The record-union., 1896-10-18
THE DRAMA IN PERSIA.
Has Powerful Influence on the Pas
sions of the Public.

The theater in Persia, in so far as it's
leading feature, the TaZiya, is con-
cerned, has a powerful influence on the
passions of the public. 1t is not like the
modern theater of Europe, little more
than a mere paStime, except when 1t
shocks and attracts by its immortality,
but is an instrument, like the old Greek
stage, of political Importance and relig-
ious intrigue. With the English the
chief inducement to attend a theater is
curiosity, with the Persian it is devo-
ton. 1t is also patriotism which leads
him to the Taziya for the ImaiS, the
rlghtfal caliphS, are the heroes Of his
own land. Shakespeare excited the ad-
miration of his contemporaries; the Ia
dies of the court of Louis XIV. shed
their tribute Of fashionable tears while
listening to the tragedies of Racine; Co
ethe'S "Egmont" and the "William Tell'
of Schiller reused fervid fury in the Teu-
tonic breast, but none of these writers,
in the opinion of De Gobineau. affected
their audience like the Persian play. "Je
ne retrouVe cette possession de Ietre
enter du Spectateur par le drame que
dams les tekyehs persans: mais la je Ia
retrouve tout entiere. lie theater euro
peen nest qu'une distraction, Ie thea
tire persan, seul, est une grande anaire.' -
Before speaking at any length of the
ma tional drama, a few words should be
said concerning the farce and the PUP
pet show. The Persian theatrical reper-
toire consists of three different kinds of
pieces, of which the last is by far me
nest important: ID The farce. ~ the
puppet show, 90 the serious religious
play or Taziya. For none nf these is
ary charge levied on the spectator. but
in the first two a carpet, supplying the
place of our hat" receives the contri-
buttons of the benevolent The farce is
called Tamasha, literally aignifyiDg
walking abroad for recreation. Another
expression for the farce is Taklid sig
nifying a disguise and 50 a travesty. 1t
is performed by the only professional
musicians and dancers in Persia. known
as Lutiys. signifying inhabitants of
Lot, and so people not held in esteem
These are commonly accompanied by
some BaZikaris, or rope dancers and
tumblers, and when the entertainment
is to be of unusual grandeur monkeys
and even bears, are added to the num-
Der of the performers. These farces are
seldom committed to paper Their chief
characteristic is what Demosthenes held
to be the leading feature IN eloouence
namely, action. which cannot well be
reproduced in writing-volat irrevoca-
bile. Their essence, too, is of the time
present: they are what the printers in
their typographical slang call good
matter" stuff which must be published
to-day and has lost the greatest part
Of its interest by tomorrow. Social
and personal illusions appear in the m
everywhere. The delight of these allu-
sions dies. of course, as soon and as GER
tainly as that of the political Jokes in
our own comic papers. Of how much Of
its meager merriment is 4 last years
Punch deprived. Like all Persian
and indeed all Oriental--poetry, the
farce abounds with puns These verbal
bubbles, however ingenious, are gem
orally untranslatable Not unfreuuently
its language is free. Its license would
in England deprive it of license. Were
il written it would be set in red ink for
very shames sake. The bushes with
which the modest person might suppose
the cheeks of the actors themselves to
be suffused are wholly hidden by a coat
of flour. or of yolk of an egg. or of SCOT
plastered over their faces In this they
have the classic example of .he early
followers Of Thespis.
The actors are commonly Ispahanis,
who are held to have the best voices in
Persia. The plays are neralded by flies
and drums and peculiar copper trum-
pets six feet long called karnas. sound
ing like bells at a distance. the privi-
legged music of royalty and of relision.
They begin at , O'Clock in the morning
Of the first day of the month. and last
till the conclusion of the tenth AS thera
are often half dozen representations
in a day, the players are commonly ex-
hausted by their efforts. Nothing. per-
haps. save religious excitement and ro-
litica1 partisanship could support them
through so long and wearisome a pro-
bation.-Fortnightly Review
Thou art in the end what thou art
Put on wigs with millions of curls, set
thy foot upon ell-high rocks. Thou
abidest ever-what thou art.-Goethe