"Norti-Cuixa Dany News'
Sm—I imagine that there are few of your readers who are conscious of the renaissance of drama that has been taking place in China for the last few years, or who have been to see a modern Chinese play. T went myself for the first time last night ud came away more impressed than can say.
The Sun Rises" was written vy Tsao Yo, who is considered to be the most, remarkable young playwright of modern China; this is his second work, The first, "Thunder and Rain" was translated into English by, Yao. Hsin-nung and published serially in "Tien Hsia" a few months ago. The setting of "Jih Chu" was modern and the scene-designer had had the very good idea of making the walls of his room rather low and leaving out the ceiling, so that over the wall one sow a background of buildings and could mentally At the scene into its surroundings. The theatre—the old Carlton—was packed, and we only saw one other foreign couple, The audience was intensely appreciative. "They roared at the quips and at the topical allusions and although they were more noisy than Western audience might have been the silence was breathless during the dramatic and tragic moments of the lay.
But most impressive of all were the actors and their fine handling of this extraordinary play. The women were possibly better than the men. Their diction was so clear and the language—colloquial Mandarin—so simple that even a tyro ike myself could understand most of the story The actresses who {00k the two lead= Ing paris were artists to their Anger-ups. Thele parts did not escape them for a moment; the protagonist, a popular and expensive but goodhearted courtesan, acted with her whole body; the swaying of her hips and the graceful motions of her hands and the melliftuous undertones of her voice all helped to build up the Te-markable effect she got, The little slavergitl_whom she tried to save from prostitution had almost a more dimeult feat, With hardly a change expression and the utmost economy of motion the actress conveyed the bewilderment and stupefaction of a child almost dazed with suffering. "Purely og a lesson in acting the ploy is worth seeing. The only drawback ity inordinate length, It lasted from 8.20 until past 1 o'clock, though personally we hardly vealizd the passoxe of time. The author builds up each act to such a climax of excitement and intensity that one is, Impatient for the interval to be over.
certain looseness of construction and diffuseness of dialogue is the play's only defect, and this is a defect which only needs a little revision to res medy. I recommend a visit to this play to anyone" interested in One Grama and who has even the most meagre knowledge of Chinese, Shanghai, Apr. 20, nee sort of condolence, og well as of gratitude, to the Chinese Customs preventive ofoers who re= cently suffered assault and injury a the hands of renin in Japanese ships Jand on wharves while trying to di courage smuggling, a group of Shanghhal residents last Saturday, headed by Mr, Wang Feng, Mr. Wu Chi-huan, and 35 others, visited the Customs [Club "to present a red pennant on which was inscribed an address commending those offers who had not shirked their duty in the face of danger, Recently, also, a group of 65 Chinese employees of a Japanese firm presented to the Customs Club a Targe silver shield, on which was en-raved in Chinese the statement. that the preventive service is an ald to national salvattor
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.