French Play.

This fall the Cercle Francais gives its seventh annual dramatic performance. The past two or three years it has attempted with great success the reproduction of some of the better known French plays, and this year promises to be its best effort. The play chosen is Le Marriage Force, a comedie-ballet by Moliere. It was written by order of Louis XIV, and first played on January 29, 1664 in the palace of the Louvre. The essence of the plot is that Sganarelle, who is in love with Dorimene and is about to marry her, suddenly learns that she is a flirt and marries him only for his money, expecting that he will soon die. He tries to break off the match, but when it ultimately comes either to fighting a duel or marrying, he prefers the latter. In the course of the play are amusing scenes with gypsies, wizzards, and between two philosophers. The comedie is distinctly light and amusing throughout. In the original performance Moliere himself took the part of Sganarelle, and Louis XIV danced in the gypsy ballet; the other parts being taken by members of the court.

The comedie, as given by the Cercle Francais, will be in three acts. The choice of men to fill the various parts, as well as their entire drilling is in the charge of Professor Sumichrast. This requires an amount of thought and work and time on his part that cannot be too highly appreciated. At present the final cast of characters is not definitely decided, though it will be announced in a few days. It combines, however, some forty members of the Cercle Francais. The actors proper number eight, the various ballets over twenty, the singers and musicians making up the rest. There are five ballets, not of course in our modern style, but in that of the seventeenth century. Each will be to the accompaniment of music rendered by the Pierian Sodality which will, besides, play the overture and entr'actes. A part of

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