The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

AbossDed in TMear APs--stuGsAts u ths
Drama In M Aotsr's Family-Tne
Wlfs aSa oStsse ~ways 90 SsaXssb,
~ EosB HodUcH.
TOXIC, Aug. 0.-Wom0n In JApan arc
aaid 10 be O downtrOdden nonsnt4ty, except
m IN actors family. Tbs wives q the
Japanese actors are queens. And 20 be-
come the wife Of q prominent actor requires
much SaraHGtA ~ well - beauty.
she should 10 . diplomat for the outside
world, . ven a q sweet, gentle wife. In
Japan acting wae not booked upon - . TO
spectacle profession until recently, and q
Rrl Of any high position would not dare to
dream Of marrying an actor. However,
any woman who was grown within deep
inner windows as we say In Japan, 10
out Of place in an actorNs family. o..
An actor needs not any dolllike woman
Who dare moi step out without taking along
two or three maids. There's n0tAine HE
q CESSNA girl who knows LIES bitterness
and tears-ln smother phrase, has ssudied'
lfe's true meaning. The. geishs b an
actress in ono way, and quite often che II q
clever artist. The actors end their wives
among the geisha society.
o Masu, the wife Of the late Danturo,
the greatest tragedian Of the japanese
stage, showed womanty courage and hmat-
less patisDee. Her Clever tact Yves known
widely.
1t is true also in Japan that no man can
i've in the pure atmosphere Of art and
achievs a mighty work, without having Q
good wife as q help at his back. Happily
Dahjuro had such in o Masu. II h seid
that she did not let Danjuro know ever
how much o bushel Of rice cost.
And the late shikan, another great soeor
and the father Of the present Shiksn, 10
said not % have known how 20 count money,
since his wife bad full authority a. purse
bearer, and did not make him touch money.
We rave Q hundred stories which explain
what a dominant power the wife IL In the
actors society.
Koshiro was q famous woman lmperson-
ator who adorned the japanese stage some
half q century a9o. Somehow he grew mad
n day and hatly objected to appearing
on the stage.
A fellow from the box Office hurried to
sec his wife to beg her TO persuade him
20 come out and play. Thu mar put q
little packet by his side under q purple
silk wrap, where Mrs. Koshiro could see it.
Il looked as II IL might contain some
twenty-five ryo in coin, and she thought
II would not be so bad to accept his prop
osition reinforced by such q present.
Alaa he was not hasty to undo the wrap.
1T would be better for Mr.. Koshiro to
play to-day the man said quite COM
posedly. !
And presently Mrs., KoshirO made her
husband appear at tbs theatre. And the
man began to open the packet, and, 10,
brought out some pieces OF mochi "a sort
Of rice bread, ~apologizing to her:
Il have not yet breakfasted, MR.. Koshipo.'
And she was in a rage. 1t SOUND en-
tirsly cynical and a bad joke. However,
IL throws q side light ON the power which
the actors wife exerted over her husband.
Here Il another story. II was the bad
habit Of KOdanji, who has Been dead some
years, TO return home In anger and 10
blow up the fire with a great dSal IL hfnstaF,
strewing thu ashss from the fireplace over
the green mats. His wife would look upon
his action calmly.
The next day she would begin destroying
his favOVtss dwarf plants which cost some
few hundred yen. She would throw Q
valuable pot Of orchids on . garden stone
and cxclaim:
Ou, lOOha 1Ous ~ way yOu OON NV
Her rather cruelty expressed VII cured
har husbands bad habit finally.
To be an actors wife means moro than
to BE- an ordinary heiprneet. and she must
make good use Of her wisdom and tact.
She must give winss to her OWE sslf-ex-
preston, whereas q common Japanese
wife 10 obliged 70 learn the art OF self-oon-
cealing and mask wearing, must be meek
under any circumstances, and to express
her feelings 10 utterly forbidden.
There N no dramatic school In Japan,
and the thaatrical aspirants become house
ueudents In some well established actors
family. Some actor keep ten or fifteen
studants with them. The actors wife
must oversee thcm, and her work i not
slight then.
Shs must treat them At nrst with much
sympathy and give them veil pointed
en-Oouraesmaut. Also abe must use tho In
come 70 advantage, for to DO called mean
and nigsardly would be suicide for ndch
. profession.
Thsrs 10 no profession more snowy than
the actors. The late Danjuro was excep-
tionAl i'm commanding such . terribly high
psice a. 1000 yen for thirty days. Re-
memher that even the Prime Ministers
snlary IL not more than 800 a month.
But the thirty day wages Of an ordinary
FIRST slass actor hke she present Shikan,
YAoxo, Ennosuke and Komazo are in the
neighborhood Of $50 yen. And also there
are the actors VIII gst only 10 or Is yen
and are almost starved 10 death.
Tls greateV part Of the income must be
Used MP IN clothes. And also the wife Of
the actor must look altar the clothes Of the
hOuas students twice q year. And the actor
must distribute a silk wrap or fan for greet
ing among the patrons and such things
rbs 70 no small amount every time he rlsys
NOW piece.
Japan IL q cou try which 10 lost In for
nnalisSn and etiquette. He must keep a
Tlcbshaw man and q few servants. He
must pay his professional tax. And the
monAAly expenses will be enlarged II he
has children. And it will be a great time
whom hin eon enters into the nadai Dist
n the celebrated players) and needs some
bi9 money TO make the occasion worthy.
a., iaVOu must work q little bit more the
wife viii say to her husband, seeing both
endc hardly coming together.