_PUBLIC PLEASURES_
THE THEATRES
The theatre in China is always a private institution. We have no
State-supported theatres, but, on the other hand, many rich people
have theatres in their houses. In the north of China the public has
its theatres the same as in Europe, where regular performances of
fashionable pieces are given, and where people may dine in the boxes or
on the balcony. Everywhere else there is nothing to be had in the way of
theatrical representations, except from troupes of strolling actors, who
play in the temples, restaurants, or private houses. A set stage is to
be seen in every temple, and performances are given on it on the feast
day of the patron god of the temple, or for the accomplishment of certain
vows. In both cases a troupe is sent for and a piece is selected. Whilst
the organisers are taking their seats in the side balconies, which are
our equivalent for your stage-boxes, the public is admitted gratuitously,
and may place itself either in front or around the stage. At the end of
each act—as a rule, only one-act pieces are played—an actor, disguised
as a woman, offers the organisers of the fête a certain number of sticks
to choose from. On each stick is written the name of one of the plays in
the repertory of the troupe. A performance always includes five acts, or,
as is usually the case, and generally means the same thing, five pieces,
which have to be played through in the course of the evening. On the
Emperor’s or Empress’s birthday similar performances are given before the
houses of all the public officials, and take place accordingly in the
street. This is a treat for the people, who may attend without paying.
There are stages in our big restaurants, and performances are given there
twice or three times every week. The public seat themselves in parties
of four or of six at tables, which are arranged in parallel rows to the
stage, and in such a way that nobody has his back turned to the stage.
As the customers of these restaurants are all rich people, the actors
often get down off the stage to serve wine round, and to ask what piece
they shall play. Should the piece thus chosen be found a success and
well played, the person who chose it rewards the actors with cash. The
actor takes the notes and places them on a tray, which he shows to the
public in proof of the generosity of the giver. Should the piece be badly
played, or any portion of it be badly sung, the public remains absolutely
silent, without manifesting feeling of any kind. The practice of hissing
is never indulged in in Chinese theatres. The silence of the public
is the rebuke administered to the actors. If, on the other hand, the
piece has been creditably performed, there is only one voice among the
public to applaud. All the spectators rise to their feet as of one common
accord, and shout “Lao, Lao.” This shows that in China we are both polite
in our disapproval and prompt to enthusiasm when we are pleased. This
national trait is the key to the conduct of the majority of the Chinese
under all circumstances. They never criticise directly; they never
noisily disapprove of anything, nor give vent to cries of anger: silence
suffices for them; silence, which in itself alone has the eloquence of
the severest comments, the most indignant exclamations, and is withal
dignified; silence, which condemns without discussion and without
appeal. A peculiarity of our theatres which may be noted here, is that
the orchestra, instead of being placed in front of the stage, is always
behind it, and plays no matter what piece of music, and always without
notes. The conductor wields no baton, but has a kind of tambourine in
one hand and a pair of castanets in the other. The first indicates the
time, the others changes in the tone. The actors always play by heart
without the help of a prompter. We should laugh were we to see a musician
using notes, or a gentleman hidden away in a kind of kennel whispering
words to an actor at the moment perhaps when he is in the finest frenzy
of passion. In front of the stage, on the two pillars which face the
public, there may be generally seen amongst other decorations two bills
inscribed with philosophical reflections.
The following is one of the best known:—
“You may consider this performance as true or as false. It is
always an image of life and of its conclusions.”
Besides our big theatres we have also puppet shows, in which the
puppets are tied to strings and worked by people hidden in the flies.
Punch and Judy, worked by the fingers of an actor concealed behind a
curtain, are very popular in China. These miniature theatres are much in
favour with the people of places which cannot support a real theatre.
The performances are exactly the same as on the large stages, and are
always accompanied with music and songs from behind the stage. The only
difference is that the actors are in cardboard instead of being of flesh
and blood, and are very small instead of being very big, a matter of
little consequence after all. The size, the costumes, and the substance
of the actors may be overlooked, for all that is merely superficial and
a deceit of the eye. The truth—the great and immortal truth—is that our
desires and our passions, our joys and our woes, are always the same,
and never, never change. In every clime and in every age do we see the
eternal human comedy repeat itself.
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