New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-10
YELLOW JACKET
WELCOMED BACK
Good Performance of Play
Somewhat in Chinese
Manner.
By HAYWOOD BROUN

Yellow jacket" than to know why. u
is also easier, and, following the nat
ural inclination of the critic, we
choose to grapple with difficulties even
if We have to make them up as we go
along.
First Of all. many shrewd theatre
goers Ike The Yellow Jacket" on false
grounds. Bran1er Matthews, for in
stance, thinks that the undeniable in
terest with which the authors have en-
bowed their play "is due, first Of all, 20
the charm Of the Oriental tale they
have transplsnted 10 our Occidental
stage" Now, 1.-THE Yellow Jacket" is
not Chinese in form or spirit. Ro-
mantle love, delightfully."- depicted in
the play, is foreign to the nature Of
the Chinese. Nor is Professor Mat
thews correct in assuming that the
play is presented an accord with the
methods Characteristic of the Chinese
theatre"
Benrimo has no hesitation in admit
ting that the Property Man Is "over-
wrought" In fact, we understand that
most OF the amusing business which
has fallen to the lot Of this character
grew up during the rehearsals Of the
play. We can testify that extensive
theatrical researches in Peklng, in
Shanghai and in Canton failed 10 re-
veal TO us any instances of the visible
property man. The chorus also has no
sanction from the Chinese theatre, nor
is the act division known in the Celes-
tial Empire. Moreover, at the time
"The Yellow Jacket" was written wom-
en- were still barred from the stage.
There are, Of course, marked sug-
gestions of the Chinese theatre In the
manner in which "The Yellow Jacket
is presented, and this is without doubt
more interesting than g close imita-
ton. In fact, close imitation could
not possibly hold the attention of an
Occidental audience. Chinese plays
are full of interminable soliloquies and
these are accompanied by fearfully stri-
dent orchestral accompaniment. IL is
the custom to play most loudly when
ever anything important occurs. Al
though the duel between orchestra and
actor has been going on for centuries,
the musicians have yet TO lose battle.
The concession has been made that the
actor may advance TO the uttermost
limits of the stage to get away from
the noise behind him and that he may
abandon caution and howl. Yet with all
Of this no one can hear him at such
times as the orchestra chooses to call
attention to the fact that he has some-
thing important to say. Fortunately,
until the revolution there were no mod
ern dramas in China, and audiences were
perfectly familiar with the plots of all
the plays in the repertory OF any thea
ire.
Assuming, or alleging, that "The Vel
low jacket" bears a pleasing but re-
mote resemblance TO the Chinese thea
tire, we think it fair to say that the
interest in the play is almost wholly
aesthetic rather than educational. Don't
be fooled. You like the play because
it is beautiful and not because it is
curious. This is much better reason
Eva Tanguay and Charlie Chaplin are
curious
In one respect Benrimo and Hazleton
are more faithful to tradition than the
Chinese themselves. They remain with
the reactionaries in disdaining the use
of scenery. AS matter of fact, seen
cry came into the celestial kingdom
when the drama was emancipated by
the overthrow of the Manchus. One
ultra modern manager of Shanghai
went so far as TO put on an adaptation
Of Camille" and we sailed just week
81 rAJnrfi0n NJ 81 FnPl a
Toms Cabin" No matter what future
wonders the theatre holds for our
vision, we shall never regret the lost
opportunity of watching Eliza cross the
ice with the bowling pack OF chow dogs
in close pursuit. But in the conven-
tional Chinese theatre scenery is not
known.
It is certain that no scenery is much
to be preferred to bad or even $3.50
sets, and if il were not for the artistic
eloquence of Urban and OF Jones, IL
might be possible TO defend no scenery
even against good scenery. THE Vel.
lew Jacket" proves, and as matter OF
fact no proof is needed, that a good
story will absorb the attention no
matter what the surroundings. More
than that the play shows that II the
story is interesting enough the atten-
ton will return to 1t again and again
in the face of all distractions. The
amusing property man, for instance, IS
forever tugging at the sleeve to tell us
that there is no truth IN the rivers or
the mountains or the palaces winch we
are called upon to see. We laugh at
him. but return to the illusion in an
instant as weary child rolls over into
sleep.
Pictures of the mind are more en-
during than those which must be trans
lated first through the eyes. For our
part Griffith nor lnce nor brenon ever
made us see a drifting boat and
moonlit river as do Chow Wan and WI
Hoo Git as they sit on lew cnairs
and point across a bare stage,
There is an enormous deal to be
said against real water, real roast tur-
kew. real rocks and real babies on the
stage. Winthrop Ames recently pro-
duced a play In which, at the proper
moment, an entirely regular baby was
carried on the stage. The fact that ~
was a living, breathing, teething thing
lifted US right out OF the play. We
forgot the story IN which we nag Iale.
Iv been absorbed TO wonder What
would happen il il should wake up and
holler?r and then the thought came,
"How much a night do they pay for
that child and how do they manage 70
strange things with the chlldrsn's
society,""
One touch OF nature can Jar spec
tator right out of an absorbing the
atrical entertainment in an instant
The eilded bundle OF sticks which does
ssvics in "The Yellow Jacket" is Il most
efieient infant. One or two may
laugh when Chez Moo first holds out
the child, but IL the farewell scene
is played as well as il was yesterday
hv Mrs. Coburn, "Wu Hoo Git-my
~. uAa Citn ni1ht be a yichY