The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-24
CECIL SPOONER IS WARMLY RECEIVED
 AT HER PREMIERE
In Her Own Play Clever Actress Is Called
 On For Speech at Lyric.

When it comes to making a hit in Bridgeport, Cecil Spooner certainly knows how to do it. From the mo- ment that she was revealed sleeping g soundIy in the old freight car until the curtain went down on the last act with all her fortunes turned into good for tunes Cecil Spooner as Betty Meredith in teThe Fortunes of Betty was quite the darling of the audience. In an swer to the imperative applause at the conclusion of the third act Miss Spooner stepped before the curtain at the Lyric theatre last evening and made a friendly little speech a very big one indeed. When it is con sidefed that Miss Spooner herself is the author of the play even greater praise is extended her.
 The play itself is a rural comedy very p1easingIy written. The comedy is not forced but comes spontaneously and there is just enough pathos and human interest to hold it together and keep it from becoming monotonous. An opportune note is struck when it developes that MT. Meredith is to lose his little grocery store because he had trusted the families of the strikers apd they had been unable to pay him baNl< and the fact that the wealthy mill owner wants to get even with him for assisting them. An especially fine set ting is given each of the four acts and the finale of the first in which a reg ular storm of real rain falls, is partic- ularly novel Miss Spooner takes her first curtain calls under an umbrella Betty. about whom the action revolves, is a delightfully."- refreshing character. She is witty and good natared and op- tinistic and loves most dearly her old soldier father who fought for McKin- ley. The stranger is another most tn-
 
 villains of the play are Mark Burton, the richest man in town, and his good for-nothing son. The rural characters and the naughty but man hunting Miss Burton are rather caricatures than types.
 play with old fashioned plot but of the kind that sends everyone away happy and leaves a pleasant memory so it's certain to prove one of the most successful plays ever given here in stock.
 Miss spooner is ably supported by a splendid company. Pail Trenton plays opposite her in the role of Phil Logan, the stranger. His acting is reserved, he doesn't overdo the hero part but is quite as manly as the audience likes to see a worthy though secret repre- sentative. of the government. MT. Trenton was an immediate favorite As the old one-armed soldier, Betty's father, against whom fortune seemed to have turned, DarroI Vinton is ex- Eceptionally good, playing she part with much feeling which is not at any time overdone.s Robert Lawrence has the detestabIe role of Mark Burton, the richest man in town, whom he makes thoroughly disliked and Phil Leigh is his son. Claude, a thoroughly good for-nothing young man who is the bad man. of the play As sammy Cheek, a comedian, pal of Betty, Ar thur Jennings makes himself especially liked by always turning up at the right moment to assist the little her oine.
 Gifherta Faust as Maude Burton is very naughty, very bored with every thing, especially disliked by everybody Gin the play) and particularly deter mined to marry MT. Logan. The rural characters include James Flanagan as Luke Peterson, Frederic Clayton as Cheerful Charlie, L. J. Fuller as Jade Bender, Muriel Valentine as Sissy tsIenderfsh and Reta villers as Miss Henderface of the Weekly Beacon.