The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1916-07-28
The PLAY IN CHINA
" IS a Curious Mixture of Noise
Costume and Strut.
DIN FROM START TO FINISH.

Ses'ns when the Curtain Risas .nL
continues Until the Last Scene End.
."e Asony-The Property Man a
"'shty Important Parsonage.
i was all tired and knocked out
Wneh | reached China. so | thought to
ulVseif, III just go to Chinese tho,
o'er ana spend quiet evening I WON'T
understand anything, so l can doza Off
When want to and come out &c -
iresned as sprig of celery"
what time does the play begin Pn 7
asked as the guide led the way to the
gallery for in a Chinese theoter tbe
iarther away you are the moro aris
tocratic. No Chinese of caste would
be caught in orchestra A.
1T have begin" he answered.
How could that beP l demanded
Tor it was still few minutes of 8
1t begin yesterday. It run two
piece days. 1t No. l play."
And SO l found out. The better the
play the longer it lasts. A Chinaman
doesn't think he is getting his moneys
worth unless the play lasts a counle
OF days. Some of them continue q
week. They consider a play that lasts
only night curtain raiser and TAG II
on to real play just to try it out.
Inc Chinese believe In noise. A the.
alter isn't theater to them unless II
has ladies' annex to boiler factory
just off stage. The hammering begins
when the curtain goes up and contin-
ues until 1t falls. 1 soon found out
that | erred seriously In coming to n
chinese theater to sleep. A person
might drop off for a few minutes in
a car shop, but he could never get
near the knitting up of the raveled
sleeve In Chinese theater.
Chinese acting consists of the actors
coming on again in another outfit of
clothes. They come on, whirl a baton
couple of times and exeunt While
they are off another delegation Of ac-
tors arrive with another collection of
clothes. They whirl their clubs a few
times and file out Indian style as an
other lodge arrives. There is no more
expression on the face of Chinese
actor than on punching bag.
When they want to show that the in
trepid hero with a handful of men is
trying to take a fertilization against
vastly overwhelming enemy the prop
erty man hurries around in 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 it asunder with
one fell blow, the property man hold
ing the swaying corner, while the hero
marches through to victory. The in
trepid hero stops to explain to his sub
ordinates how he was able to accom-
plish the feat, while the property man
drags the ramparts into the wings and
begins pinning them up for the attack
in the next act.
In Chinese play there are no girls,
their parts being taken by boys, speak
, ing in high, quavering voice as If
something were too tight When an
actor wants to show that he is old he
ties on a beard that comes to his waist
The beard works off to one corner and
hangs grimly by one string, but the
audience doesn't worry about that
They know that he is an old man be-
cause he has beard.
| was constantly alert to figure out
what kind of show it was. When
first got there and saw the constant
change of costume l thought that il
must be q musical comedy, but aftel
studying it more closely l saw that it
was farce. When they began to kill
people l came to the conclusion that it
was an operetta. Later, when the hero
found his wife in another mans arms
decided that it was problem play.
The most important person in Chi
nese show is the property man. Along
side him the lead sinks into insignia
canoe. He has charge of the show
The show opens when he says ano
closes when he wants to go out to
tea house. He keeps his properties
where they are handy-dOwn stage by
the proscenium arch-right out where
the audience can lean over and almost
touch them. To know what Is coming