G&S Society in prime form

If you’ve ever wondered how a little theater troupe in Down East Maine can take its show on the road and win an international contest, then make time this weekend to see the annual presentation by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Hancock County at the Grand in Ellsworth. You’ll wonder no more. Instead, you will laugh, clap, cheer and walk away humming tunes that will drive the kids crazy.

The G&S Society of Hancock won first place in the 1994 International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England. This season’s double billing of “Trial By Jury” and “H.M.S. Pinafore” proves why. The shows are charismatically directed by Dede Johnson, whose 20-plus years of community-theater experience have not hardened her directorial heart in any way. She creates surprisingly side-splitting, big-stage treatments of G&S comic operas. She throws together a goulash of local actors, and then serves up a meal that amuses as it instructs on the finer points in life.

Best not to question the recipe, however. Only to say it tastes better every year. And this year qualifies undeniably for the cherry on top.

The twofer night begins with “Trial By Jury,” a “dramatic cantata” that finds Angelina suing Edwin for breach of promise of marriage. Edwin shows up in court with his new love and argues he fell in love, out of love, and in love again — this time with another person. What’s a man to do? The Judge, who knows a thing or two about jilting, must resolve the conflict. As any judicial man might, he sets right the villainous misdeeds by marrying the bride himself. The result? Joy unbounded, naturally.

The praiseworthy cast gets vocal leadership from young Chad Mills as the Usher, Lee Patterson as the Counsel, and Leslie K.A. Michaud as Angelina. John Atkinson, as the Judge, is a near perfect G&S performer in looks and manner, but his voice unfortunately gets snagged somewhere around the first row of the hall, so it’s impossible to make out his lines. He’s deft enough to keep us interested, but we’re straining to stay with every word.

After this show, how can anyone — even the die-hardest G&S chum — want to sit in the Grand seats for yet another two hours for “H.M.S. Pinafore”? One sentence: It’s not boring.

It’s not just that this tale of class-crossing romances is a stickling reminder of the way social position can sidetrack love. But the music is decoratively inspiring, the community support and appreciation for this group is, on its own, rather touching, and, frankly, these actors are having the time of their lives.

The cast — largely recostumed from “Trial” — runs a tight ship. Newcomer Kevin Bate, who plays Captain Corcoran, is a keeper with his strong voice and willing antics. He fits in nicely with the veteran talents of Francis John Vogt, John M. Cunningham, Kurt Schaller, Bronwyn Kortge, Tammany Shankle, Irving Hodgkin and Anne Bahr — all of whom are playful and bright in this show. Notch that up a rung or two and you have Roland Dube, whose blithe shenanigans become funnier even as they deteriorate.

On his third encore during the patter song “Never Mind the Why and Wherefore,” a person in the audience whispered impatiently, “That’s enough, now.” Wrong. Dube — well matched on this one with the self-control of Bate and Kortge — knows when to stop. That would be after encore number six.

While Johnson deserves a hefty portion of the credit for the success of these shows, she has a fine set of actors, a clever costumer in Mary Ellen Martel, a swift choreographer in Judy Savage, and the lively comradeship of music director Robert Bahr, who leads a plucky orchestra in a vivid presentation of the scores. As the masters themselves might say: Here’s three cheers and one cheer more for the plump and pleasing bliss and rapture — and the sisters and the cousins and the aunts.

“Trial By Jury” and “H.M.S. Pinafore” will be performed 8 p.m. Feb. 12 and 13, and 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Grand in Ellsworth. For tickets — and these shows do sell out — call 667-9500.