The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-04
IN A JAPANESE THEATRE.

l1N "a u AZ ft4NIJDIl IIlIkaI
Trippers travelling in Japan gener-
ally witness geisha dance in Toxic
or, for preference, in Kioto--a wrest-
ling match in EXON, and an exhibition
of juggling in Osaka, or some other
town of Importance; then they return
to Europe and poster their kinsfolk
and acquaintance with highly colored
descriptions Of Japanese ways and
customs. Now, as a fact, many Of
these so-called Japanese" entertain
ments are organized for the delecta-
ton Of the orthodox tourist, and are
no more typical of Japanese perform
ances than the spectators themselves
represent Japanese audience.
On almost any day of the week. how
ever, a genuine Japanese audience may
be seen in the native theatre Of some
such comparatively primitive town as
Nagasaki, and in the native playhouse
Of Nagasaki itself I have frequently
witnessed Japanese performances, also
the antics of Japanese audiences,
which latter are sometimes the more
amusing of the two. The play general
ly begins between 10 and II o'clock in
the morning, and lasts until sunset,
and nearly always it is melodramatic
in It's action, being founded in most
cases upon some ancient historical in
cident concerning a deed of villany and
blood, or else upon some we'll known
legend or romance. Then, though the
principal stage Immediately faces the
audience and has drop-curtain, as in
European theatres sort of minor
] platform, six or eight feet in width,
extends round the auditorium, in the
form of a square or an oblong, and the
cheapest seats-"pit'' seats in both
senses-are bounded upon all sides by
this extra platform. Such being the
!, case, the audience, naturally enough,
bring with them their midday meal,
which they eat when they happen to
feel hungry-a feeling that apparently
arises at odd moments, not necessarily
between the acts. They also bring their
children, and the moment the curtain
falls there is a general stampede Of
youngsters, who precipitately Chamber
from the ''pit" on to the platform, and
then crawl as best they can under the
curtain itself, presumably to discover
whether the tortured heroine has suf-
IlCIGItIy IeSdlIeu H6T SelI-reSDeCC TO
be able to sing solo before being pub
licly slaughtered in the beginning of
the next act Having apparently sat
isfed their Juvenile curiosity, the ur-
chins presently begin to reappear, at
first one by one, then in twos and
threes, wriggling out under the curtain
like great worms, and evidently much
impressed by what they have seen;
then they quietly return to their plac-
es. The Weather members Of the au-
dience sit on chairs in a balcony, as
becomes persons of their high posi-
ton, and, Of course, their children be-
have as respectable Japanese mites
should
But what strikes one chiefly about q
Japanese audience is the patience
which it displays in sitting out piece
lasting between six and eight hours.
OF course, the Japanese play is not of
the problem order, nor yet of the
sexual type; neither has it been
, written with a purpose; but, to
judge from the action of the players,
it is, as have said, invariably of a
sensational character. Presumably,
too, it rivets the attention of it's audi
ence more firmly than does a London
play hold London audience, for I
cannot help thinking that even the
most thrilling of melodramatir matt