Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-13
THE PIPER" To
Be PRODUCED BY
H. s. ] juniors

The Piper" which will be pre-
scented by the junior class Of the
high school on Friday evening, May
2l, is based on an old legend
which dates back to the year 1884.
The play, which was written by Jo-
sephine Peabody, the wife of a
Harvard professor, was awarded
Hthe Stratford on Avon memorial
,theater prize in 1910, and the I'll
tie role has been played by such
notable actors as Edith Wynne
Matthison.
1t has been successfully pro
duCed in Europe and has been
translated into French. Danish,
Swedish, Russian and German. 1t
is said to be the only poetry play
by an American author successfully
produced in Europe, and one of
the most beautiful children's plays
every written. The synopsis fol-
lows:
Hamelin town misers hug their
money bags and at the suggestion
of Kurt the Syndic, the mayor re-
fuses to pay the piper for Kidding
the town of rats. The cruel Kurt
would throw the strolllng players
into Jail but the drunken mayor
lacks the courage. Barbara, the
mayors daughter, is loath to see
Michael Sword Eater leave
town. Cheat the-Devil is harmless
enough and the villagers admit he
has amused them well. So far as
the children are concerned, the ia
vorite among the strolling players
is the Piper; they would pretend
they are mice and be spirited away
by his playing. He plays and the
children follow him away, even the
little lame Jan and the two AGO
lytes, who knock Peter the Sacris-
tan over in their mad attempt to
catch up with the Piper, Old Peter
declares il was the Devil who
tripped him, for he saw something
red.
Act II discloses the hiding place
of thes children, deep in a hollow
hill They are happy as birds eX-
cent when one thinks of some pet
dog at home. They tell the Piper
their funny dreams and he tells
the children his. The Piper is DIS
tressed because Michael does not
appear. Cheat-the-DeVil brings the
children honey and reports to the
Piper what he has seen on the
road. He is not at all fond of the
men but, II liked the mule he
saws. Finally Michael arrives IN
great excitement and reports that
Hamelin town has forced the may
or TO give his daughter Barbara TO
he nun. This must not be, the
piper declares, Hastily leaving the
children in the care of Cheat-the-
Deyil. Michael and the Piper leave
the cave. ~
In Act III, Michael and the Piper
arrive at the crossroads, just ahead
of the procession which IS taxing
Barbara to Rudersheim to become
\ nun. The two men hide. AS the
procession appears, a faint SLOW
piping is heard. All look around
and M into the trees to see what
causes the music. 1t grows faster
and turns into jig. The priests
throw their arms about each other.
AS the Jig grows faster the pro-
cession dances off on the road 10
Rudersheim, the fat mayor and the
cruel Kurt huEging each otheF'
Barbara is whirled out of the pro
cession and left da2ed and amazed
nv the side of the wall. When the
piner appears, she thinks 1t Is ne
who have saved her from her fate,
much to the discontinue OF MI
chael who accuses the PIPER OIL
playinE traitor Near the craSs-
roads the Piper meets veronica
the foreign woman who has been
sighted by Hamelin town, but she
pleads for their children as wei as
their own, little lame Jan. the FL
nor will make no promises but as
sures her that the children are
safe. .t,,
Act " takes us back to Hametln'
The piper arrives Just when the
foreign woman is at the point OF
death. The villagers would seize
the Piper and throw him into jail.
THE Piper at last wishes to eali
back the children to save the lie
OF Veronica but has left his pipe.
suddenly after comes faint PIP
ing which grows stronger ana
stronger. The superstitious vii
layers think his pipe is coming 10
him through the air. But it is only
little Jan, who has learned to play
the pipe and as he arrives in the
village square, Veronica is saved.
The mayor agrees to give his
daughter Babara to Michael and
the Piper returns all the children.
Quaint costumes, effective stag
ing, and special music add to the
beauty of the play, which is being
coached by Miss Olive Morris, dra-
matte director at the high school.
Whites Cream Vermifuge is GER