The Indianapolis journal., 1902-08-17
CHINESE MUSICAL COMEDY
A MUSICIAN BACK FROM SAN FRAN
CISCO TELLS ABOUT 1T.
Only One Tune, He Thinks, and the
COMPOSER of IL Il worshiped in I'm
age in the Theater's Joss House.

ate- in Chinatown" said a musician who
returned the other day from a trip 10 the
Pacific coast The members Of the little
band grouped themselves behind the actors
IN the very center OF the stage and in full
view OF the audience, where they have
regular workshop. They grind out what
they call music during most Of the per-
formance, regardless Of play or players, to
all appearances. Sometimes they stop sud
denly. and one imagines that they are tired
out and are going TO take a much-deserved
rest: but such is not the case at all, for
soon the cymbaIs clash, the kelas,' or
Chinese vioIins. shrek. the wind instru-
ments. which give forth music of the
Scotch bagpipe order. squeal louder than
ever, and Mongolian harmony Cor lack Of
I'D simply clods the air.
THE Chinese musical cOmedy-fOr il was
a musical comedy that was being enacted
during the three weeks Of my stay in San
Francisco-can be compared to nothing else
IN ali the world in an amusement way. 1t
stands alone. and is quite unique. Take, for
example a scene from the play which l
witnessed. CIang, bang! go the cymbals,
and two young maidens-female imper-
senators, OF course, for there are no women
4 cOnDdnN-tOuuit
and hold lengthy conversation. while the
musical geniuses in the background saw
and hammer and drum away with might
and main as If the play could not get along
Just as well. and better. with all Of them
well under the earth Then, without Civ
ing any signal of distress or danger, the
maidens fair begin TO sing, or scream,
rather. in high falsettO voices, while, moth
ing daunted, the orchestra pitches in and
helps them out When the girls finish their
selection with farewell yelps the fellows in
the workshop stop. too. for a wonder; but
don't imagine for an instant that they are
quiet during their little recess, for they put
In the spare time tuning and repairing their
instruments, and upon one occasion l saw
the cymbal player improve his leisure mo-
ments by taking a big hammer and fatten-
ing out a dent in one of his brass cymbals.
THE LEADING MAN ENTERS.
During the orchestra's vacation a cur
tain on one side of the stage is thrown aside
and a short heavy-set Chinese gentleman
appears and bows and smiles by way of
greeting the maidens. This is the leading
man. and a great favorite among the Chi
nese theater-goers. He has an unusually
intelligent face, and one almost expects to
hear him talk sense. even If it is the Chi
nese kind. But he seems TO stand in with
the rest of them, for he makes no effort to-
ward having the musicians removed He
spouts a continuous stream OF talk at the
Mongolian beauties-speeches that are as
long If not longer than Hamlets soliloquy
and judging from the laughter in the au-
dience he says some mighty good things
too. The maidens smile and look shy, but
not a word do they utter in answer until
the comedian stops for breath, and then.
with the kind assistance Of the always will
ing and ever-ready orchestra. repeat their
duet as nearly as they can remember it. 1t
doesn't seem possible that they can actually
sing the same thing all over again just as
they did the first time.
when they have concluded the leading
man tries his luck with solo. He begins
in robust voice and is succeeding in max
ing some wonderful noises when the mu-
sicians up stage put on extra steam and
drown him out for fear that they might be
forgotten. Then all three performers sing,
and during their trio the maidens kneel
down while the comedian seems to be grant
ing them his blessing. All three walk off
the stage together. and so ends the scene
in the rear. All of the scenes in the musi-
cal comedy are much the same as the one
I've just described, except now and then,
when there is one of unuusal interest (from
a Chinese viewpoint, of course) the musi-
clans find it necessary to whoop up things
trihe more.
There is much that is interesting about
Chinese theater. although I found the
musicians the most fascinating studies of
all The two Cinnamon that act as stage
hands have a mighty easy time OF it, as
each scene lasts so long that they have
plenty of time TO take maps. and they are
usually asleep, ofttimes having TO be
wakened by the performers. Even when
compelled 10 work all they have to do is 10
walk out on the stage and hang up a cur
tain or carry a bench, as the scene de-
mands. They are without exception the
LATEST chaps I saw while in Chinatown.
During the performance two venders go
about selling sugar cane. pressed ginger
and other sweet things dear TO the Chinese
palate. They do not confine themselves 10
the audience. but often go upon the stage
and offer their wares for sale among the
performers and musicians
MURDER IN THE AUDIENCE.
''The audience is always orderIy-except
when a murder takes place in its midst
Two Chinese shootings occurred while ]
was in San Francisco and each time the
theater was the scene Of the tragedy. Even
upon such exciting occasions the Chinese
seldom become agitated TO any extent and
one evening the San Francisco police found
a dead Chinaman lying in one of the aisles
OF the playhouse, shot through the heart
while the spectators remained unconcern-
edly in their seats watching with interes,
the progress OF the play. The theater-goers
never applaud. The men sit perfectly still
smoking their pipes and cigarettes and
laughing when II is time 10 laugh 1t is moi
considered good manners for women tC
laugh. and so whenever something appeals
TO the humOr OF the fair ones in the audi
ence they hide their mirth behind their
handkerchiefs
The actors all live in small apartment.
under the stage. and servants are empjoyef
by the management 10 cook their meal,
and wait upon them. There is a Jos.
house over the stage where the better clas,
OF Mongolians. including the performers. e
10 say their prayers. II is a small room
the walls OF which are hung with beav,
curtains In its center is an altar which /.
covered with weird little idols and gro