The sun., 1909-01-04
PLAYGOERS bow TO The EAST
EDMUND RUSSELL GUIDING
STARAT AN ORIENTAL EVENING.
Amelia Bingham Presides and Heads OH
aspeeeh BY Lloyd while Novat KhN
Tells About the Persian Passion
Play and Its UnnOtieed AbsurdIties.


speech by Lloyd while Novat KhN
Tells About the Persian Passion
Play and Its UnnOticed Absurdities.
The American Playgoers Club enjoyed
itself in a soirte Orientdle at the studio OF
Edmund Russell last evening. Besides
the local cclor supplied By Mr.. Russell
himself. beyond which there could be moth
ing really wanting, there were Bengslese
and other East Indians present, In Amer
lean clothes but In real turbsns, and fur
ther atmosphere was supplied from in-
cense burners in the semi -darkened por-
tions Of the apartment. and there was
none % nasty as TO say punk.
Candles burned before strange looking
decorations, but the electric light was
permitted TO playIpon the Russell mas
terpieces. Mr.. Russell was superre.
splendent In the gorgeous robe presented
TO him by the Gaekwar Of Baroda, who In
this instance got ahead Of the Akhund Of
Swat and OF Prof. Ganendra, Chakravarti
Of Allahabad, neither Of whom was In.
troduced II present. II Mr.. Russell had
left OF that coat the Eastern evening
would have been simply an evening de.
voted In the main TO the discussion OF
the drama and what stands for 1t in
Oriental countries, with a little Western
curtain raiser by Miss Amelia Bingham,
who told a story In the presence Of her
husband. More than that, y was on him;
After the worehippers at the shrine had
been sufficiently influenced by the incense
the club came to attention at the voice
of the president, Mrs. j. Madison Bass,
who introduced tho host OF the evening 4,
Mr.. Russell impaired the Oriental i'm
petus by reciting -his meeting with the
secretary OF Lord Duferin, who told him
al Ia .t.lN Es.a all for n Or.
lish with few poets like Shakespeare to
put their poets in a schoolbook, but that
this was impossible In Persia OF some
where else over there where the common
people answered a strangers questions
in poetry.
Mr.. Russell took Miss Bingham gently
but firmly by the hand and asked for
the customary Sew words which Miss
Bingham was unprepared ~ say, but
said pretty we'll for first rehearsal. She
said that she had been lately Invited TO
banquet by one of the famous wonen's
organizations Of the city and after she
had spoken the hostesses called upon her
husband for a speech.
by telling the ladies' that it had been his
experience that one member Of the family
usually worked for the family suppers,
while in the instance in which he found
himself IL appeared that two had to do the
work (Mr Bingham was not called to
his feet for a few words last evening
which may or may not show W hat nice
ittlo story will do now and again.)
Col. Newton Khan. who is i'll the diplo-
matte service Of tic Shah Of Persia in this
country, was then presented by Mr., Rus
sell and he talked engagingly OF the Per-
sian Passion Play.
The Persian Passion Play dates from
the disputes which arose over the right
Q, AIohnYn0f az
second Khalif, and while it's original
purpose was 10 arouse the passions Of
the people and make them fight-at one
time fight the Turksit had degeEe-ated
until it was now ,lely utilized 10 make
money for the priests. They, organized
the Passion Play always, inducing rich
men TO have IL performed every year be-
caus, il brought money into their pockets.
the priests paying the actors who pro-
duced it. but it was all the drama that the
Persians knew.
Col Newton told most appreciatiyely
for the benefit Of Western audience how
the simple methods Of the production OF
this passion play supplied What 10 West
ern minds are the most absurd situations.
The director Of the play takes his stand
in the middle Of the stage, which is court;
yard with an amplitudinous band wound
around his middle and club in one hand.
From the folds of the band protude
the scrolls which are the books OF the play
for all the actors and the Persian Big
Stick Is used when the actors don I attend
to business.
The director stands there all through
the play and calls to each person to come
on In his turn, although all the actors are
all the time standing around IN plain
sight. There Is no scenery. IL IL Is
necessary for a woman linen play the
women's parts) to draw water from q
g.. 30 In, hf.
Is right beside the cradle and she draws
it at once. II it be then necessary for
her TO 60 abroad on a camel the camel Is
there at the other side Of the cradle, and
the idea OF a camel In a bedroom sur
prises nobody by it's absurdity, he said.
Neither was any sense OF chronology
observed. II the Persians wanted to
use a European soldier they took Ma.
poleon, OF whom they had heard, and had
him talking 10 Moh9mmed, or Alexander
the Great, and made q nineteenth CEN
tury Eurorean talk with the Persian dead
a thousand years before the European
was born Whenever European was
represented IL was a ways in nineteenth
century dress; then the spectators knew |
that Il was a Eurorean. In their own re- |
gala the actors we're as Inconsistent.
When a European Princess who had |
dreamed OF the most beautiful OF Per-
SLAMS and searched the world for him and |
found him few wears ago sne came upon 1
the stage on a bicycle, al though as the
Persian man actor who played the part |
couldn't ride the bicycle it was supported |
by attendants who had nothing to do !
with the play; yet their appearance sug-
gested nothing ludicrous 10 the spectators.
The Playgoe-s had TO applaud hand |
somely some more few minutes later |
when Miss Ssida Ben Yustf talked Of the !
drama in Japan. In accord with the re- +
quest of Mr. Russell Miss Ben lusuf wore
a kimono, although she said that In two
wears residence in Toxic she had neve
worn one, out Of respect for the rigid
etiquette in apparel which, she lntimated
foreigners were likely 70 offend un-
knowingly.
Miss Ben Yusuf explained among other
things why Japanese women walk with
what Americans call pigeon toe She
said that il was due TO the kimono which
comes close to the feet and IL not to be
stepped on or tripped over. Therefore
a Japanese lady first thrists hor foot out
from the kimono in a direction we would
rall in-toeng 10 get the foot clear OF the
garment, then turns the foot the other
way, or as We should think the right way.
Miss Ben Susuf told Of the great ability
Of the Jenanese actors but deplored the
fact that the Japanese women who wanted
TO act had TO look abroad for their re-
Lon. M in Il al In |