The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-21

has been confined to tho now school OF
Jnpp nose drama. For some tim" past IN"
dramatic world I'm Japan has been di-
vided into two camps; md. although
peace roigns elsewhere, the conflict be
hind the footllghts IL 0ercc and active.
The battle H., of course. between the now
and the old school and SO far the old
has had all tho odds i'm It's favor To II
have belonged J1pans great actors, Tor
II tho grent plays were written, aud the
people. Ike play-Roers all the world over
Ike TO seq tho old plays because they
know precisely what is going TO take
place I'm them That which Us too surprls-
| ing, which requires serious thought is
not what the public asks for. and the
courageous now party have sun tre-
mcndous obstacles to encounter In the
long established traditions OF National
taste.
This leans toward historical drama Of =
rather violent kind. the great length Of
the performance permitting OF various
humorous episodes to Tighten tho gloom
Of tho central tragedy. When I'm more
genial mood tho people have gone TO
smile at fairy stories fun OF hobgoblms
and good GENT. or have chosen TO lnugh
at the rough broad farces which have
amused their ancestors In the past. The
actullitieS OF every day life seem far too
paltry and commonplace FOR dramatic
use In literature the modern novel has
had hard fight for existence, but Il has
gradually replaccd the intcrmiuablC pro-
ductIons of the romantic period; In thea
| trlcal matters the realities have not
Jared so well, the modern playwriGhtS
| have appealed on the whole TO p less
thoughtful class than that which Judged
the books. but tho pioneers have held TO
their convictions bravely and have at any
rate succeeded in being recognized as n
| school When new thinkers reach that
point the rest is n matter Of time
Shortened Performance
AS applied to things OF the japanese
stage. that phrase a matter OF time, has
| peculiar significance. for one Of the nc
| cusations brought against tho modern
| play is that " ls too short. Hitherto the
! playgocr In this country has had a whole
/ day amusement FOR his money. and nc
| cries out that he is being defrauded whom
the same sum only gives him a three
| hours performance. This extreme can
! nInesS'' Is wcll-known Characteristic OF
! the common people. and shows Itself very
! quantity I'm their preference for slow
| trains as compared with fast ones. The
| destination must be reached or course.
| but II the traveller be brought thithcr too
J rapidly he feels that he has not had the
{ value of his ticket as To the use Of the
/ railway carriage and its furniture. Pro-
| testing, for the hundrcdth time, to some
! of the officials at having TO devote
! whole hour TO a journey OF twenty miles,
| was met but the other day by the old
! rcJolndcr. The people prefer the slow
| trains-thcy feel that they are getting
| their moneys worth out of the company"
Its relative eXpensIvcness is not the
! greatest disadvantage under which The
! modern drama labors in Japan While the
lower classes give frank prominence TO
merCcnary considerations, their bettcrs
| cry out that 10 make the joys and scr
rows OF every day life the subject OF dra-
matte performances is to degrade the no.
bllity OF hlstrlonic art: that this has its
classic rules, It's legitimate material and
that any alteration from ancient tradition
Is dangerous and reprehcnslble, Their
contention has for It's support the ad-
mitted beauty OF the old drama the deep
knowledge OF human nature which IL dis
plays and the imposing support OF many
generations OF great actors who were
faithful to II In their lives and bequeathed
their glory to II when they died.
The Theatrical Peerage
The theatrical "peerage" OF Japan Is
OF far more remote origin than that of
England, tobulated some years ago by an
enterprislng journalist. The Western
world Will be surprised TO learn that Dan
1lro was the tenth OF his llnc, the late
Kikugoro the sixth of his the succession
not necessarily passing to a member Of
the same family but to the pupil who
could do most honor To the name. The
choice may be made by the actual holder
OF that name, In which case he adopts -
younger actor as his son, always sup
posing that no real son OF his own has
the required gifts. or, II star" has
died without settling the matter tho Ac-
tors guild. society composed OF the the
atricaI dynasties, takes the matter in
hand and selects from the rising artists
one who Will maintain the reputation Of
the name. Danjirc the Tenth left no
heir TO his honors, but IL is an open
secret that the guild has selected En-
shlyo, brilliant young actor, Of whom
moro anon, to become DanJiro the Elc-
venth when he shall have gathered a few
more laures under his present appella-
ton. Another most popular young actor
is Baiko, who was at one time intended
TO be Kiltugoro the Seventh When Kiku-
goro the Sixth was thirty-seVen years
old, he had given up hope OF having a
son of his own and adopted this boy then
"a a. md knn n,sf b,
lsaburo. Finally son was born to kiku-
goro. the adopted heir was dslnherited
but he was at once taken on by the Balko
dynasty. to which he has brought great
honor.
Apart from its connection with Illus
trious names, the classic drama I'm japan
has the overwhelming strength Of ma
triotism on its side Its heroes and hero
ines bear names revercd for centuries as
those OF martyrs to the love OF country
the loyalty to n chief. the devotion OF
gallant hearts 10 all that Is noble and
chivalrous. Whether the play tell the
story Of some great general conquerlng
his countrys enemies, of some single
hcnrted Sdmurai laying down his life for
his lord; OF n noble lady refusing for fear
of disracting her lover from his duty the
affection her heart is aching to accept;
or, as In the story OF Masaoka OF SendaI
II be the nurse OF a prince sacrificing her
own child's life in order TO save his the
historical orama appeals constantly to the
strongest passion OF the Japanese mind
the pride Of patriotism.
breaches Morality.
II is also great and powerful preacher
OF morality, not we should under
stand the mission in the West by repre-
senting plays where the real morals are
unimpeachable and the crimes only those
which the eyer-present young person may
behold and condemn without a blush on
the contrary. the classic drama of japan
deals with the terrific situations in which
real men and women have occasionally
found themselves. from the time of the
Pairlarchs until today, and IL treats them
with ferocious frankness. Its claims to be
a moral force lie in the fact that the exc
cution OF poetIcal justice is one or its
canons. and that the real snners-thc
base, the selfish. the treaohcrous-always
reap the dlshonor. which Is considered tho
heaviest punishment of their deeds Nor
is any Juggling with established principles
allowed to cloud the judgment OF the am
dience as To motive and action on GER
tain subjects the rights and wrongs arc
not those of the West. the questions OF
honor, masculine and feminine rest on
different. though equally strong bases
life, ones own or that or another. has
not the sacredncss with which our instI-
tutlOnS have invested IA I'm fhoIr