Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-20
WILL REFORM JAPANESE STAGE
IA

The distinguished Japanese actor
Udagawa, who is touring in Europe,
has a commission to make a report to
his government on advisable changes
to be made in the Japanese stage and
theater.
"In the first place." Udagawa re-
marked, IT feel sure that 1t Will be
wise to adopt generally in Japanese the
English custom of never running plays
longer than four hours, at the outside
in my country, you know, in bygone
years, theatrical performances used to
start in the early morning, and would
continue throughout the day, until,
maybe, right on to the next morning
for at the end of that time there can
be little doubt that theatergoers have
seen quite enough to interest them at
'one sitting despite the accompanying
attractions of serving tea and meals
during the course of a play-which, by
the way, is a custom dating back a
long time in Japanese theaters.
Again, 1 shall recommend that any
new theaters built in Japan after my
return shall be constructed on English
lines In Japan the theaters in the
principal cities are very much larger
than are yours over here-that is to
say, they cover a greater area OF
ground although they are not nearly
so high. From what l have seen OF
English lH6dl6ISs ISCl sun 1iieaN
greater height and less length is an ad-
vantage; for in some of the Japanese
theaters it now occurs to me that 1t
must call for perfect hearing on the
part of those sitting right at the back
of the theater to hear what is being
said on the stage.
"And, after all, 1 can quite under
stand that it must be very irritating
to a theatrical audience to have to
strain their ears to catch the dialogue
on the stage. Still, we have had few
complaints about this point; but then
| think it only fair to account for this
as owing to the fact that the japanese
rarely complain. The Japs are, as
rule. more long-suffering in matters OF
this kind than are their western
neighbors. many of whom would seem
to regard it as their own particular
right to complain about anything and
everything which does not seem to
quite fit in with their tastes.
Another point l have remarked
upon in which I think English actors
are superior to those in my country,
is in the matter of the versatility of
gestures and variety of facial express
sions, by which they convey to the
atergoers exactly what is in their
minds. The Japanese actor endeaVors
at all times to assume demeanor OF
impassivity and imperturbability.
The expression on his face seldom
changes, even in the most trying mo-
ments and nerve shattering situations;
while he also seldom moves about the
stage when he talks in the same
way as do English artists.
"But in one respect l think the Jap
anese actors are superior artists to
their western brothers, and that is in
the wearing of costumes of genera
tions ago. The japanese actor, never
having, as a rule, learned to wear
modern dress in a way which you
would call gracefully has picked up
none of the modern mannerisms,
which seem so out of place when fash
ions of hundreds of years ago are
being worn and the result is that he
looks perfectly comfortable and at
home in such garments.
"On the other hand, have seen sew
eral famous English actors dressed In
old-time costumes, and, though they
have doubtless looked the part as
you would say, yet, actually. from an
artistic point of view, they have been
mere fashion plates, for their move
ments have at once betrayed their un-
familiarity with their costume. TO
the western eye, maybe, this point is
one of small Importance; but in Japan,
more perhaps than in England, tiny
details are invariably regarded as OF
the highest Importance"