Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-10

On the stage clumsy, lfe-sized figures
are being Jerked through an historical pan
tomime which deals with the crusades A
man behind the scenes reads the dialogue
in a truly marvellous voice. and now and
then he appears in the wings. madly ges-
ticulating.
The puppets represent kings and queens,
Turks and soldiers in the crimson and
tinsel dear to the Italian heart. At the
end of the first scene the manager comes
forward and explains for the. benefit of
the Americans in the audience that the
marionettes who wore boomers were Turks,
and those who didn't We're Christians.
The Italians are absorbed in what they
see, and lean forward craning to get a
better view. They hiss the villain marion
cite Ia Turk in green pajamas) and give
A-Ahs' of pleasure when the Christian
hero triumphs and stands alone in the CEN
ter of the stage, glitterinG in his tin armor.
And when Satan (personified by a huge
black bird sweeps down and carries off
the dead villain there is exultant MUIR
muir of Per Dior
Manager is Courteous.
AT the end of the performance the man
ager again steps to the footlights and with
naive politeness thanks the audience for
their kind attention and applause. Be
hind the scenes the men who have worked
the puppets all evening are resting and
wiping the sweat from their brows. 1t is
not easy work to balance aloft on a beam,
and pull the ropes and wires which move
the stolid lay figures. and surely IL takes
quick thinking and discrimination to make
both Turk and Christian gestlculate at the
right momentI
Until recently condemned. a gaudy green
and white theater on East Sd street was
the home of Paul Orleneff's Russian stock
company. All the dramas prohibited in
Russia were given here-plays by Maxim
Gorky and Naidyonof. which deal with
political situations and are full of long dis
cuSStOQS of labor and pa0Ifal They "a
Russian warp and wool. scenes. language
and costumes The latter are very pic
turesque-especially those of the peasant
girls. There was a concentration and in
tensity about this audience in which there
Is a smoldering fierceness. Looking at the
rows of dark, impassioned faces, one could
easily imagine the crowd half made UP of
socialists. It Is noteworthy that the hero
in the play is always a peasant or phil
anthropist, while the villain is of the
aristocracy.
The audience that goes to listen TO Ger
man comic opera at the Irving Place The
ater Is sleek and prosperous to the point
OF commonplaceness. Such beaming, rudy
faces as one might see in the fatherlandi
Here and there are American students
studying scores with puckered brows. And
what difference there Is between American
and German comic operai In the former
the chorus is chosen for its appearance
into believing. In the latter the girls are
no hours, but they sing like skylarks.
Grand opera is constantly recruited from
the ranks of Irving Place
Celestials' Place of Amusement
In dark and narrow Doyer street, where
almond-eyed celestials slip silently from
doorway to doorway, there rises the gray
slanting roof of the Chinese theater. Gay
lanterns, making bright patches of color
in the gloom. swing before the low en-
trance. The theater is small and dim. with
rows of wooden benches.
The most peculiar thing about the audi
ence is the way 1t sits. The Cinnamon
perch high on the backs of the benches,
their feet on the seats. for fear that their
sacred queues may touch the floor. To be
sure they might wind their pigtails round
their heads. but to wear them long and
loose Is a sign that John is for the hour
his own boss.
1t ID the most stolid audience In the
world No matter how moving the play,
Cinnamon never laugh or applaud or show
any sign Of emotion.
The stage Il . bare platform There Is