Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-10-27

tntlrS Is dcccncy llsscli when COM
pared TO the dcportmcnt of those fire.
quenting "niggor heaven" IN America.
Every available inch Of space in the
house is put 10 use, night up 10 the
footlights, In front OF which sits rows
/ of children, who when the curtain
drops raise II enough. to poke their
heads under and watch what Is going
on. The stage properly speaking. is
circular about thirty feet across and
made 10 revolvc Ike railroad turn
table II is turned by coolies down
stairs who are governed by n stage
manager The wings reach TO the
edge Of this circle, and at a signal a
whole house is whirled around, show
/ ing its rooms at the rear or garden
party. Some of the scenery is on
wings that draw aside and on flies
noisted overhead, A trlfle forward
and TO the left Of the stage on an ele-
waited dais are the women singers and
samisin players; while farther to the
left Is the band, consisting OF drums,
gongs and Chinese fiddles. Three
blows on the floor with split bam-
boo stick is the signal for raising NE
curtain.
When the play begins every one
pays close attention, little children as
much as their elders; and children
compose more than half of the audi
ence being taken there by their par
ents to learn history Here they see
re-enacted the old feuds and old wars
in fact the history Of old Japan. When
an actor pleases an audience, they
flung their hats upon the stage which
are collected by an attendant until
the owners redeem them by giving a
present. 1t is not pleasant TO assume
the role Of a william in Japanese
play, for at sight of reprehensible
conduct the audience groans, Kisses
and applies epithets to the actor In
the play we saw the actor aroused
storm of indignation, and from the
way he kept his eyes on the people
one inferred, he anticipated being
made target for flying tea-pots and
rice bowls.
When an actor has rendered his
mart in secene, he Leaves
the stage going down through the
audience to the back part of the
house where he waits until it is his
turn again. The audience is not sup
posed to see this nor the stage hands
who at intervals come upon the stage
to move furniture or assist in arrang-
ing the scenery, These are COM
mon coolies and, always come on The
stage with their backs to the audi
dozen Of these fellows sneak on the
stage, sit with their backs to the
audience, crouching and twisting to
make themselves look as small as
possible, until the time comes when
they are TO pick up heavy box ana
move II away. Their stealthy actions
would indicate, they imagine the
people in front can not see them
and the people in front act as though
they the coolies were not there at ali.
To japanese, il is the acme of all
vulgarity, to speak of one of these
fellows or pretend that he saw him
al all.
The movement of a Japanese actor
is one Of the most solemnly ridiculous
attempts at locomotion that any hu-
man ever saw. His body rigid as so
much rock, his feet slowly sliding
along the polished floor, his heao |
thrown back as if gazing at the cell |
ing, not a muscle or eyelash movinS |
nor the least shadow of changing OK |
preston in his countenance, which |
Is as cold and stern as If chiseled |
from stone. His words are dronad |
out In an unspeakable distressing
nasal sound, so high pitched that
some lose their voices or burst blood
vessels in maintaining the unnatural
strain attending their recitations.
The children having parts, sustain
them with all the solemn gravity
and wooden expression of face be-
longing to their elders The plays
are difficult TO understand, for
aside from the main plot every
character introduced has history
OF his own, which must be known
before his relation to the play can
be understood. The whole thing is
a serious solemn. intricate compli-
cation; but II is japanese history,
and a japanese will give his last sen
TO see it, when he knows this will |
necesitate going to bed hungry. OF
late years western plays have been
introduced after being recasted TO
suit the customs and manners of he
people.
The government exercises the clos.
est kind Of censorship over the stage.
suppressing obnoxious plays. placing
manager and company in jail when
government regulations are violated. Il
No play is permitted where immor-
ality Is presented In an alluring guis,
or even excused or condoned. Neither
can any play or picture show be pre-
sented. where filial duty or loyalty to
is subjected to the slightes,
question. The theatre is attended
by all classes and Is look
ed upon as school, The authorl-
ties maintain that the peculiar edu-
cative value exerted by popular en-
tertainments lie In the fact, that
while whatever lessons they impart
are not forced on the minds of the
people, still the latter obtain "a stro,o