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Show JAPANESE PLAYS IN ARMORY HALL ARE WELL ATTENDED The National Guard armory nn Twenty-fourth' street was the scene last night of the final performance of a series of throe Japanese plays, b) Japanese players, before an audience audi-ence composed almost wholly of Japanese Ja-panese A few faxoied Americans also saw the productions and pronounced them rarely interesting S. Tamaki, a prominent local Japanese in speaking of the plats, said that they were recitals of events or ancient Fapanese history, partaking partak-ing largely of tragedy. The two produced pro-duced on Saturday and Sunday nights were of six acts each, lasting from 6 p. m to 1:30 a. m. and the one last niplit was in secn acts, lasting from 7 p. m. until 2 a m They were pre-sentrd pre-sentrd by a company of 18 players, fifteen men. one woman and two little -iris, under the direction of UJakU Bando ,i former restaurant Keeper of Bingham; Utah, but now a resident of Ogden. Mr BaDdo was a prominent actor of Japan before taking up his revnlenee In the Fnltcd States The lady member of the cast is a reai- .lent of Salt Lake Citj and all of the other members reside in Ogden The rehearsal? for the pla 9 occupied occu-pied about a month s time and they weir presented on a sraco specially constructed and scenery prepared for them. n unique feature, as it appeared to the Americans In the audience, was the work of a six-piece Japanese or-chestra or-chestra and a Japanese singer. The orchestra seemed to Lake as much part in the performance as did thp acters. and the singer virtually sang continuously . As explained by Mr. Taniakl. the s;nger sang the storv of the play, at Hie same time that it was being enacted en-acted and, though the words were be-in be-in spoken, the singing gave the auditors, audi-tors, with the exception of the Americans, Ameri-cans, a much better understanding of the plot. The performance of three plays is an annual event with the local Japanese Japan-ese and admission charge of 50 and 75 cents is marie, the proceeds being used for charitable purposes. This year the estimated attendance at each performance was between too and roo, the armory being filled to its capacity. |