Evening star., 1925-02-01
CHINESE FANTASY
PLANS COMPLETED
Actors in BeIIeau Wood Me-
mortal Production to Wear
Unique Oriental Costumes.

An innovation in benefit entertain
| ments in Washington will be given
Friday night with the presentation
| in the Washington Auditorium of the
| original Chinese fantasy and specta-
Gle, "A Game of Nah JonG." in which
200 of the Capitals prominent women
| of official and resident society will
| participate. The proceeds of the per-
| formance are to be devoted to the
| Belleau Wood Memorial Association.
Written and directed by Marie
Moore Forrest, an officer Of the asso-
| citation, the first part OF the spectacle
| has been taken from an old Chinese
| legend in which a beautiful princess
invents the game of nah jong. Cen
| turtles later, these tiles, in real life,
| emerge from a gigantic, dragon
| carved box and are used by the East
and West alike for amusement. -Four
noted Washington women and four
| members of the Chinese legation then
play with the human tiles, the game
being interspersed with a series of
| dance numbers under the direction of
| Charles l. Morgan, jr, of the Mask
| and Wig Club of the University of
| Pennsylvania.
! Designs Standard Costumes.
Mrs. Minnigerode Andrews, a well
| known Washington artist and art
| patron, has designed a standard
! costume of black coats, trousers.
| round caps. white stockings and black
| slippers. for all the characters in the
game. For the circles. bamboos and
| characters, each figure will be desig-
| mated by Il large ivory tile upon
which is painted In dashy fashion the
| character it represents. DIR. Alfred
| Hopkins has designed the costumes
| for the winds, which are along some
4 "" n OIL 1g.Y-
tions in color and headdress.
| The flowers and seasons will wear
| rare old Chinese costumes imported
| and loaned by Mrs George Barnett,
who is a member of the costumes
committee. The headdresses for the
! flowers are large baskets of flowers.
| and for the seasons large baskets of
fruit, both designed by DR.. Hopkins.
In Roles of Dragons.
Twelve prominent Marine Corps
officers will play the roles of the
| dragons, with grotesque costumes
All of the costumes have been made
by Nine Say de Litzen, Russian
! artist, who is spending the Winter
in Washington with Mrs Andrews.
and Mrs. Andrews herself has painted
the 1872 tiles for the game.
! In addition to the costumes of the
| flowers and seasons, Mrs. Barnett has
| loaned practically all of the costumes
i of the entire princess group, some of
| them being genuine Manchu or North
| China costumes, and the others from
southern China Every one is Su-
perb in color and of handsome mate
| rialS and embroiderieS of the Orient
| The robe of the princess, to be worn
| by Mrs. Goring Bliss, is a Manchu
| costume which belonged to the Dow
ager Empress, and which came to
Mrs. Barnett from mandarin at the
| time of the Dowager Empress death.
1t is correct in every detail, from its
! Manchu headdress to its tiny shoes.
| The costume to be worn by Mrs.
/ Mason Gulick as the first lady in
waiting has her own Chinese robe,
brought by her from China recently,
and is particularly beautiful, with
a headdress of pearls.
VIII Use Ancient Armor.
Maurice II. Jarvis. the announcer
| in the spectacle, called the actor in
| all Chinese dramas, will wear the
| costume always worn by Chinese
| actors who play this most important
| part. The armor to be worn by the
| Chinese soldiers in the princess
scene was brought to this country
many years ago and is the ancient
! armor worn before the Christian era
! IN the Orient.
! Mrs. Albert y. Baggs. chairman of
| the committee on arrangements, an
! nounces that reserved seats may be
| had at the New Willard and Shore
| ham Hotels and at Mrs. Wilson
! Greene's Concert Bureau. and not
| from members OF the committee on
| arrangements.
! Officers of the Belleau Wood Me-
| mortal Association are Mrs. James
| Carroll Frazer president, with the
| Secretary of War John w. Weeks,
as honorary president. The honor
| airy vice presidents include Cardinal
| Dougherty, Right Rev Charles H
| Brent, Marshal Foch, Maj. Gen.
! James G. Harbord, Maj. Cen. Clar
| ence r. Edwards, and the vice presi
| dents are Mai Gen. John A. Lejeune,
| L. S NJ c.; David a. Reed, David
| Jayne Hill, Cuno H. Rudolph and
| Judge w V. r Berry. John Walsh
is counselor and Mrs. Randolph Keith
Forrest is secretary. H. V. Haynes,
| president of the Farmers and Me
| chanics' National Bank of George
| town, is treasurer.