New Britain herald., 1917-02-19
SILVER JUBILEE BELLS
RINGING AT LYCEUM

Twenty five years ago the Russwin
Lyceum first opened it's doors to thea
tergoers of New Britain. The play at
drama to be presented tonight by the
| Walter Naylor players. There are
hundreds OF New Britain people living
here today who remember wildly the
scenes al the Lyceum on the first night
of its existence. Among those who oc-
cupied the boxes on the occasion of it's
opening were Henry Russell and fam
lily; T. S. Bishop and family; A. J.
Sloper and family; MIR. and Mrs. F.
Halls; j. "A. Traut and family and
Mr.. and Mrs. f. n. Stanley. Members
of these families will be present to-
night. Numerous theater parties have
been arranged to celebrate Jubilee
Week
Those who got their evening Herald
on the day after the Lyceums open
ing will remember reading on the
| first page the glowing account of the
I happenings at the new play house.
The pen of Gus Doig had busiy
| ground out more than column of
copy. Although the Herald was
then but ask page paper it found
space for everything connected with
! thecopening of the Lyceum. Mr.. Doig
| sketched the plot of Diplomacy" in
| this fashion:
"'Diplomacy' may properly be
| termed polished society drama.
Countess Zicka, a Russian spy, nurses
| Captain Julian Beauclerc an English
| diplomat through a serious illness. She
! falls in love with him but the feeling
! is not reclprocated. Julian is in love
with Dora, daughter of the Marquis de
| Riozares, a very worldly woman. They
are all at Monte Carlo. Henry, Juli-
| ans brother, arrives just as the latter
proposes to Dora and is accepted.
| Countess Zic!la becomes jealous. Count
! Orloff, Il banished Russian, gives his
| photograph to Dora before going to
Russia to see his dying mother. The
| Countess steals the photograph, sends
! it to the Russian police and Orloff is
arrested. Upon his release he is shown
the photograph and believes Dora be-
trayed him. On his return to Paris he
meets Julian and Henry. Count
! Orloff villifies Dora not knowing she Is
| the wife of Julian. When he learns Of
| the marriage /he regrets his act and
| apologies. but he has aroused the SuS-
| plciOn of Julian as to the character OF
| his wife and mother-in-law. Much
! against his will the Count relates to
| the two brothers the story of his ar
! rest in Russia. Julian's suspicious are
| confirmed and he and his wife quar-
| rel. Countess Zicka steals plan OF
| the fertilization in Constantlnople
| from Julia and sends it in letter by
Dora to Baron Stein. Il Russian agent.
| This too, is found and Julian believes
his wife is a spy. Countess Iicka Wis
it's Henry Beauclerc. He detects
| strong perfume in her gloves, finds 1T
in his books and newspapers, also in
! the recovered plan of Constantinople
| which was obtained by Beauclerc from
Baron stein before the latter had read
it. The Countess is tricked into a con-
fession and the mysteries are cleared
up"
Miss Virginia Perry, leading lady of
the Walter Naylor players will be cast
as the Countess, the part played here
twenty-five years ago by Rose Cogh-
Ian. Miss Dorothea Antel will play
Doro, the ingenue lead. To Miss Mar
gle Dow falls one of the greatest char
acter parts in the old play, the Mar
quise de Reozares. Smythe Wallace,
the new member of the Naylor players,
will play Julian, who marries Dora.
Ralph Murphy has been cast as Count