"LE BARBIER DE SEVILLE."

The Cercle Francais will give next week its seventeenth annual dramatic performance, presenting Beaumarchais's "Le Barbier de Seville," a comedy in four acts. The graduates' night performance will be given in Brattle Hall, Cambridge, on Thursday, December 17, and the Cambridge public performance on Saturday, December 19, in Brattle Hall, and the regular Boston performance on Monday, December 21, at the Bijou Opera House.

The scene of the play is laid at Seville; the time is 1775. The Count Almaviva is infatuated with Rosine, whom he first saw at Madrid six months previous to the opening of the play. After a long search he discovers that Rosine lives at Seville with her guardian, Bartholo, a retired physician, who is very anxious to marry her. Upon Almaviva's arrival at Seville, he learns from Figaro, a barber, who was formerly in his service, but who is now employed by Bartholo, that Bartholo, proposes to marry Rosine on the next day against her will. Figaro advises Almaviva to present himself to Bartholo, disguised as a soldier and armed with a written order for lodging from the Colonel of a regiment which happens to be at Seville. Almaviva fails to obtain the lodging, but manages to give Rosine a note. After he has gone, Bartholo accuses Rosine of having received a note from him, and threatens to use force to procure it. Rosine denies having such a note, and pretends to swoon, not however, before she has placed a note from her cousin in her pocket in place of the one received from Almaviva. Bartholo takes the note, and discovers his blunder. He apologizes to Rosine, and leaves her alone to read the note from her lover.

In the note, Almaviva instructs Rosine to pick a quarrel with Bartholo in order to delay his plans for the wedding. She does this by refusing to take her music lesson from Don Bazile. In place of Don Bazile, however, Almaviva comes, disguised as his pupil. He explains that Bazile has suddenly been taken ill, and that he has come to give the lesson. To reassure Bartholo, Almaviva shows him a note from Rosine, telling Bartholo, that Rosine wrote it to Almaviva who is trying to seduce her. Rosine consents to the music lesson when she recognizes her lover, and during the absence of Bartholo from the room she agrees to meet Almaviva, but he does not have an opportunity to explain that he has given her note to Bartholo to reassure him. Bartholo overhears Almaviva speaking of his disguise; and, realizing that the music teacher is an impostor, drives him from the house.

Bartholo is now so suspicious that he wishes to be married that night, and he has Bazile order a notary to come to the house immediately. He then shows Rosine her letter to the Count, and, she, thinking that she has been betrayed, agrees to marry Bartholo at once. Bartholo leaves to complete the arrangements for the marriage, and Almaviva and Figaro enter by the balcony. The Count explains that he gave the note to Bartholo to obtain his confidence, and Rosine agrees to marry him, whereupon Almaviva discloses his real identity. The Notary enters, closely followed by Bazile, whom the Count bribes to be a witness to the marriage. Bartholo arrives too late to interfere in the ceremony, and is himself induced to sign the contract upon Almaviva's agreeing to allow him to keep Rosine's fortune.

The cast of the play is as follows: Le Comte Almaviva,  W. M. Shohl '06 Bartholo,  J. V. Blanchet '05 Rosine,  P. G. Henderson '05 Figaro,  O. L. Mills '05 Don Bazile,  K. H. Gibson '04 La Jeunnesse,  M. Wertheim '06 L'Eveille,  E. Eversole '07 Un Notaire,  A. F. Hurlbut '07 Un Alcade,  L. B. Robinson '07

H. I. Cobb '04 drew the poster for the play.

Tickets for the play are on sale at Herrick's and at Thurston's, and may also be obtained by application to R. M. Acosta, Claverly 22. Tickets for the Cambridge public performance, which will be given in Brattle Hall at 8 o'clock on Saturday evening, December 19, are $1.50. Tickets for the regular Boston performance, which will be given at 8.30 o'clock in the Bijou Theatre on the evening of Monday, December 21, are $2. At the Cambridge public performance on Saturday, the University Mandolin Club will play.

H. I. Cobb '04 drew the poster for the play.

Tickets for the play are on sale at Herrick's and at Thurston's, and may also be obtained by application to R. M. Acosta, Claverly 22. Tickets for the Cambridge public performance, which will be given in Brattle Hall at 8 o'clock on Saturday evening, December 19, are $1.50. Tickets for the regular Boston performance, which will be given at 8.30 o'clock in the Bijou Theatre on the evening of Monday, December 21, are $2. At the Cambridge public performance on Saturday, the University Mandolin Club will play.