AMUSEMENTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 30, 6 October 1913, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

"THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE." The story of "The Pirates of Penzance," to be staged at the Town Hall on Wednesday and Thursday by the Stratford Operatic Society, opens on a rocky seashore on the coast of Cornwall. The first episode is a convivial 'gathering of pirates to celebrate the occasion of Frederic having served through his indentures and become a full-blown pirate. Frederic tells the Pirate King that he had merely stayed on as a pirate from a sense of duty--he could not bear to break the ternu: of his indenture—and Ruth, the "piratical maid-of-all-work," explains that she indentured Frederic to the trade through an error in hearing, mistaking "pilot" for "pirate." Frederic and Ruth leave the pirate gang, and a bevy of girls appears on the scene. Ruth is the only woman Frederic has previously seen, and the beauty of the new arrivals causes he and Ruth to quarrel, the lady departing in a temper. The girls make preparations to paddle in the sea, when Frederic discovers himself and makes advances to each in turn, but finds favour with none of them. Then Mabel arrives on the scene and his appeal.to her is successful. Soon the pirate band returns and each member secures one of the girls. Mabel announces that the girls are daughters of Major-General: Stanley and are maids, in chancery; i'Majoi}General himself .appears, J; and jstates that, he is'an orphan, in view of which iact; the pirates cannot touch him or,his, one of the rules of the .gang being never to rob an orphan. . The second act takes place at .night in a ruined chapel. Frederic informs the Major-General that he has engaged a posse of police to make a raid on the pirates' den. These policemen appear and depart on their errand and Frederic -is ~ left, falohe. Enter to him the Pirate King and Ruth, who present pistols at him. Frederic is told that he was,born on February 29th, and that, therefore, reckoning by birthdays, he is only five and a quarter years old. Frederic's sense of duty again afflicts him and he decides to stay with the pirates until' [hk "twenty-first birthday," the time specified in his indenture. Frederic also lets fall the information that the had wrongfully claimed to be an orphan. The police return to the chapel and hide themselves, and when the pirates put in an appearance they are compelled to submit in the name of the King. Ruth intervenes andVleclares that the pir--1 ates are not common thieves, but "noble men" who have gone wrong. General Stanley, mistaking the term "noble men" for "noblemen," immediately relents, and tells the pirates' each to take a daughter of his, and the curtain falls on a happy scene of united lovers, a satisfied general and very much relieved policemen. A full rehearsal will be held this evening.

BERNARD'S PICTURES. To-night a complete change of star films will be screened, and an allround excellent programme is guaranteed by the management. The famous American Biograph Co., which is famed for up-to-date productions stands high in the great Indian photo play "The Yaqui Cur," introducing' their famous Indian arid cowboy actors and a real Western early da. scenario. "Bread Upon the Waters" is an excellent setting of a story ai ways popular. The drama shows hova mother's note, begging her disgraced son to make a man of himself, leads to the redemption of another man, who, in his gratitude, undertakes tr restore the young fellow to his parents. It is a difficult task, but love and perseverance win the battle. Other fine dramatic films are "Final Justice," and "The Fatal Pearl," both very popular pictures. Another notable feature of the programme is. the excellence of the educational studies. A particularly fine ornithological and naturally-colored picture is "Sedge Warbler and Cuckoo," showing how the cuckoo usurps the nests of the smaller insect-eating birds and leaves its eggs to be hatched by mother-birds whose own progeny are later pushed out by the tyrannical young cuckoo. "The Great Timber Trade" is also a fine study, the details in which are sufficiently indicated by the title. "The New Zealand Animated News" gives an excellent pictorial summary of recent events. A fine vein of real humor runs through each of the comedy films, "One o Romance/' "A Well-Sick Man," and "Miss Tweedledum Mistaken for a Nihilist," being all very laughable.