The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-07
BEAUTIFUL STORY IS
THAT Of MADAME
BUTTERFLY
This Excellent Play. Will be
Presented in Grand Forks
on Feb. 20.

Grand Forks people will be interest,"
ed in the story of Madam Butterfly"
the play to be given here on Feb. 20.
The following is brief outline or
tho story:
Act Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton
OF the United States navy is about to
contract a Japanese marriage" with
Cho-Cho-San (Madarh Butterfly.
when the curtain rises he is being
shown over the little house on the hill.
which he has leased at Nagasaki. and
which he is about to occupy with his
Japanese wife. Goro, the marriage
broker, who has arranged the match,
mas also found the house and is enjoy
ing Pinkerton's pleasure at the ingeni-
GUS contrivances of the building. Pink
erton Is then introduced to the three
Japanese servants, one of whom is Su-
zuki, Butterfly's faithful maid. His
friend Sharpless, the American consul
arrives. Sharpless looks upon Pink
erton's projected alliance with dis
FAVOR, and begs him to reflect before
taking the step. Pinkerton laughs at
his friends aprehensions, and their
discussion Is Interrupted by the ar
rival OF the bride and her friends.
Sharpless takes the opportunity of
getting into conversation with Butter
ny, and is more than ever convinced
That she is taking her marriage very
seriously. That his misgivings are not
groundless is soon proved, for In an
interview with Pinkerton, Butterfly
confldes to him that she has secretly
renowned her faith, the faith of her
1orefathers, before entering on her
new life with him; step which means
cutting herself adrift from all her old
associations and intrusting her future
entirely to her husband.
The relations arrive, together with
the Japanese officials, and the mar
riage contract is signed with due cere-
mony. While the guests are joyfully
drinking the newly welded pairs
health, weird figure suddenly an
pears on the scene, shouting and ours.
ing wildly. 1t is Butterfly's uncle, the
Bone Japanese priest), who has dis
covered her remuneration of faith and
has come to curse her. He insists
on all her relations, including her
mother, renouncing her forever;
whereupon Pinkerton, annoyed at the
disturbance, turns the whole lot out
OF his house, and they depart, shaking
the air with their imprecations.
Act II-Part 1. Three years pass.
Pinkerton has long since been recall
ed to America, promising his little
wife to return to her when the robins
nest" The curtain rises on a sadder
and wiser Suzuki, praying against all
conviction for Pinkerton's return, and
on a faithful Butterfly. She declines
to listen to Suzuki's misgivings.
Butterfly is interrupted by visit
from the Consul Sharpless, who has
been intrusted by Pinkerton with a
very cruel task, viz. to break to But
terfly the news that he is returning to
Nagasaki, but that he is now married
really married this tinja!-to an
American wife. But with the best in
tentions. Sharpless is unable to deliv-
er his message. The very sight of !.
letter from Pinkerton throws Butter
fly into such transport of excitement
and joy that she is unable to listen to
its contents. He has written, he has
remembered her, and, of course, he
must be returning! Then they are
disturbd by a visit from Yamadori,
wealthy Japanese sutton, whom Goro
Is urging Butterfly to marry. She is
very indignant. "How can 1 marry
him." she protests, when 1 am already
nlarried?" And when Goro and Sharp
less, appalled, at her blindness, sug-
gest that Pinkerton's desertion of ner
constitutes divorce, she proudly tells
them: THAT may be Japanese law,
not the law of my country, America"
Sharpless has hardly gone before
the harbor cannons announce the ar
rival of man of war. Their eyes dim
with happy tears, their hands shaking
with excitement so that they can hard
ly hold the telescope, Butterfly and
Suzuki discover it is Pinkerton's ship.
Now Butterfy's transports know NO
bounds. She has proved herself right!
Her faith is rewarded! Her husband
is returning to her! As night falls,
Suzuki and the baby drop off to sleep.
The curtain falls on the pathetic pic
ture of Butterfly watching in unshak-
en- faith for the return of her husband.
Act II-Part 2. The night has pass
ed, and dawn reveals Butterfly still
waiting. The sunshine awakens SUI
zuki, who persuades Butterfly to rest,
promising to call her as soon as Pink
erton arrives. Hardly has Butterfly
gone up with her baby than Pinkerton
and Sharpless appear on the scene.
Suzuki's joyful surprise is soon chang
ed to CONSERVATION when she finds that
Pinkerton is accompanied by strange
lady-his wife! Pinkerton, overcome
by remorse and the anguish Of the Sit
uation, PUSHES away, leaving Sharp
less to arrange things as best he can.
The consul has hard work to pacify
Suzuki. At last he persuades her to
break the news to her mistress and In
duce her to give up her baby to Mrs.
Pinkerton, who will bestow mothers
care on 1t. Before Suzuki has time to
prevent her, Butterfly comes down ex-
pecting to find her husband. She
learns the terrible truth. Sho sends
Pinkerton message that she herself
will find peace" and that he shall
have his son IL he will come and fetch