The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-09-04

p'us ne SO sleeper hl'Nssl IN japanese
lore that each morning he was able to
give them a Few minutes talk on Japan
In general. and on the play in particular.
His ide1 was rot or,ly to create the right
atmospheric conditions for his aciors bu;
TO impress upon them the seriousness of
japanese LIE a. depicted In this new
drama. and the importance which the
japanese mind attaches TO even the small
est social convention IN that odd country.
"he. Mr.. BelaSco was ''b-s aking In a
feast scene in THE Darling OF the Gods
he started by telling his property men
10 bring the cushions tables. yisnds, sake
cups ard water pots Then he explained
their uses and Significance. and the man
rsr OF their use n the scene. in one Of
those interesting little talks that. as all
his companies declare make his rehearsais
SO interesting
First OF ALL said Mr.. Reiasco. you
must understand that the quality OF n
guest in Japan is .rdicated By the num-
Der OF kneeling cushions placed FOR him
These are usually Of rich purple The
largest pile o. them f. nearly always at
the left OF the host tvomen do not as get
attend public feasts,. where the guest Of
honor sits-no; on the right. a. with US
Thus placing the guest at the left IS an
other instance of japanese topsy-turvy-
dom
Nothing hut these cushions e. seen up
on the entrance. q. the guest each having.
perhaps. the guests name in splendid .deo-
graphs. The tables are brought IN by serv-
ants o. mousme. There Is one rnousrne
for each table. "a there l. but one table
for each guest. Nianis are servei individ-
ually. nut the cups OF sake pass from the
host 10 the left.
THE sake cups at = felst are three-in
a nest-one large. one small. and one be-
tween these extremes. Each guest does not
have a cup. but the sake IL most often
served from n SOFT 81 pure porcelain am
ohora-by a boy. m0usme. or geisha-in
the center Of the circle OF tables
Besides his amphoTa OF sake. ne has
another pot Of hot water in which the
cups are washed before they are passed.
Sometimes when r guest wishes TO pay
special honor 10 the person On his left
the direction ia which the cup always
passes-he himself washes the cup after
he has used It. aad he himself receives
the wine from the hoy and passes it with
a profound obeisance TO the one lie wishes
TO honor. After the small cup has gone
the rounds. the next in size is used. ami
the larres, one last-if at all. For fire.
Gucnily. 10y the time each guest has
pledged the other. ard the host has
pledged them all. there is no need for
further cup.
Then" continued Mr.. Belasco. there
IS the japanese bow. which IL a much
more complicated matter than # seems.
II must be begun from a sitting posture
really squatting on the heels-and tine
forehead mus, touch the hands as they
are spread on the fioo-. thumbs touching.
All this must be done with the utmost
elaboration and grace. The hands are
swept palm first. from behind the body
and placed on the floor. The body must
touch the heels. and never leave them"
II IS I'm this manner. by explaining the
true meaning Of these things. as they &C.
cur in the drama. that Mr.. Belasco en-
tertained his actors at rehearsal.
The tinsel. banners and scenery neces-
sary to the production OF a piece like
Mother Goose cost thousands. The ques-
ton ~ often asked. Who buys these ar
t.cles and what are they worth when the
spectacles have oUflived their popular
ity?' As assets they are not worth a cent
practically. and are dead loss except in
the play Worse than that the managers
cannot even get anyone TO cart them away
as gift. The moment the performance Is
over the scenery and costumes 20 to n
stor.house. and they are valuable as little
more than junk.
good illustration OF this was The
Sleeping Beauty glass palace. 1t was
to move this structure about
the country. SO. with all its beautiful
Venetian moldins and its tons OF glass,
II had to be taken down. II has passed
through the custom-ho under bond for
export again. and II had to be shipped
out OF the country or there would be
heavy custom duties to pay. II had to be
returned to England.
When Klaw & Erlanger cabled Mr.. Col
Iins of Drury Lane. asking what DISPOSE
iion 10 make OF II. as they were through
with it. he promptly wired back: IL you
are through witt. 1t sink It in your bay"
This could not be done under the custom
laws, Sc the palace WAS deliberately
smashed up into bits OF broken glass. ]
packed In cases Qs0 In number). put