Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-03-16

II Is a Curious Mixture of Noise,
Costume and Strut.
Din FROM START TO FINISH.
II Begins When the Curtain Rises and
Continues Until the Last Scene Ends
the Asony-The Property Man
Mighty important Parsonage.


the Agony-The Property Man a
Mighty Important Parsonage.
when ! reached China, so | thought to
myself. 'T'n just go TO Chinese the
alter and spend quiet evening. | won't
understand anything, SO can doze OF
when | want to aud come out as re
feshed as sprig of celery"
What time does the play begin?'
asked as the guide led the way TO the
gallery. for In Chinese theater the
farther away you are the more arts
tocratic No Chinese OF caste would
De caught In orchestra A.
1t have begin" he answered.
How could that be?" | demanded
for II was still few minutes OF 8.
1T begin yesterday. IL run two
piece days. 1t No. play"
And SO found out. The better the
play the longer IL lasts. A Chinaman
doesn't think he is getting his moneys
worth unless the play lasts couple
81 days. Some OF them continue a
week. They consider a play that lasts
emily night curtain raiser and tag II
sn to real play just to try 1t out.
The Chinese believe in noise. A the
alter isn't theater TO them unless IL
has a ladies' annex TO boiler factory
5ust or stage. The hammering begins
ues unth II falls. I soon found out
mat l erred seriously in coming to a
Chinese theater to sleep. A person
might drop or for a few minutes in
Q car shop, but he could never get
near the knitting up Of the rsveled
sleeve In a Chinese theateF.
Chinese acting consists OF the actors
dothes. They come on. whirl baton
q couple Of times and excunt. While
they are or another delegation Of ac-
tors arrive with another collection of
clothes. They whirl their clubs few
times and file out Indian style as an
ether lodge arrives. There is no more
expression on the face of Chinese
actor than on a punching bag.
When they want TO show that the in
Tepid hero with handful of men is
trying TO take fertilization against
q vastly Overwhelming enemy the prop
erty man hurricS around i'm front of the
hero with black cloth stretched over
frame. This is the fertilization.
even though you can see his fingers
gripping the breastworks. The daunt-
less hero marches across the stage
stops before the impregnable barrier.
casts his eagle eye over it. draws his
long sword and rips il asunder with
enc fell blow. the property man hold
mS the swaying corner, while the hero
marches through TO victory. The in
uepid hero stops to explain TO his sub
ordinates how he was able TO accom-.
piish the feat. while the property man
drags the ramparts into the wings aud
begins pinning them up for tue attack
la the next act.
In Chinese play there are no girls.
their parts being taken by boys. speak
Ing la high. quavering voice as II
something were too tight When an
ties on beard that comes to his waist
The beard works OF To one corner and
han-s grimly 10y one string. bat the
audience doesn't worry about that
They know that he is an old man be
cause lie has beard
was constantly alert 10 figure out
what kind OF show IL was When
first got there and saw the constant
change Of costume | thought that Ii
must be d musical comedy. but after
studying il more CLOSELY saw that il
was a farce. When they began To kill
people | came to the conclusion that il
was an operetta Later. when the hero
found his wife in another mans arms.
decided that it was a problem play
The most important person in Chr
neSe show Is the property man. Along
side him the lead sinks into insigniii.
canoe. He has charge OF the show
The show opens when he says and
closes when he wants to go out to n
tea house He keeps his properties
where they are handy-down stage 10y
the proscenium arch-right out where
the audience can lean over aud almost
touch them To know what il coming
next all the audience has to do il 10
look over and see what the properi!
man is getting ready.
Hour after hour the play continued
without an intermission Midnight
came. and the actors seemed To he just
getting into the spirit OF ide play
when remembered that the play had
been running for two days J felt sure
that the next five minutes would see
the last costume. but the show still
continued
chung desperately on. determined L"
be In M the finish when the last hot
feverish kiss was pressed on the up
turned lips, but il didn't end that way
IL ended when the leading man came
rushing out with cheese cutter and
killed twelve men in GREATNESS sue.
cession, the MANNED and wounded
thoughtfully crawling to the wings to
die. thus giving the leading man the
center OF the stage until the envious
property man came up aud spitefully
yanked the curtains to.-Iiomer Croy
N Lcslie's