The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-05-18
The PLAY IN China
1t Is a Curious Mixture of Noise,
Costume and Strut.
DIN FROM START TO FINISH.
1t Begins When the Curtain Rises and
Continues Until the Last Scene Ends
the Asony-The Property Man a
Mighty important Parsonage.

when reached China, so | thought t.
myself, I'm just go to a Chinese the
alter and spend quiet evening. / wont
understand anything, so | can doze of
when | want to and come out as re
freshed as sprig of celery"
What time does the play begln?" |
asked as the guide led the way to the
gallery, for in a Chinese theater the
farther away you are the more arts
tocratic. No Chinese of caste would
be caught in orchestra A.
1T have begin" he answered
How could that be?" | demanded.
for 1t was still few minutes of 8.
1T begin yesterday. 1t run two
piece days. 1t No. / play"
! And so 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 couple
of days. Some of them continue a
week. They consider play that lasts
only night curtain raiser and tag it
on to a real play just to try it out
The Chinese believe IN noise A the
alter isn't a theater to them unless 1t
has ladies' annex to boiler factory
just off stage. The hammering begins
when the curtain goes up and contin-
ues until il falls. / soon found out
that l erred seriously in coming to a
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 baton
a 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 a Chinese |
actor than on a punching bag.
When they want 10 show that the in |
trepid hero with handful of men is
trying to take fertilization against
vastly overwhelming enemy the prop
erty man hurrieS around in front of the
hero with black cloth stretched over
a frame. This is the fertilization,
even though you can see his fingers
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
repid hero stops to explain to his sub
)rdinates how he was able to accom-
IliSh the feat, while the property man
rags the rnmparts into the wings and
legins pinning them up for the attack
II the next act.
In Chinese play there are no girls.
heir parts being taken by boys, speak
NJ in a high. quavering voice as if
We're too tight. When an
ctor wants 10 show that he is old he
les ON beard that comes to his waist.
he beard works off to one corner and ,
angS grimly by one string, but the
udIence doesn't worry about that.
hey know that he is an old man be-
luSe he has a beard.
was constantly alert TO figure out T
hat kind of show it was. When | ,
rst got there and saw the constant '
lange of costume | thought that it '
ust be n musical comedy, but after =
udying it more closely | saw that it
as farce. When they began to kill
'ople l came to the conclusion that it
as an operetta. Later, when the hero a
und his wife in another mans arms. n
decided that ii was problem play. 9,
The most important person in a Chi Z,
Se show is the property man. Along n
ie him the lead sinks into insignifi- a
nee. He has charge of the show. a.
ne show opens when he says and Z,
'ses when he wants TO go out to te
/ house He keeps his properties T.
lere they are handy-down stage by
, proscenium arch-right out where
, audience can lean over and almost
Ich them. To know what is coming 81
st all the audience has TO do is to tb
TX over and see what the property 20
N is getting ready.
lour after hour the play continued or
-hout an intermission Midnight
ne, and the actors seemed TO be Just
ting into the spirit of the play. in
len | remembered that the play had Ipt
N running for two days | felt sure A,
It the next five minutes would see
last costume. but the show still
tinued. =
chung desperately on, determined to lin
in ut the finish when the last hot. mr.
erish kiss was pressed on the up do
ned lips, but it didn't end that way on
ended when the leading man came lar
hing out with cheese cutter and civ
ed twelve men in GREATNESS sue
sion. the MANNED and wounded
crawling to the wings TO !
thus giving the leading man the nv,
ter of the stage until the envious 10
perty man came up and spitefully Iik,
lked the curtains to.-Homer Croy 70
LeSlie's.