The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-12
The New Theater
Is In Fullest
Swing.
THE GEISHA IS
HERE AT LAST
GIimpses ttof the Real Thing
from the Farther
East.

/. Judging from the throng of people at
the japanese Theater last night, that
new play house promises to be one of
the future attractions of Honolulu. The
theater itself is situated in a square OF
ground at 'Makiki and Kinau streets,
the Beretania side of which is fenced
by a fringe of young banana trees.
Under the full moon, the theater with
its many and vari-colored lights and
lanterns presented a brilliant and novel
appearance. Cabs were before the
door, and men and boys hung breathless'
over the fence at the imminent risk of
toppling over. Peals of laughter, the
tinkling of the Japanese .stringed in
struments, and sort of .wailing accom-
paniment, all bore witness. when the
Advertiser reporter arrived. that the
play was on.
The square of wood, dignified by the
name of door, was closed That is con-
trary to our effete ideas of running
ltheater- We prefer to run out sign.
standing room only" Here they might
with equal reason have said. ~kneeip
! and sitting room. only" for when the
square of wood suddenly swung open
lat some talismanic word, a really beau
I tiful and fairy-like scene spread out
before one like one of the dainty stories
from that same wonderful land of Miss
Cherry Blossom. 1t was. like being
waited by some invisible power straight
into Toxic.
| The building is a large one, partly
canvas covered at present, owing to its
not being completed, and it was liter
ally packed with people. Some were
lspting, others kneeling, and still others
lsquatting in attitudes of comfort, if not
of elegance. The tiny Japanese mothers
with their babies were out in force, each
smiling and bright-eyed, while their
kane's, more stolid, it is true, plainly
showed delight at the bit of Japan-land
spread out before them. There was
quite a sprinkling of white men, who
sat bolt upright in cane chairs at the
rear and tried to look as if they were
happy. The stage was gorgeous. 1t wa:
rainbow tinted and fine low settees
: served duty as footlights. Lantern:
, flashed everywhere. Flags, squares o
I white embroidered in silver, in gold
and violet and blue. were hung over
head, lined the walls and hung over tn
stage entrances. The play is very OLE
lone, about go years old, a Japanes
said. The heroine, who was pretty AM
M.
pranced up and down before a sort o
wicker-work door. in plain sight of tn
idisconsolate hero. She is named Wa
kaba and he is Atsumori. Atsumor
rose and fell back and climbed up owe
the rise in the flooring and in tru
J.: stage fashion descended the slantin
> flooring Al measured and dramati
l style. 1t was really cleyer. Then h
/. advanced to the Iattice-work door, an
after bit of declaiming smote it heav
g lily. The beautiful heroine caught tn
$ child (there is a child) in her arms an
|, sxayed and moaned. Then Wahak
v climbed that slanting stage again an
: fell heavily over the drop, or division
The second TIME he broke down the la
in tlce WOIk ana CduSAl DbAu 0iiiiN sAA
al mother in his arms. Tableau. Atsl
r mort did some very pretty dancing aft'
9' awhile to the accompaniment of II
- Japanese violins, which never cease
e. for moment. Like a Greek choru
n they kept at it eternaily. Wakaba
singing does not appeal to our taste
II but the Japanese went wild over
e; They clapped their hands and the
n cries could have been heard a block {
such a Silly night. Even the one lit
K. black dog. who seemed priyileg'
character. ran wildly about wagging h
ne tail and trying 70 be friendly. He on
a. knew that everyone was happy al
C. that boded him good.
al Watermelon, tea. saki and rice,
~ well as certain kinds of Japane
H sweetrneats, were all on sale, and
Ia: doubt freely partaken of. But it was
"a big. merry. happy crowd, noisy or
when touched and without the sligf
"a est Objectionable feature
;, The singing girls were dressed
sis their silken. gaily-colored robes, a
,e- naturally attracted no end of attenti'