Children's Theater...The Pirates of Penzance, June 26

The Pirates of Penzance was the second presentation of the Troy Recreation Department's children's summer theater program. The Troy Civic Theatre provides the venue and also allowed the group access to their costume collection. However, many of the players with the help of their parents and others found their own costumes. The actors and actresses were fifth through ninth graders. Two older students, Austin and Robert, participated  as  policemen  and  members of the chorus.  Sonja Hyer, Rebecca O'Brien, and Katie Swank directed.
Sonja reminds the audience to turn off cell phones and gives other announcements such as when the players can pick up their shirts like the one she is wearing. All the players' names are listed on the back.

As the pirates listen, the pirate king sings of the joys of being a pirate.

Ruth, Fredric's old nurse, thinks she sees a ship the pirates can capture and the pirates complain that the sailors will probably all be orphans so they won't get any booty anyway. They never take booty from orphans.

The Major General's daughters sing "O'er Rocky Mountain".

After the daughters take pity on Fredric, he asks Mabel to marry him. The daughters consider the question.

The Major General sings, "I am a major general."

The Major General talks with his daughters.

The Pirate King and the Major General confront one another. The Major General tells the pirate he is an orphan.

The daughters console the Major General in the graveyard.

The policemen march in and their police sergeant gives them their orders.

They are not happy with their policemen's lot which is not a happy one.

The difficulty between the pirates and the Major General is resolved and everyone is happy.

The cast takes their final bows.

Eric was in charge of the lights and the music, seeing that both were provided on cue. After the play, he, Austin, and Robert talked. Eric, obligingly looked up and grinned.

Later, Robert told me he understood the play much better this time. The last time he was in it, he was the smallest of the policemen. That was a few years ago.