Some theatres expend much money in building up and maintaining a reputation for high quality talent, They bring actors from elsewhere, chiefly Peking, and are alway. on the lookout for features which fley think will be well-received, Almost all the large Shanghai theatres employ only men. The Shiang Wu Tai, and one or two smaller houses have only women. The Kung Wu Tai has. both in its plays. It is estimated that there are 10,000 actors, both men and women, in Shanghai, A considerable number of these, like members of the profession in other countries, are unemployed.
Of those who ure working the salary varies greatly, ranging up to $3,000. About the lowest-paid person taking an acting part gets $18 a month. The high figures, '$1,000 to $3,000 for whole-year contracts, go to persons who put on the more pretentious performances and who themselves are obliged to pay small troupes. Only one person worl ing the year round in. Shang-receiver $9,000, but his net ary ix only about $2,000, as from this he pays several assistants, Some, like Mel Lan-fang, come short' contracts "and. get higher figures. Mei, n female impersonater, who is the most famous of all Chinese actors, for instance,' receives $20,000 or more a. month, Ours of this he pays hiv troupe, Ordinary "actors, or those who may be said to be' without exceptional repute, taking leading roles, ive between $600 and $1,000 a month. Aptors are considered. to be of classes, according to. what parts they customarily take." Of these the Tsing I, whose job is to take the parts of' ordinary. women Giua Tan) are considered the moat important apd receive the highest pay. The Wu Song (BGA), who Bede the pars of haaf were formerly thought. to be the most important, and given the highest pay. Now, however, they' rank third or fourth in the scale of box Joffe favourites. The Wong Wa Lao Song (KO) who take the parts of gentlemen, that isto say, uld scholars and elderly jherocs, now receive a. pay above that of the hero characters. The Hung Sen ($4), members of which class take the hero. parts in the style of play having settings in the Han Dynasty, receive $800 oF more. A person, called Siao Song (ye), taking the part of 1 youth, receives from $100 to $2,000 4 month, but if he is. working "opposite a' leuding Tsing, he gets more.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.