What the Butler Saw, May 2009, page two

Dr. Rance (Bruce Showalter) rushes to Sergeant Match (Larry Chiz) and Dr. Prentice (Dana T. Ring).  Geraldine Barclay, whom he thinks is a patient, has escaped!  He rushes outside to look for her.  The sergeant deduces she must be in the room. He pulls back the screen to reveal Geraldine (Rayah Martin) in a pageboy uniform.  Naturally, he believes that this is Nicholas Beckett, the pageboy he was to question regarding an incident involving several schoolgirls.
Geraldine, as Nicholas, accuses Dr. Prentice of improper behavior, such as getting him(!) to undress during a job interview.  Dr. Prentice takes umbrage at this. Dr. Rance enters and attempts to take charge.  He orders the sergeant outside in order to medically examine the boy, who for some strange reason refuses to be examined.  They are joined by the real Nicholas (Steve Wandzy), disguised as Geraldine.  He, also refusing examination, has been given a sedative by Mrs. Prentice (Dorrie Mitchell).
With the others out of the room, Dr. Prentice and the two imposters try to figure out a way out of this mess.  Nicholas suggests getting the sergeant's clothes, so he can arrest himself and leave the property. Dr. Prentice agrees to this and directs the sergeant to undress for a medical examination.  Dr. Rance, meanwhile, has taken Geraldine off to a padded cell.
The sergeant has accidentally been given an overdose of anti-psychotics.  Dr. Rance and Nicholas put the dress on him and stick him in the garden to sleep it off. Mrs. Prentice has seen a woman's body being taken into the garden.  Dr. Rance is convinced her husband is insane.  They confront him upon his return.  When Dr. Rance leaves, an angry Dr. Prentice grabs his wife, takes her dress and storms into the garden.
Nicholas, disguised as a policeman, tells Mrs. Prentice and Dr. Rance that he has arrested the pageboy.  Dr. Rance asks for the policeman's help in subduing the dangerous Dr. Prentice. With Geraldine out of the padded cell, Dr. Prentice insists that everybody get back in their real clothes.  Nicholas insists the doctor put on a strait jacket.  The sergeant staggers in, still waiting for his examination.
Dr. Rance rushes in and recaptures Geraldine.  He directs Mrs. Prentice to keep a gun on the patient while he puts her in a strait jacket.  When the near-naked Nicholas enters, Mrs. Prentice is convinced she is insane.  Dr. Rance puts her another strait jacket. Dr. Prentice returns, seizes the guns and demands the release of everyone.  Major confessions are made regarding the day's activities.  Geraldine even gets her lucky pendant back.
Nicholas reveals that he, too, has an identical lucky pendant.  Mrs. Prentice admits that she gave birth to twins after an episode that happened before her marriage to Dr. Prentice.  When she gave them up for adoption, she included the pendants. Dr. Prentice confesses that HE was the "episode" and that the pendants originally came from him.  The family has a warm reunion, Dr. Rance can write a book about this incident and become famous and retire, and the sergeant miraculously drops all charges.

Al LaPlant/Jerry Zalewski photos
More photos
Other Theatre links:

In The Spotlight, Inc.
Pillow Talking—"He Said/She Said"
The Connecticut Callboard
Connecticut Gilbert and Sullivan Society

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