The Washington herald., 1913-02-18
COLUMBIA.
..The Yellow Jacket"

Jacket IN the ColumDld lnedteF idst
night are this morning inclined to doubt
Solomons assertion that There is moth
ing new under the sum-" for this roman
tic Chinese comedy, worked out by
Chinese characters, and told in the man
ner typical of the theaters Of Canton,
Pekin. and Nankin. is unique as far as
the American stage (where English 10
spoken) Is concerned. Certainly nothing
like it has ever been seen in this city.
When The Yellow Jacket" was first
presented in New York by Harris 4 Sell
wyn, its novelty was sufficient to make
even the dramatically satiated metropo-
lis heave a sigh of delighted interest,
since which time Qast November) the
artistry and poetry of the fantastic nov
city has held the public in its grip.
To analyze the piece by the canons
of serious drama would be TO do 1t an
injustice. for throughout II Is but a
whimsical bit of nonsense, based ON chi
nese legends Of a thousand years stano-
ing, presented in a manner which leaves
everything to the Imagination Oh tne
audience and pervades the story with
burnor SO quaint as to be absolutely
irresistible. =.
In the first place of all the Chorus,
which consists of one, Signor Peruglni.
comes before the curtain and intersplices
his explanations with pompous SELF
praise, after which the first part OF the
story. which is a sort of prelude to the
central love theme, proceeds, assisted in
large measure by the property man,
who makes cottages and palaces, i'm
passabIe torrents. and high mountain
peaks. weeping willows and castle walls
out of tables, chairs. planks ana Dam
hoo rods right before the eyes of the
audience. always in the most unconcerheu
and bored fashion. after which MIR. China
man. the Chorus" informs one that 1t
is the garden now of Chee Moo. or the
palace of WI Sin Yin, or love boat as
the situation may demand.
When two men are to fight the prop
erty man takes the swords from
trunk on the stage and lndlHerentH
hands them over to the actors. "heh
q character dies he is invariably Walt
ing with a wooden pillow and shroud.
In one instance, when death taxes
place in a snowstorm.' he sprinkles bits
of paper over the body to show that IL
has showed. and when his active services
are not required he sits over in corner
of the stage smoking an inexhaustiple
supply of cigarettes or eating rice with
chopsticks. or perchance asleep. or may
he reading the pink sheet OF news
paper, and whether the scene being en-
acted is one of ardent love, or or mnr-
der his countenance retains the same
expression of his being bored to eNtinc-
tion and wishing to the bottom OF ms
heart that the thing were over while
rhc audience KEEPS up a constant litter
~ laughter over his absurdly nonchalent
,onduct During the whole play the
propcrtv Man speaks never word, yet
h, furnishes most of the humor OF the
n,rrornance. and Is half the producuon.
So perfect a Chinaman is ne III MS
,nakc-un that one receives something oi
a shock when one looks at the pro-
crammv and finds that his name 'whch
he is not the Property Nam is Thomas
jackson.
,,Ckc,.. well it might wei be called
,,bin,.s. ..Everyman: His Quest for
Love" IT has TO do with Wu Sin YIN
governor Of province, who has TWO
wives. n, loves his second wife. Due
Jung Fab ,FuSha FluwerI. better thaA
Cbes Moo ,kind Mother. who is MS
FIRST wife and mother OF his papN Soh'
w, Hup Git 81 he decides to elevate
his second wife TO the first place. Whlch
cannot b. done until the first is dead. SO
bc makes .Ip his mind to remove Chee
-,rno gently and without scandal.
Accounting .he advice of Due Jung Fan,
re calls in the services of Lee SIN, .
farmer. The murder is discussed at hrst
in guarded language until II Is susseSteo
that they 20 into more secluded rooi'i'
at which cue the property man TURNS
TWO chairs around, and 10! the private
room is accomplished, where plans 1of
The murder of the Chez Moo are COM
pIeted.
Then the Chorus tells us. in august
aud honorable manner. that we have
WINS garden where Chez Moo comes,
bearing in her arms block OF WOOD
which the audience is helped by her
brooding and tender love TO DeieHe Is
a baby Lee Sin rebels at killing the
honorable first wife. and at his own
wife's suggestion kills the maid OF tne
SECOND wife who is but a httie
shadow"-a very wicked little shadow
instead.
But the spirits OF her ancestors ap-
near TO Chez Mo on the platform
heaven, high up on the stage. and tel
her that she must leave her baby II she
desires his safety. and SO she parts
from the little block of wood, tragic
ally and with a pathos which does
credit to Saxone Morland, who is Chee
Moo, the little kind mother" and the
nronerty man is right on hand with a
ladder which he connects with heaven.
that she may climb along Its mate
rialistic way to the spiritual realm
from which she watches over the des-
tiny of WI Hoo Git through the TWO
succeeding parts of the play. in which
he has grown TO manhood. He passes
through many adventures before he re-
ceiycs the yellow jacket" OF civic and
sniritual power and wins for his wife-
Nov Fab Loy Opium Blossom). rout-
ing WI Fab Din (DaffodiD. his half
brother. who has been usurpiuE his
throne.
The second part is given to the hero's
temporary enmeshment in the maelstrom
OF worldly pleasure, and the third to his
sunreme mastery, in which latter he is
guided by Git Hok Gar philosopher and
scholar), until he is strong enough to
have no need of him. when the advisor
dies and goes up into heaven by way
of the property mans ladder.
The cast is large and entirely adequate
Signor Perugini, the Chorus" gives an
excellent characterization of the polish
ed. suave, self-oomplacent Chinaman:
David Powell, as WI Sin Yin, as the
father of the second wife, and later as
purveyor of hearts; ]. Arthur Young,
as Lee Sin, the farmer; Schuyler Ladd,
as Daffodil, the Pretender TO the Throne;
David Powell. as WI Hoo Git. the young
hero of the story, and Mark Price. as the
philosopher and scholar, are deserving
the highest praise in conspicuous roles.
Juliette Day is the dainty, charming and
naive little plum Blossom" whose win
sorneness is 30 great that no one wonders
that WI Hoo Git will go through any
test Of courage to win her. Elsa Berold
as the secod wife, and Antoinnette
Walker her maid in the first part, and
tho loyo hoaf In The secopd