rosy-hued Virtue Over
he Blackness of Eternal Death" 1t was
historical sketch extending over many
enturies and introducing many emperors
md their friends and foes. If some enthu-
last would produce the annals of the Chi.
ese stage and undertake the translation Of
he tragedies, comedies and dramas, 1t
night not prove paying task but it would
ertainly be interesting. NoMAD.