New Britain herald., 1917-03-13
LAUGHS ABOUND IN .
 PLAY AT LYCEUM
z A Gentleman of Leisure" We'll
 Handled by .Naylor Players

Comedy. unadulterated and of al-
 lopathic dosage with Q laugh in every
 line. "A Gentleman of IAeisure' ve-
 hicle of tho Walter Naylor Players at
 the Lyceum this week, is an effective antitodc for the most chronic at.
 tack of the ''blues." Not only is 1t a genuine comedy. cleyerly handled by
 the author, bat the presentation Is
 most capable by the cast sAs in pre-
 vious productions, 1t is difficult to
 present any ono member of the cast
 as head and shoulders above the oth-
 ers. All Nill their roles we'll. there is, af absence sof "stagey'. effects and
 the work iss well balanced and har- lnonious throughout, There was gen. erous applause for Individual work Ut the intiRt production last night.
 There sis little doubt but New Britain
 tlleatArGoern have the opportunity of seeing In action one of the most cap able stuck companies that has played
 locally for years. K Although perhaps ovcrdrawn. from the viewpoint of real life. in some de- taifs there is not sufficient of this to dctract from the enjoyment of fol- lowing a clique of the '.idlcg ricl1,'' representatives of official crookdpm and police officials through numerous and varied experiences that develop. . substantial amount of real and genuine comedy.
 Ralph Murphy, as Robert Edgar
 Vt Pitt, scion of aristocrntic family with Q desire for something new to furnish :s relief from the tedious routine of doing nothing but spend
 money. Is, . revelation to even his most ardent admirers. Hearty ap- plause greets him upon his initial ap- srearnncc. is continued throughout, his work and stamps 1t with the sign of meritcd approval upon the cur tainsS final drop. He shows an ex- cellent Interpretation of the role while l,is work is realistic and clever. Philip Quin, as .Big Phil" Creedon, deputy police commissioners, and Ralph Brown, as '.Spikc'' Mullins, profess sional burglar and representative of are only second to tMur- phy in tile portrayal of their roles;
 Smythe Wallace has. comparatively little opportunity to show his real ability but appears to excellent ad- vantage in tho limited opportunity. Victor Beecroft, Lester Paul. Harry K Hamiltcn. Miss Margie Dow and s Miss Yirxiiiia Perry, as ai- ways, were excellent and aided mate riaiIy III giving the production fin- ished ans artistic touch. ]
 Throughout the four acts. there is a delightful love story interwoven. which adds materially to the general enjoyment and substantially aids in clearing up the tangled web of mis- understandings. compromising posi- lions and humorous situations.
 AS Robert Edgar W. Pitt. Ralph Murphy. member ,of the idle rich" makes wager that he can be . suc-i cess as a burglar, encounters Spike. who Is not an amateur and means business. and runs into .'the girl" There are exciting times all around but, ultimately, everything is cleared up to the satisfaction of all. As in real life. Don Cupid has large share ! in bringing about much of the trouble l and, likewise, has an important role in adjusting difficulties. It is a com edy that is well worth taking in and one can not help but feeling much better natured and more optimistic for doinr s0