Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-04-13
The Play IN China
1t IS a Curious Mixture of Noise,
Costume and Strut.
DN FROM START TO FINISH.
1t 5e9ins When the Curtain Rises and
Continues Until the Last Scene Ends
the Agony-The Property Man a
Mighty Important Personaqe.

Mighty Important Parsonage.
was all tired and knocked out
when l reached China, so l thought to
myself, "Ill just go to a Chinese the
aver and spend a quiet evening. l won't
understand anything, so l can doze off
when | want to and come out as re-
freshed as a sprig of celery"
What time does the play begin?" l
asked as the guide led the way to the
gallery, for in a Chinese theater the
farther away you are the more aris-
tocratic. No Chinese of caste would
be caught in orchestra A.
1T have begin" he answered.
How could that be-" l demanded,
for it was still a few minutes of s.
1T begin yesterday. 1t run two
piece days. 1t No. / play
And so I 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 Il couple
Of days. Some of them continue n
week. They consider a play that lasts
only a night q 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 it
has a ladies' annex to q boiler factory
just off stage. The hammering begins
when the curtain goes up and contin-
ues until it falls. l soon found out
that l erred seriously in coming to a
Chinese theater to sleep. A person
might drop off for n few minutes In
a car shop, but he could never get
near the knitting up Of the raveled
sleeve in n Chinese theater.
Chinese acting consists of the actors
coming on again in another outfit of
clothes. They come on, whirl a baton
a couple of times and exeunt. While
they are of 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 u punching bag.
When they want to show that the in
trepid hero with a handful of men is
trying to take n fortification against
Il vastly overwhelming enemy the prop
crty man hurries around in front Of the
nero with Il black cloth stretched over
a frame. This is the Notification,
even though you can see his fingers
gripping the hreastworks. The daunt-
less hero marches across the stage,
stops before the i~mpregnable barrier,
casts his eagle eye owe ii, draws his
tong sword and rips it asullder with
one fell blow, The property man hold
ing the swaying corner, while the hero
marches through to victory. The In
trCpid hero stops to explain to his sub.
Ordinatcs how he was able to accom-
plish the feat, while the property MAJ
drags the ramparts into the wings and
begins pinning them up for the attack
in the next act.
IN Il Chinese play there are no girls
their parts being taken by boys, speak
ing in a high, quavcring voice as il
something were too tight. When al
actor wants to show that he is old h,
ties on a beard that comes to his waist
The beard works off to one corner AM
hangs grimly by one string, but tn
audience doesn't worry about that
They know that he is an old man be
cause he has a beard.
| was constantly alert to figure GU
what kind Of show it was. When
first got there and saw the constan
change of costume / thought that i
must be a musical comedy, but afte
studying it more closely l saw hat i
was Il farce. When they began to xii
people l came to the conclusion that i
was an Operetta. Later, when the her
found his wife in another mans arms
: ] decided That it was a problem play.
The most important person in a 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 an
tea house. He keeps his propertie
where they are handy-down stage b
the prescenium arch-right out wher
the audience can lean Over and almOs
touch them. TO know what is comm
next all the audience has to do is t
look over and see what the propert
man is getting ready.
Hour after hour the play continue
without an intermission. MidnigE
came. and the actors seemed to be jus
getting into the spirit of the play
When l remembered that the play ha
been running for two days l felt sur
that the next five minutes would Sc
the last costume, but the show sti
continued.
/ chung desperately on, determined t
be in at the finish when the last no
feverish kiss was pressed on the W
turned lips, but it didn't end that wa.
1t ended when the leading man cam
rushing out with q cheese cutter an
killed twelve men in breathless SUI
cessiOn, the MANNED and wounde
th%oughtfully crawling to the wings t
die, thus giving the leading man til
= center Of the stage until the enviou
property man came up and spitefull
yanked the curtains to.-Homer Gro
in Leslie's.