New Britain herald., 1917-01-16
NAYL0R PLAYERS
 GATHER APPLAUSE
New Company at Lyceum Makes
 Good Impression

There is an old adage about rolling stones gathering no moss which we'll applies to the four-act comedy Roll. ing Stones," as presented by the Wal ter Naylor Players at the Lyceum theater this week in their initial ap- pearance before a New Britain audi ence. No opportunity is given for the growth of moss as there IS action, clean wholesome comedy, from the rise of the curtain until its final drop. It is 8 fitting introduction for an ex- cepti0nally well-balanced cast and promises well for the future of the Players in this city. There was large attendance of a representative type with comments indicating full satisfaction with the production throughout Rolling Stones" is a well-selected vehicle for giving New Britain theatergoers an inkling of what is to come, if the high stand ard characterizing the opening pro- duction is maintained. It is pleas ant relief in comparison With some of the mushymushy productions that have been inflicted supon long-suf- fering public in the guise of stock productions.
 Staged under the personal direction of Walter Naylor, adequate attention is paid to apparently minor details as well as presenting a finished produc- tion. considered as whole. The par.s are we'll assigned, those selected 70 fill them are capable and the com pany, individually and collectively, Is much stronger than a city of New Britain's size usually secures.
 Miss Virginia Perry is all that tfe advance notices claim for her and made an exceptionally favorable lm- nression last night. One charac acteris- tic noticeable in comparison with oth- CTS who have appeared before the foot lights in New Britain is her free dom from the artificial, or "stagey' type. She is her own natural self on the stage, something that appeals. Moreover, she shows natural aolilty that is not marred by an apparent e1- fort to be "a star"
 The same characteristic is noted in the work of the rest of the cast. liar rv Hamilton, Philip Quinn ana Ralph Murphy have strong male parts that are handled in a finished manner. MISS Irene Antel, Miss Margie Dow, MISS Dorothy Antel are also capable in their respective parts. AS Mrs. Rrapnigan, proprietor of boarding house where the roomers have occa- sion to worry about the "whereWltn- al' to pay boarding bills. Miss Marsie Dow is excellent. Those who nave had occasion to room in large city appreciate her interpretation o1 the role of "boarding mistress Others whose work does much to make the production we'll balanced and entertaining are Victor Beecro1t, Orrin Burke, Ernest Lynd. George Ba- ker, Paul Scott, Fred Wolf and Will Brown. The plot is built about cases of mis- taken identity. handling the fortune from the Hewitt chail of candy stores and the real situations of humor that develop. The development of the plot and the manner in which the various roles are handled must be seen first hand in order to be appreciated. The company is of the caliber that merits generous support, if New Britain peo- ple desire an opportunity to witness genuinely clever stock productions at home.
 The main drawback last night was the long waits between the acts. This will undoubtedly be minimized in the future. For a first night perform ance, both for play and players, it was exceptionally good. There was nothing of the amateur brand notic- able.