Maung Tun Thu - Nana

(1)

It was nine o’clock, but the seats in the “Barakratty Theatre” were empty. A few people had already arrived in the special first-class seats and the reserved seats near the bandstand, but they were lost among the red velvet seats under the dim light of the flower lamps hanging from the ceiling. The crimson curtain in front of the stage was still submerged in darkness. There was no sound from the stage. The lights under the stage were not yet on. The bandstand was still quiet. The beautifully decorated statues of the goddesses and the gods of the bow and arrow, in the vaulted ceiling above the seats, were illuminated by the lights.

The last rows of seats were filled with shouts and laughter from the common men and women. The female attendant, who often entered the theater holding tickets, was ushering a couple to their seats. The man was in a nightgown, and the slender woman was showing off her body, playing with her eyes.

Two young men came to the private seats near the band. Both were looking around at their baby.

"I told you, didn't I, Hector?"

"The tall, bearded, older young man muttered.

"We're here too early, it's better to give myself time to finish my cigarette."

A waitress passed by them. "Monsieur Fusser," she said, greeting them warmly.

"The dance doesn't start until the end of the next half hour."

"Then why did the advertisement say it would start at nine o'clock?"

"Hector," he said, a look of displeasure appearing on his long, thin face.

"Clarice, who is at the dance, just told me this morning, and she said the dance will definitely start at nine o'clock."

They were silent for a moment. The private rooms were darker, with green paper hanging on the walls. The seats below the private first-class section were even darker. No one was in the private first-class section except for a stout woman. She was sitting on a velvet-covered step. The private seats to the right and left of the stage were empty. All the seats in the theater were dimly lit by the fumes from the gas-filled glass lamps hanging from the ceiling.

“Is there a private area for Lucy at the back of the stage?” asked Hector.

"Yes," his companion replied.

"But I've been through a lot of trouble, and Lucy has come early, so there's no problem."

Fu Sha Lei yawned briefly after speaking, then remained silent for a long time. Then he continued.

“You’re lucky, Hector. You’ve never had the first night of a new play, have you? “Moe Nat Mae is the real hit of the year. It’s been on everyone’s lips for the past six months. The music is really good. The man named Bodine is a real expert in his craft. It’s being staged before the big show.”

Hector was listening with interest and then asked a question.

“So, wait a minute, do you know the new actress named Nana who will be dancing in the role of Moe Nat Mae?”

"You're back, Nana," Fuchari muttered, raising his hands in disapproval. "I've been haunted by Nana since dawn this morning. I've met more than twenty people today. I can hear their mouths aching in unison. Nana is here, Nana is there, Nana is there, everyone is aching. Do I know Nana? Do I know all the women in Paris? Nana is a creation of Baudin, and I think she must be disgusting."

He had spoken enthusiastically and then calmed down. The stuffiness of the theater, the dim lighting, the voices whispering in a church-like tone, and the sound of doors opening and closing seemed to irritate him.

“How frustrating it is to stand here like this,” he said, grumbling. “I’ll go outside, go downstairs and find Bodine, I’m sure he can tell you the details.”

The audience was streaming into the grand foyer, lined with white marble slabs, below. Looking out through the three large iron gates of the theater, one could see a bee-like crowd moving along the streets under the bright lights of the April night. Horse-drawn carriages pulled up one after another in front of the grand foyer, the sound of doors opening and closing, and people entering the theater one after another and climbing the stairs to private rooms.

Large yellow posters were pasted on the inside walls of the elephant enclosure. The name ``Nana'' was clearly visible in large black letters. Some men were standing at the entrance of the elephant enclosure, reading the posters. Others were standing at the door, talking. Near the ticket booth, a slim man with a round face and a clean-shaven beard was chatting with those vying for seats.

“See you there, that's it,” said Fushari, who was coming down the stairs. At that moment, Manager Bodin saw them.

"You are a very good man," said Bordine from afar. "Is this how you helped me? I looked at the Le Figaro this morning, and there was not a single word."

"You'll have to wait," Fusari replied. "I'll have to get to know you better before I tell you about your Nana. And I haven't made any promises to you yet."

Then, wanting to cut the conversation short, Fucharis introduced Bordine to his cousin, Monsieur Hector de La Floy. Monsieur Hector was a young man who had come to Paris to study. The manager Bordine glanced at Hector for a moment, and Hector looked back with interest.

Bodine is a man who deals with women. He treats women like a prison guard. His mind is full of ideas for stunts and advertising. When he speaks, he speaks loudly. When he does speak, he is incoherent, he likes to ridicule and scold others. He also sees faults. He is very disciplined. He is rude and harsh in speech and behavior.

"I think you should do something civilized, Hector," he began in a sweet, gentle tone .

Before Hector could finish speaking, Baudin interrupted him, using a very harsh and harsh word, in the manner of a man who speaks clearly. //

"Tell me it's my brothel."

When he heard this, Fussier laughed heartily. Hector was so amused by Bordenay's words that he didn't know what to say. He tried to pretend to be very pleased with the words Bordenay had used. Bordenay walked up to Fussier, a theater critic who was very influential and influential in the news, and shook his hand warmly. Then he walked back to Hector. By the time Bordenay came back to him, Hector had managed to control himself. He was afraid that if he continued to be so impetuous, the other person would treat him like a savage.

“People are just talking,” Hector began, deciding to speak in a way that was convenient.

"Nana has a very good voice."

"Nana, right?" Bordine muttered, shrugging his shoulders.

"A little bit is not bad"

Hector continued his poetry. "Then I think acting would be good."

"It's useless, I don't even know how to put his feet and hands on it."

Hector's face turned slightly red. He didn't know what to say. Another word came out of his mouth in a stammering voice.

"They say it's best to see a play the first night, and I know your theater is."

"Tell me about my brothel," Baudin interrupted again.

At that moment, Fu Shai was calmly watching the women entering the theater. He noticed his cousin, who was pacing around, laughing and angry, and intervened.

"Bourdieu is a very funny man. If he likes you so much, then call him to his theater as he asks. So, come on, Bourdieu, don't keep us waiting. If your voice is bad and your acting is bad, you're lost. That's what I'm worried about."

“What... you've lost, right? Don't you think you're not proud of Nana?” Bodine shouted loudly. “As a woman, you have to be able to sing and act to be successful, right? You're still very stupid. Nana has other qualities, sir. I've seen them, I've smelled them. You'll see them. Don't worry, you'll see them. When you see Nana come out, the whole theater will be full of big mouths and old women, I can imagine.”

He raised his hands. His hands were shaking with excitement. Then, as if to calm down, he lowered his voice and continued what he had been saying to himself.

"Relax, Nana will grow up, I mean, Nana will definitely grow up, her skin looks so beautiful, wow.......it's amazing."

Then, Baudin answered all the questions that Fusser had. He also agreed to tell the story in detail. When he told the story, he used harsh words, as was his custom. Every time he uttered an unbearably bad word, Hatter de la Falouy was annoyed.

According to Baudin, he knew Nana intimately. From that moment on, he had a desire to bring her to the stage. At that time, he happened to be looking for a female lead for his play. When he found Nana, he did not hesitate to find another one. He was eager to introduce Nana to the audience immediately. However, there was competition in his work. The arrival of this woman, Nana, caused a stir. Especially his leading lady, Rosemary, was looking for trouble. Rosemary was a good actress. She was also a good singer. Rosemary, thinking that a rival had appeared for her, became furious. She threatened to quit her job every day.

So he had to decide between the two actresses. How could he do that when he advertised? Finally, he decided to print the names of both actresses in the same color. He couldn't stand such things for long. Let's say, if one or two of his "little girls" were to misbehave with him, he would immediately kick them out. If he didn't do that, he wouldn't be able to make a living from this job. If they misbehaved with him, he would sell them off as soon as possible. He knew the value of a woman, didn't he?

“It’s all nonsense,” said Baudin in a disapproving tone. “Look at those two, Minon and Steina, they’re always together. In fact, Steina has been getting sick of being with Rose for a long time. Rose’s husband, Minon, is also clinging to Steina, afraid that the old man will leave his wife.”

The light from the gas lamps in front of the theatre streamed down from the road to the platform. The two trees in front were a brilliant green. The posters on one of the poles were so bright that they could be read from a distance. The lights were penetrating the crowd moving on the platform on the other side of the theatre.

Most of the men had not yet entered the hall. They were standing under the lights, smoking and chatting, wasting their time. At that moment, the pair of Menon and Stina were walking through the crowd. Menon was tall, stocky, with a lively figure and a square face. He was holding hands with the banker Stanina. Stanina was small and stocky, with a hot stomach, a round face, and a dull, dry beard.