The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-19
CHOPST|CKS
HEROINE
The Divine Passion
At the Chinese
Thcater.
THE PLAY THERE
LAST EVENING
An Amusing Comedy Which Will
Go Off Program Sometime
Next September.

Go to the Chinese theater if you
would see Chinaman laugh. His bland,
childlike smile you may see any time
but until you watch him enjoying
comedy you have never. never seen him
at his best.
Seventeen Up" was the bill at the
Chinese theater last night. 1t is a COM
edy. so the ticket-taker said, who also
gave the information as to the name
of the production. The ordinary obser-
Yer of the play might make wild
guess if he did not have previous infor-
nation. 1t might be an opera or
me,odrama. TOO muchee music, says
the attendant.
There was no applause. only men
were present. and they few in NUMBER.
They wore their hats, smoked and tax
ed freely, and walked back and forth
across the stage until it was dlfhcult
to distinguish audience from actors.
Very seldom did the spectators show
their appreciation of the play. w heh
they did it at once was apparent tnal
a roilicking farce-comedy was IN prog
| ress. The laugh was OF appreclatlon-
| genuine and not half-hearteo. II start
ed in the same bland smile, at the cor
| ners of the mouth; then Wldeneo, uh.n
| it seems TO circle the head, and appear
| ed again at the eyes. The accompany
ing .ha ha" was loud and nearly.
| The play conferred about the marriage
of the heroine. Her hero had alfeady
been married three times, ana conse-
auently was not new to the business.
An orchestra plays rouslng accom-
Ipaniment to every song, ana ol.eh
ldrowns out the singer and speaker. 1 ne
music is more modern than classical
and inclines rather to 'rag-tme thah
Ito the old masters.
/ The costuming is gorgeous anu liiee
1 heroine appears in half dozen diner
/ ent costumes of startling hues. She
showed herself first in green ana scar
'Ilet gown, while the orchestra played a
funeral march in keeping with her $40"
4 and careful entry. Then she sahs-
! deeply and reverently. Her voice may
! have been divine, but it was SO deep
| In her throat as to be indistinguishable.
She celebrated her birthday, Christ
mas and her wedding day in rapid sue
Ia.
tors said 1t was her father was made
m with long whiskers and a patriarch
al air. which would have won him rec
ognition as Santa Claus in any Sunday
school Christmas celebration.
The browning feature of the evening
was the marriage ceremony. 1t was
either that or coronation. The canopy
under which the ceremony was to be
performed was first erected upon the
i stage. The groom and hero of three
weddings entered to the music of the
"Chop Sticks Waltz" by the orchestra
He. wore the conventional yellow ane
took a seat in a chair under the canopy
Then he arose and sang a love song.
The heroine had made her exit but
8 few minutes before with what appeared
3 to be sprinkling can presented by he
8 father.
I Now she entered again as bride. tn
orehestra playing another selection
| from Chopin She was becomingl.
I attired in a scarlet gown trimmed VIII
llace and Jewels She wore diamond
8 and carried-the sprinkling can. J,
3 There had been one or two quarrel
Z over the disposition of the ladys han
8 previously, and now she seemed rathe
3 coy about taking the final plunge. The
3 sang together: then at each other. Tn
3 lovers quarrel was becoming violen
3 and the groom be seemed to be get
e ting the worst Of it.
3 The bride burst into tears, the her
3 started to leave. She became hystericf
g and pleaded with him. They were rec
q onciled; then got into a second disput
3 after a reading of the marriage cor
g tract, which was evidently not to n
8 liking.
s More songs, more disputes and anoti
B er recopciIiation, the lovers were ST
g quarreling, and the end of the coined
q appeared to be as far off as the beg1I
q ring 1t will be concluded in Septen
g Der.