New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-06
INVADE CHINAT0W n
UODERNIZE THEATRE
Raymond Hitchcock Gires
Moving Pictures an Playhouse.

| Shades OF Confucius: Moving pictures in
the Chinese theatre in Doyers street. that
| has been devoted to the representa- ton Of
! classic dramas for the last eighteen years!
! Who could have thought of this but Ray
mond Hitchcock, whose fondness for chop
! suey and Oolong tea has led him to take
! a lease o. the old playhouse for eleven
| years?
| Last night lie opened the theatre and set
| Chinatown af1utter with his magic, lantern
! vaudeville show and a revival Of the old
! Chinese drama. Kick Cheung.
| The house was newly decorated with
| historic wall pictures i'll watercolor by Lew
| Gap said 10 be the only Chinese artist in
this country. Electric lights illumined the
stolid faces of the actors and audience. and
coat OF fresh paint frightened the wood
work.
Shortly before o'clock sounds OF tom
toms were heard, and the doors opened.
Hundreds of Cinnamon and curious AmeVl-
cans gathered in the narrow street in front
| The more forward pushed their way into
TIE theatre ard seated themselves. Wives
and CHILDREN of merchants got in a large
box behind oil painted screens. Gradually
the Cinnamon filed IN until the house was
packed including every bit of standing
room.
The performance started With the OPEN
ing selection by the orchestra, made up OF
six pieces-violins. drum, gong. Cymbals and
the yuit kom-an tan instrument like a
mandolin. Then came the moving pictures
and vaudeville which interested the China
men without amusing them. All were wait
ing for the play of the evening-'kick
Cheung" one of the oldest Oriental dramas,
which every Chinam knows by heart
The performance of the play ordinarily
takes two nights bet last night DIR. Louie
Juay'' dung Shong Iuaij and his company
presented the essential parts in less than
two hours.
The drama concerns the love affairs of
a beautiful Chinese maiden, whose father.
n mandarin. was ordered by an ancient
king to have his daughter marry a peas
ant It vas decided that the Young Cir
should throw flower from the housetop
into the street and the man who picked
it I'D was to claim her his wife tort-
unateiy. the daughter fell in love at nrsl
sight with the lucky man, who. although
of humble birth. became ona of the mos
powerful rulers in China.
There was no scenery-there never IS
in d Chinese play. and every play Is an
opera The players came forth and eX~
planned the environment in which they
were supposed TO be placed and then NeEf
on with the acting The orchestra sat IN
tho back part of the stage Tire director
was far more important than the leader
Of an American orchestra, for h" gave
the PLAYERS their cues and initiated IN
music what the actors We're supposed to
be doing.
Each one of the Cinnamon in the audi
ence was a dramatic critic. and whenever
,ic+. lro he
WAS promptly corrected by the audience.
Before the performance William j taYa-
nagh prevailed upon DR.. Louie Ivay, the
stage manager and chief player of the Chi
nese stock company. to give an interview
DR.. Ivay is an actor we'll known by his
countrymen in America and his native
country His father and grandfather were
actors and doctors before him. He said
that his players of Mr.. Hitchcock's com
pany rot only acted together, but lived to-
gether They have a repertory of several
hundred plays. and they will present
different play every night. No play is ever
produced more than once a year. Although
there are few Chinese women actors. DR.
Ivay will have two actresses as members
OF his company, one of whom will be fok,
who appeared at the theatre twelve years
ago The leading impersonatcr Of women
in the company is Sin Fab Flu, who re-
ceives a salary which compares we'll with
that of the average American actor.
Mr.. Hitchcock has given considerab BILE at
tention to the theatre, and plans to present
many innovations. but he will adhere to
the old custom of presenting ancient Chi
nese dramas The musical comedy star will
make this q sort of rendezvous for his
friends, especially on Saturday nights, when
Of
birds nest SOUP chow mien, buried eggs
and tea.