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"Constance; "

OR, "THE BEAU, THE BELLE AND THE BANDIT."

NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED

Union Hall, Boston, was filled to its utmost capacity on Thursday evening and again last night on the occasion of the annual spring theatricals given by the Hasty Pudding Club. The play, a burlesque written by Lloyd McKim Garrison, '88, is called "Constance; or, the Beau, the Belle and the Bandit." The cast of characters is as follows:-

Alfred Dawdle, a young gentleman of generous impulses but slender means. L. Anderson Rattles, his servant. L. Honore A. Marlin Spike, a pirate chief. W. H. Rand, Jr. Tom Noddy, landlord of "The Shorn Lamb" and a pirate in good standing. L. H. Morgan Peter Boggs, a rich and ambitious father,

H. H. Furness, Jr.Rooney, porter of "The Shorn Lamb" .B. Weaver McFallon, a sheriff's officer. T. O. Shepard Wheezy, a country justice W.Abbott Captain of soldiers. C. Browne, Jr. Constance, daughter to Boggs, a girl who does not want to marry. B. Carpenter Cherry, daughter to Noddy and companion to Constance. W. B. De Billier First Pirate. S. L. Swarts First Bridesmaid. L. M. Keasbey Choruses of villagers, bridesmaids, pirates and soldiers

The scene of the first act is laid in front of the Shorn Lamb tavern in the seaport town of Crowbay. A group of villagers, constituting the opening chorus, are gathered before the tavern. As the curtain rises they begin to tell of the approaching marriage of Constance to a rich but aged baronet, who has been selected by Boggs, the girl's father, as a suitable husband for his child, though much against her will. Alfred Dawdle, young, handsome and charming, but poor, makes his appearance, accompanied by his facetious but faithful servant, Rattles. Dawdle offers to elope with Constance, who consents after a becoming show of maidenly hesitation. But their designs are unfortunately frustrated by the pirate chief, A. Marlin Spike, who with his lieutenant, Tom Noddy-disguised as the landlord of the Shorn Lamb-carries off Constance in the dead of night to his lugger which is lying outside in the harbor.

In the second act the curtain rises upon the deck of the pirate ship, with the pirate crew scattered about, engaged in the apparently peaceable occupations of ordinary seamen. This scene is very realistic and most tastefully arranged. The pirate captain arrives with Constance, who is presently followed by her companion, Cherry, who has come aboard to be near her mistress. Dawdle and Rattles come aboard in disguise, bent on rescuing Constance. They have been informed of her capture by Rooney, porter of the Shorn Lamb, who has been a witness of most of the scenes of the preceding act. They join the pirates, and after being duly sworn in, concoct a plan of escape. Meanwhile the girls who were to have been Constance's bridesmaids appear on the deck in bathing dresses, having swum to the ship. Several very pretty dances follow, and then Dawdle manages to dispatch Rooney, who has also come aboard in disguise, to the captain of the coast guard at Crowbay. Rooney has also been entrusted with the terms of ransom proposed by A. Marlin Spike to Boggs for his daughter. The soldiers make their appearance and take possession of the ship. The act closes with the pirates begging for mercy in a grand chorus of Wagnerian music.

The scene of the third act is laid before Justice Wheezy's house. The pirates are brought in, loaded with chains, by the soldiers. Rooney, who is as much of a rascal as any of them, prefers the charge against the prisoners, and the justice orders them off to prison. The bridesmaids, however, beg for mercy on the ground of its being leap-year. The justice finally gives in, the pirates are brought back, Constance is given to Dawdle, while Cherry takes possession of Rattles, and the play ends in a passionate burst of music from the throats of everyone.

The play in itself is an unusually good one, the actors are exceptional, and there are more good voices than are usually to be found in a college burlesque. Where all are so good, it is difficult to discriminate, but mention should be made of the excellent training and steadiness of the choruses, of the good-taste and general correctness of the stage management, and of the superior manner in which the music was conducted.

There will be another performance of the burlesque this evening in the Union Hall, and still another on Saturday, April 28th. Tickets will be on sale to-day from 10 to 12 at 9 Weld, and on and after Monday, at the Parker, Vendome and Adams House in Boston.

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