Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-27
"Son FOnG Quon.'

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works of the great masters I'd suit the
exigencies of the hour.
'Son Fong Quon."
If Augustin DAILY may adapt Shake
sDeare and Rostand. why should We frown
upon LUX Ling when he cuts a thirty day
play TO fit in one week?
| had the pleasure of seeing a portion of
carried away with me a vivid recollection
of n gifted actor harassed by century old
traditions: of an orchestra reminiscent of
a hundred boiler factories rolled into one.
and a headache which defied either analy-
sis or cure.
Yon dive into the Chinese theater. down
in Doyers street. You don't walk in, or
stroll in, or even drop in. although the lat
ter means of egress is quite possible. Dive
I'm Is the only word that really fits. You
go down a couple of steps off the narrow
sidewalk. when you come TO the box office.
Here you exchange the coin of the realm
for a bit of pasteboard bearing queer hero
Elyphics which you present at the door
after going down another step.
The man who takes your ticket at the
door is a white man. If you are so fortu-
nate as 10 make his acquaintance he may
make IL very pleasant for you. He Will
tell You that his name Is Fred Delaca,
that he Is the assistant manager and the
only white man employed in the establish
ment. He is "A most amiable young man,
and If you strike his fancy he may even
arrange ii SO that YOU can meet the great
actor. Fon Chong Mai.
II SuTSErtftiOhs
This is an honor. however. that is not
lightly conferred. and you must not expect
too much. At any rate. you would have 10
wait until the end of the performance, for
The Chinese actors are by no means free
from the superstitions which the members
OF the profession are prone to.
l do not think Fon Chong Mai would
hesitate 10 begin a tour on a Friday, even
iiould 1t fan upon the 18th of the
der "a ladder If no wore satisfied I'm his ou-D
mind that IT wouldn't fall on him. But
speak to any one during the course of n
heard OF. 1t would bring him bad luck.
Fon Chong Mai is a tragedlan and female
impersonator. Did he have a press agent
jewels. of romantic love affairs, perhaps
of milk baths. But they had no press
agents eighteen hundred years ago, when
play was given last week exactly as pro-
duced on its first night in Canton.
The great actor brings over with him an
all star company, including two or three
Chinese actresses.
The arniable Mr.. DeIaca conducted me to
:, box In the rear of the house. from which
] could see the stage through a cloud of
smoke arising from a sea of black hats
with serious. yellow faces under them. The
box was quite large. and contained in adj
clifton to myself a party of sightseers from
The avenue. under the. escort of Chuck
Conners. and a rara avis in the person of a
communicative Chinaman. l made friends
with him at once.
An Intense Audience.
There was a sharp slope down to the
queer little stage. but the spectators in the
rear Of the crowded house sat perched up
on the hacks of the wooden benches, so
as to miss no portion of the play. Occa-
sionally. as the chatter of the intruders
from uptown became noticeably loud. they
would glare back and say:
Too muchee talkeet"
II was for all the world like a box party
at the Metropolitan: only 1t was all so
different. But the elements of human ma
turc were identical.
The play was being given by request"
and my friend. the communicative China
al about il. His version was corroborated
by the versatile Mr.. Delaca. who boasts.
among his numerous accomplishments, the
ability to understand Chinese
In Son Fong Quon" the great actor
plays a female part. that of the young wife
of a rich old warrior who has gone to fight
a neighboring clan, At the time of my
arrival he had been absent for two years.
His son had also gone to the rescue of his
fond father. who was held captive by the
enemy. In the meantime the wife. forget.
ful of her liege lord, falls in love with a
rich noblennan. A baby is born to her. and
size is in despair of the return of her hus-
band.
She was a very lachrymose creature. and
twice did she ATTEMPT 10 commit suicide
once by throwing herself into a well. and
once by hanging. The child is stolen from
her. and in the incidents that followed |
SdlitIth y vague lutd pt n DdlIle IN which
the victorious son rescues the father. while
the unfortunate taby grows up TO be a big
hoy. and is returned TO his mother. Just
how the marital difficulties are straight
cned out | could not comprehend, despite
the efforts of my communicative Chinese
friend.
Like most of the Chinese dramas. Son
Fonc Quon'' is said TO be based upon actual
historical incidents.
4 Master of P~antomImc
Fon Chong Mai is undeniably an accom-
plished actor. His art is the most difficult
art OF the mime. the art of creating an illu-
sion without the aid of stage environments
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