The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-23

TOKIO.-To the American the Jap
anesc theatre is a show in more
ways than one. Instead of check
ing his overcoat or umbrella the patron
leaves his shoes in the foyer In one
way he gets more for his money than
in the United States, because the play
begins in the morning and lasts until
10 or II o'clock at night. The interior
OF the play house is lined with refresh
ment stands and restaurants 50 that
all kinds of food and drinks are served
TO the audience i'm their seats. The
neighbOrhoOd abounds in tea houses
and the easiest way to arrange a the
atre party is to give an advance order
to the proprietor to one of these places.
Like the spectators in America the
tea house people control the choicest
seats which enable them 10 handle a
large volume of the business. They
arrange all details even to having their
attendants enter the theatre and wait
upon their patrons.
There are no chairs SO the spectators
in the main portion of the building
squat uDOn mats. The gallery gods
stand up and peer through rows of
horizontal bars. As the mob in the
peanut heaven presses against the
wooden Stats that divide them from
the more select patrons. it reminds one
of "A lot of cOnVictS herded together in
is only a few coppers hardly enough
II would seem to pay for keeping il
clean. When the performance begins
the management takes no chances on
the audience missing anything. As each
performer makes his entrance the drum
beats to call attention to his arrival,
ana his exit being noted in the same
way. Old men sit near the fOOtlights
to chant an explanation of the proceed
ingS as they progress. The stage hands
take plenty of time to arrange the
properties in full view of the audience,
and every small boy in the house dele
gates himself a committee Of one to go
back OF the curtain at intervals to see
that everything is being conducted
properly.
NO Actresses in Japan.
The Japanese stage loses its attrac-
tiOn for the American man when he
finds that no women ever take part in
the performance. The female chaTac-
tiers are represented by men with
squeaky voices and their representation
of the fair sex is a sorry burlesque. All
the actors are stiff as pOkers If one Of
them should stump his toe he would
break in two The high. unnatural tone
they assume sounds like the hidden
voice in a Punch and Judy show. When
one OF them has TO make a long speech
I'm this strained falsetO he gets so red
I'm the face from the effort that he seems
ready TO burst a blood vessel.
turn-tabIe so that instead of raising
or lowering curtains. as in our play
houses the whole thing reVolves.
While one scene is toward the audi
ence another is being arranged I'm the
rear. The platform is on rollers and
at the proper moment coolies furnish
the motive power to turn it. As one
scene disappears, with much shaking
and squeaking, its successor comes
into view. the actors meanwhile stand
I'M N nIgraG = a u
If the coolies use too much effort and
shove the platform beyond the proper
point. the angry performers indulge in
much expostulating and gesticuIating,
which is not incidental to the play.
Actors Pass Through Audience
Those taking part in the perform
ance frequently make their entrances
and exits from the front OF the build
ing rather than from the wings. To
facilitate this arrangement there are
elevated walkways level with the
stage (similar TO those which our ma
gicians sometimes use to get nearer
their audience). which extend to the
foyer. Tt is only recently that "A regu-
lar system Of lighting the playhOuses
came into vogue. Formerly a cOwled
super lowered around the actor, hold
ing a torch near his face so that the
fine play of emotion in his features
would not be overlooked. This super
had to know his cues perfectly or there
was "a prospect Of setting fire to the
false whiskers Of the star It is an
unwritten law Of the japanese stage
that any assistant starting such a con
fagratiOn shall end his professional
career on the spot.
Japanese stars have several sources
OF revenue unknown to American ac-
tors. When the spectators become ex-
cited they throw hats, belts. pipes,
and even their coats on the stage
This does not mean that the performer
Is TO keep these articles as souvenirs
They are a pledge OF appreciation of a
far more substantial character The
valet of the celebrity soon appears and
returns each article to its owner. COL
lecting in lieu thereof a cash sum
named by the star. For example. Dan
jire. the Joseph Jefferson of Japan.
who is now dead. used to collect SO
for every gOOd-looking hat that was
thrown to him. The scale varies with
each actor. This hat throwing is seen
at Spanish bull fights. but there the
matadOr makes no charge. He merely
selects one hat from the lot. rests IL
on his head for an instant. then throws
IT aside and proceeds with his work
The Japanese star also makes a fixed
charge to all who wish to visit him in
his dressing room. He may give his
signature. offer some little gift or if
especially impressed with his visitor
even delay the performance long
CROUCH 10 serve tea. An actor with
a reputation expects to make more