The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-01-05

postcards or IanS WIN pictures OF MS
or her favorite actors, while in the
typically native theaters there is a
regular bazaar or series of shops and
stalls where gewgaws of every kind
can be bought. Usually 1t is in the
topmost gallery. Smoking Is allowed
all over the theater by men and wom-
en- alike in the fairly spacious and
numerous boxes which have no fit
tings except mats, smoking pot with
smoldering ashes and an occasional
cushion, generally brought by the visi-
tors, who leave their shoes at the door
and recover them as they go out, their
hats, canes, parasols, or umbrellas be-
Ing checked without charge and re-
turned after the penultimate act by
courteous attendants with marvellous
exactness and with no apparent rec
ord.
The spectators squat on their
launches or recline at their comfort,
but are enthusiastic enough when
their attention is aroused by the dis
comfiture of the villain or the frequent
murders which take place, none being
too bloody for the sanguinary loving
Japanese plebeian, who will cry with
apparently greater facility than we
can laugh, and applaud as vigorously as
an Italian opera enthusiast. But he
must be kept interested all the time, or
he will relapse into reading his paper,
bring novel, conjurer-like, from the
folds of his spacious sleeves, begin an
intelligent, If to stranger unintelli-
gible, conversation with his neighbor
or drop off into peaceful slumber un-
til something happens.
Tickets for the typical Japanese the
ater are usually bought at an adjacent
tea house and often bargained for the
theatrical manager or box-office specu-
lator getting as much as he cana
practice which might or might not
recommend itself to American impre-
sarios. On the occasion of one of my
visits, the price asked was more than
knew to be customary, so taking off
the slippers provided, put on my own
shoes and prepared to make my exit
Immediately the price was reduced to
one-half and by the time had got to
the door to One-third, when I returned
and took the chair offered me at the
back of the orchestra, the house being
crowded. But this was not practiced
at the Imperial theater.
Behind the Scenes.
Coming out between the acts at the
Kabukiza, was fortunate in being
able to find among the little crowd that
followed me one who spoke few
words of English, and, making my way
to the managers office on the first
floor, paid my compliments and re-
quested the privileges of going behind
the scenes as visiting manager. He
agreed with alacrity. Down through
a dingy corridor running alongside and
underneath the audience we emerged
in the stuffy bowels of the theater,
where the electric light was generated
and the revolving stage creaked its
weary way. Up Il grimy wooden stair
case found myself among medley
lot of actors and scene shifters, many
of whom were nude, and l had look
round the dressing rooms
The Japanese actors squatted on the
tloor, there being of course no chairs
or tables and made up with their ap.
around ten and the cleo
trio light overhead. All looked very
philosophical aud. weighted with
sense of their own responsibilities
like our own-but greeted me with n
CHEEKY smile and their customary gra.
cious bow, Going on the stage, the
naked scene shlfters made for cover
and | was introduced TO the genial
orchestra, in Gagged inclosure like
wild beasts and making similar noise.