Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26

4
| tain bazaar and Chinese restaurant stock
company Of 200 actors and artists will be inn
ported directly from the fowery kingdom. the
permit for their entrance having been condi-
tionally granted.
| The Chinese theater Is like no other house OF
entertainment on earth, and IL this worlds fair
Monaghan enterprise Is run on strictly celestial
plans there Is q picnic ahead for the uninitiated
| sightseer.
CHINESE TRADITION
gives It out that the Chinese drama was MINI
licking the woes Of the world and dancing ballets
cons Of ages before Greece made spot on the
map. This may be taken cum grano sails, how
ever, for the celestas, like political parties,
much given TO claiming everything in sight and
| o great deal that isn't They claim that their
learned men of medicine taught Mr.. Esculapius
bis primer in physics, and that printing was the
pastime Of their professors thousands Of years
| before Messrs Gutenberg, Faust and Caxton
appeared on the scene of action, and as for the
other arts and sciences they had them "on the
list when the waters separated and the dry
land appeared. They don't pin much faith to
things that do not antedate IA. d. So it
il altogether probable that the almond-eyed
orientals get onto some other fellows reserva-
ton quite often in their vigorous attempts to
locate claims.
FATHER OF THE CHINESE DRAMA.
The actual facts In the case, as substantiated
by history, show that Wau TIE, blue dragon
emperor, who fourished about the year $50
A. D.. was the father of the Chinese drama.
He seem also to be responsible for the celestial
who stalks the stage and Kisses ~ hatea your
In two strides and one pose. or who roars as
gentle a sucking dove, in Chinese hieroglyph-
les, IF it will f-e-e-d nothing elsea, it will
f-e-e-da my r-e-v-e-n-g-e."
Heun Tsung, who welded the celestial scepter
about 800 years later, claims the honors of dra-
matte paternity. but Wan TIE seems to have
filed his papers about three centuries 100 early
for Mr.. Tsung.
THE CHINESE DRAMA.
The Chinese are a queer people to claim, as
they do, 1000 or more years Of civilization,
and in nothing does their popularity crop out
as in their dramatic art. The Chinese drama
is never notwithstanding to the law. There
is no suggestion Of vulgarity, no questionable
illusions are made. social frailties paraded in
theatrical notwithstanding to the
law. There is n special provision in the penal
code of China which prohibits presentations Of
immortality upon the stage. As if this were
not enough, Buddha himself takes hand in
purging the play, by canonical law. This
canon is unique. 1t recites that the author of
an immoral play must not only suffer the pangs
of torment while in the flesh for infringement
Of moral laws, but he must after death, enter a
purgatorial place where he sizzles and signs as
long as his play is produced upon earth.
THE LAW NOT ENFORCED.
- n.., ~. 80 - . We '"iu
- ~. - o -, 80 49,
- III. s..;e 80, e,
booming if the law was enforced (which II
isn't" The Clemenceau cases and Candles OF
the Chinese drama are lust as numerous in the
land Of Confucius as they are in the territory
of Uncle Sam Women and wantonness seem
inseparably connected in the minds of Chinese
dramatists but love is not often the theme of
their labors The auarrels of kings and spites
OF petty diRnltaries form the corner stones OF
1heir Ponaerous plays and historical incidents
bonpsr .; Ine "pt rsManm e. 'ne n.oIsai
gets a wbirI There ia a section in the nsnai
code which forbids the introduction into plays
Of emperors, expresses princes or generals of
former ages, bu. they are inpersonated ..iust
In the same old way despite the law,
NO .orprssrs
IN. e.,.;or NJ ,ho ,,on.1 ID :. ..,,,,,
ohe sec uon VI 'ne Pehai coae Is s'rlcuy en-
forced. NO women are permitted to appear on
the stage In China. This happens because once
upon a time an emperor fell in love with a
.hshese actress ana piackea ner IRON tue stage
women were sorh;dJan u w. %' o., in Ch;na
whether to protect emperors from their wilos
or actresses from the imnortnnities Of emnerors
is not known history being silent ON the snb
iect. When female parts are written in smooth
faced youths impersonate the characters-
- -, -
N"
Acting Is not considered an honorable pro-
fession In China because the best actors are
slaves. They are purchased from their parents
wbep mera ;n,ants and ora ednco,od j., ~.
dramatic art from tho time tbsv cav tall nd
wall They are not we'll maid and thev seem ". to
have no fnture. because 70 have been an actor
,.aras ,baro ;nos;n,hIo oso;.I os; uSoof
which in China ia the acme of ambition IN q
Monaghan.
THE.rrRsr CHINESE DRAMA,
like that of Greece and Italy and India, was
mixture Of pantomime, speaking parts and bal.
let and WINS sunnosed To renreaent tho con-
o,,se. =, ryh;n. r., W., W. 49,.
~. rsc;,a,;nn ~ WI mons; Lons ai'er .na'
,ais..,n st1,s wa; nv ~ gnu tunny
80. TI;s .h. .ns 'no nnol PIea1aI pas
s"se' .n.s eiiIn'ins was o9ne W Ine Iesaing
nth,v ~ 40 v I,So oIPPoSeu 70 IPressns .ne
Sunn a' -. VIC pay. anis came IN unoer .ne
SIs I y; anu 'ne pays oi 'na' pefioo were
0"''0 IA
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Of Chinese drama came under the Kin and
Yuen dynasties from 1125 to 1857 The list OF
d-.n,.,io .rthor, 3d. a. ~, -, -,
~ &C. 1I'i WIG ,uen ny mast! 'onI-
Pr.ses eisn'y-n'e' ana something IKE o64 plays
NJ. ~ a., r,>.,
translated belong 70 the domestic school
few might be said to belong to the criminal