Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . eaten to death for disobedi-ence, or should die as a result of the infliction of punishmentfor inaptitude or want of application, no notice would be takenof the circumstance by the authorities. The usual hire for a band of actors to perform a play is fromsix to forty dollars, depending on theirnumber and their reputation. Besidesthe price paid as hire, they expect tobe rewarded more or less at the endor during the
Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . eaten to death for disobedi-ence, or should die as a result of the infliction of punishmentfor inaptitude or want of application, no notice would be takenof the circumstance by the authorities. The usual hire for a band of actors to perform a play is fromsix to forty dollars, depending on theirnumber and their reputation. Besidesthe price paid as hire, they expect tobe rewarded more or less at the endor during the performance of a play,and to be feasted by their employers. If a female character is necessary tobe personated in the acting of a play,one of the boys, or one of the adultsconnected with the company, dressesin female clothiug and carries on thepart. An old man is represented by aperson wearing a false beard, and anold woman by a man who has a shrillvoice, or who tries to speak with a shrillvoice. There is no building built expressly and solely for theatricalpurposes, as in Western lands. Every temple, with few ex-ceptions, has a stage erected in a convenient part, devoted to. BOY DEESSED LIKE A FEMALE ENACTING A THEATEIOAL PLAY. 296 MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS AND PRACTICES. the performance of theatrical representations. There are sev-eral hundreds of such temples in this city and suburbs. Plat-forms are also oftentimes extemporized in the street during anevening—seldom during the day—for the performance of street-playing is not unfrequently very annoying to trav-elers and persons engaged in the transportation of are also frequently employed to perform in the housesof the rich, and in the official residences of mandarins. Some-times theatrical companies are employed for eight or ten daysin succession by mandarins in the first and second months ofthe Chinese year. There is no admittance fee to the theatrical plays. Whenacted in temples and in the open stree
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidsociallifeof, bookyear1865
