New Britain herald., 1916-09-20
FRIEND MARTHA'
 EXCELLENT COMEDY
Oza Waldrop Wins Favor in Ed-
 ward PepleS' Latest Work

1T 1t is true, as has been said, that entertaining men and women is one of the greatest heights to which any, one can reach, Edward Peples has reached the pinnacle. His "Prince Chap touched the heart strings. His Pair of Sixes'' was a breeze of laughter and each curtain fall was A physical belief. But in "Friend Mar tha' he has carefully blended pathos and comedy, sunshine and storm, and mas won for himself the everlasting friendship of a small audience that gathered at the Russwin Lyceum last evening to see it presented. To use the language of the stage it went big."
 'F'riend Martha" is a comedy in four acts concerning the life of a Quaker family in Germantown, Penn- sylvania, about the year 1880. The plot centers around Martha Mayhew. who does not share the strict religi- ous views of her father, a Quaker of the old school, who believes in ruling with a hand of brass rather than bv love. Martha is not orthodox Sl1e cannot bring herself to believe that it is any more sinful for her to sing than it is for the woodthrush outside her window to burst forth in carol Her ''sinfulness'' is the cross of her fathers life and in order to rid her of her evil spirit he decides to wed her to Friend Aaron Duane, an elder in the society of friends, a man of the scarecrOw type. But Harry Shirley, scion of a wealthy Philadelphian, in tervenes, and they elope on the date set for Martha's marriage to Friend Duane, who is forced to accept some rough handling from Harry Shirley before they can make their escape. The pursuit of both by Shirley's faith CT, Col. Henry Shirley, and Martha's father, the rage of the Colonel on learning that his only child has run away with "tall, bony, straight up and down Quakeress' whose feet "are that. long, and the meeting of all in terested parties in the Sign of the Lion, furnish a lively third act dur ing which each of the principals nas an excellent opportunity to display histronic talents. The reconciliation in the fourth act and the softening of the Quaker's hard heart, conclude a very pretty comedy.
 Too much cannot be said for Miss Oza Waldrop, a mite of a maid wha assumes the role of Martha with Q charm and simplicity that win her in- stant favor. Miss Waldrop has a winsomeness and sweetness that arc certain to carry her into the hearts of all audiences who may be so forum ate as to see "Frend Martha" Tn a word, she was born for the part.
 As the gay, dashing, debonnair FIor- ry Shirley, whose main object in life is to catch a fox or firt with a pret- ty girl, until he meets Martha and becomes more settled, Reginald Den ny is very accepta b1e. Walter Walk CT, in the role of "Friend Godfrey Mayhew,' father of Martha, gives an ideal delineatiOn of the strict parent, disciplinarian from head to foot. The same can be said of Miss Mabel Burt, the sweet mother of Martha, who does not agree with her husband in 1 all his interpretations of good and l evil but who is forced to bow before | his will until at last outraged mother 1 hood asserts itself and she bids her | husband defiance rather than be seD- | arated from her child. The path is l open for Miss Burt to exaggerate her role but to her credit it can be said that she is not guilty of this high crime of stagecraft.
 Carleton Macey offers a fine Aaron Ouane," the irascible Quaker elder who sees evil stalking all around waiting to gobble up the, frail and flip nant. Charles Stevenson also per forms acceptably the task of wearing the clothes and spirit of Col. Henry Shirley and his jocous friend and Judge Carnett, brought in to the flesh by Walter Howe, is an- other character well done.
 Many laughs are furnished by Miss Jessie Brink and Miss Ida Mule in the respective roles of "Friend Ara bella Neeks' and "Friend Ruth Grel- lett" unattached spinsters who will not remain long in the state of single bliss should "Friend Aaron Quane' falter for a moment in his determ1na- ton not to take unto himself thlrd wife unless it be Martha.
 The work of Jack Rafael as 'cp Fox" proprietor of the Sign or the ion" is also worthy of notice.
 From a mechanical standpoint, the is well presented. The seen arv is effective, although in only the Ia st two acts is the director allowed i much latitude, the scenes in the first two acts conforming to the strict ideas of Martha's father.
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