QUALITY MUSICALS for SCHOOLS and THEATERS

Plays and Musicals for Classes, Touring Companies,
and Community Theatre Groups at affordable prices.
Modular Time Lengths Available-Short, Med, Long

The Pirates of Penzance

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN

We have found the works of Gilbert and Sullivan to be perfect material for young people. They are basically staged cartoons combining wit and humor in an intelligent, stylistic presentation that young actors love to perform.
Miriam Jessie Butler has adapted each one of these operettas into play form so it can be performed without music. Simply by purchasing a copy of The Schirmer Vocal Score from a local music store, songs can be optionally added in the indicated places.
The Gilbert & Sullivan operettas were originally written to contain two-thirds music and one-third dialogue. Ms. Butler’s versions have been adapted to contain one-third music (if used) and the dialogue has been expanded to make up two-thirds more in the style of Broadway musicals. The short & medium time lengths are expanded with music.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
Freely adapted by Miriam Jessie Butler

A delightful farce about a softhearted band of Pirates who will give way to anyone claiming that they are an orphan because they themselves are orphans. Famous for this weakness, they are always confronted by entire ships of “orphans!”
Frederick was apprenticed to this particular band of Pirates by his nursemaid, Ruth, when she accidentally mistook the word “pirate” for “pilot.” It is his 21st birthday, he is free of his indentures and is off to seek his fortune. He vows that if he ever meets up with the merry band again, he will be obligated by English Law to slay them. In order to save their own lives they remind him that he was born on leap year and according to their calculations he is only a boy of five and is still their apprentice. Meanwhile, he has met Mable, one of the many daughters of Mayor General Stanley, a military man. Gilbert & Sullivan wove this plot with wit and humor. It is perhaps their most famous
operetta!