French Play.

"Le Pedant Joue," by Cyrano de Bergerac, as it is to be performed in this year's theatricals of the Cercle Francais, will be in three acts. The original play is in five acts, but this was thought to be too long for the Cercle's production. In its revised form, the drama still retains the striking tone of de Bergerac. A synopsis of it is as follows:

The pedant, Granger, has a lovely daughter, Manon, for whose hand there are three aspirants, Chateaufort, a blustering swashbuckler, Gareau and La Trenblaye. Granger himself and his son, Charlot, are both in love with La Trenblaye's sister, Genevote. In the many amusing situations which result from this complicated state of affairs, Corbineli, Granger's body servant, plays an important part. He is the conventional servant of comedy who is always interesting himself in his master's private affairs, and it is he who originates all the clever tricks with which the play abounds.

The first act opens with an interview between Granger and Chateaufort, who has come to press his suit for Manon. Granger is opposed to him, and in order to get him out of the way, declares that La Trenblaye has already been accepted as Manon's future husband. Mr. Granger turns to his own love affairs. Charlot, being an inconvenient rival, must be got rid of, and is therefore sent off to Venice. He starts with his servant, ostensibly on his journey to Venice, leaving Granger to prepare for an interview with Genevote. Another suitor for Manon's hand comes in at this juncture, but is quickly disposed of on account of his poverty. Granger then hurries off to see Genevote, who receives him kindly and promises him an interview for that night. Delighted with the promised reception, Granger comes at the appointed hour with a ladder, by which he is to reach Genevote's window. He is in the act of climbing to it, when La Trenblaye appears and threatens to imprison him, on the charge of burglary. Terrified by this, Granger is induced to sanction La Trenblaye's marriage with Manon, and in return Genevote de La Trenblaye is to marry Granger.

To celebrate the marriage, Corbineli arranges a farce in which Genevote and Charlot take the parts of two young lovers, and Granger acts the relentless father. In the course of the play Granger is induced to sign a supposedly sham contract, which is eventually proved to be a genuine contract of marriage between the two young people. The play ends with the happiness of the lovers and the discomfiture of the doting Granger.