The old theatres give preference to daylight performances, but when appear at night, lamps or are lights are used. Since no artistic lighting effect ig at hand to assist the actor, the latter must be a first-rate artist in order to overcome all the eruadities of the stage and light ing. The Chinese actor jg an artist, for after seven or more years of training from the tender age of ten or 32 until 17 or 19, he has been put td daily routine by strict task masters, who produce an actor well controlled from the use of his voice to the poise of hhis foot and the angle of his wrist or the pointing of his little finger! Indeed, the actor, with his costumes, gesturing, singing, and general stage presence fils in the gap left by the stage and story.
There is an interesting playhouse in the Southern City of Peking, where, as is the custom of the ex: tremely conservative, no women are admitted. The seats and table run at right angles to the stage, proving that the audience comes' to hear rather than to see the play. The dest typer °f ploys are vocal. almost, operatic in style, although the dialogue is spoken and termed pai.
Until 20° years ago, this type of theatre, along with those erected, temporarily in village and the stages Defore the temples, formed the majority of playhouses. The Em-perers had theatres in their palaces as did the wealthy in their homes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.