"Les Folies Amoureuses."

The Cercle Francais will give its eighteenth annual dramatic performance on December 15, 16 and 20, presenting J. Fr. Regnard's "Les Folies Amoureuses," a comedy comprising a prologue, three acts, and a divertissement. The graduates' performance and the Cambridge public performance will be given in Brattle Hall, on Thursday, December 15, and Friday, December 16, respectively, and the Boston performance on Tuesday, December 20, in Potter Hall.

The play is written in verse of great variety and striking effect and indeed its charm lies rather in well turned phrases and humorous situations than in any remarkable originality of plot. First produced in 1704, it is still a masterpiece on a theme now become almost trite.

The prologue is set behind the scenes of a theatre. Mile Beauval is discovered in a heated argument with the director of the theatre. Monsieur Dancourt. Complaining of the shortness of the play and of the inappropriateness of its title, she refuses to act her part of heroine. The director's remonstrances are in vain. Mile. des Brosses, attendant to Mile. Beauval, announces that the author refuses to allow the play to proceed with the present cast, whereupon Mile. Beauval is as insistent on taking the part of heroine as she had previously been in declining to do so. Monsieur du Bocage, manager for the company, rushes in and begs the players to make rapid preparations as the audience is growing impatient. Mile. Beauval requests that the author allow her to act. At this juncture, Momus, god of raillerie, appears. He promises to remove all difficulties by introducing La Folie and Le Carnaval, and by appending a divertissement.

The play proper is divided into three acts. An elderly noble, Albert, is in charge of a beautiful ward, Agathe, with whom he is in love. Agathe, however, shows affection not for her guardian, but for Eraste, a young man whom she has met by chance. Anxious to be rid of her guardian's control. Agathe pretends to be mad. She appears first as a musician, then as an old woman, and finally as a soldier. Crispin, valet to Eraste, impersonating a physician, takes charge of Agathe who, in her impersonation of a soldier, has become violent toward Albert. Crispin claims that, by giving a potion, he can transfer Agathe's madness to another, if someone can be found to volunteer. Eraste consents, feigns insanity, and attacks Albert still more violently than Agathe had done. Crispin says that the potion has been too strong and begs Albert to bring him a liquid of counteracting effect. While Albert is gone, all flee to the house of Clitandre a friend of Eraste, and celebrations of the success of the scheme are held.

The scene of the divertissement, embodying these celebrations, is laid in Clitandre's park. Masques, costume and fancy dances, and a minuet will be introduced. Several songs have also been arranged, music for which has been composed especially for the occasion by Mrs. E. W. Shute.

Since it was last announced, the cast has been somewhat changed and is now as follows:

PROLOGUE.Mile. Beauval,  E. R. Riegel '08M. Dancourt,  F. Dexter '08Mile. des Brosses,  D. M. Martin '07M. du Bocage,  N. O. Simard '06Momus,  G. L. Foote '08Un Machiniste,  A. R. Magruder '06LES FOLIES, AMOUREUSES.Albert,  W. M. Shohl '06Eraste,  F. Dexter '08Crispin,  G. L. Foote '08Agathe,  E. R. Riegel '08Lisette,  G. A. Schneider '07DIVERTISSEMENT.Clitandre,  M. Wertheim '06Agathe,  G. A. Schneider '07Lisette,  D. M. Martin '07La Folie,  E. R. Riegel '08Crispin,  G. L. Foote '08Le Carnaval,  N. O. Simard '06Eraste,  F. Dexter '08Albert,  W. M. Shohl '06Momus,  E. B. Sheldon '0