New Britain herald., 1917-03-27
LITTLE GREY LADY
 OPENS AT LYCEUM
Sympathetic Production Given by
 Walter Naylor Players

l Although "The Little Grey Lady,
 vehicle of the Walter Naylor Players
 at the Lyceum this week, Is in no way
 connected with war and it's alarms, It's
 scenic settings are highly appropriate ] and of more than ordinary interest because of the international crisis and 1 the focusing of the nations eyes on Washington and the various govern ment departments. There are no echoes of strife, battfef1elds and the horrors of modern warfare but an everyday plot cleverly developed with 9 delightful little love story inter- !! woven into every line. It Is an en- joyable relief in comparison with the
 intrigue and manipulations that are generally associated, by many, with life in the national capital city. The production is as cleverly given by the
 cast as it is meritorious from pure
 ly dramatic viewpoint.
 As prim Anna Grey, employe of the
 treasury department and roomer at
 one of WashinKton's typical lodging
 houses. Miss Virginia Perry comes
 into her own, delights her many ad-
 mirers. by unusually clever work and
 displays the capability before the
 footlights that she has comparatively
 seldom had an opportunity of demon- strating before a local audience. Not only is her work before the footlights
 credltable from an artistic viewpoint
 but the interpretation of her role
 teaches potent lesson of how a good
 true woman can not only hold a man
 to the straight and narrow paths but
 prove . guardian angel to one, who,
 a HnfASS AA |. 4
 gone apart from the paths of honesty
 put realizes conditions and comes
 pack before 1t Is too late.
 Sne also gtves a strong illustration
 of how 1t is not always the forward.
 impulsive and fashionable woman
 who ultimately gains and holds
 strong mans love. Although there
 are dark days for her when she sees
 the man of her choice departing from
 the paths of honesty and in the grip
 of . siren of the more fashionable
 outer world. she persist in her cam
 pafgn to aid him and wins out at the
 finish.
 Smythe Wallace, as Perry Carlyle, also an employe of the treasury de- Eartment, who tires to ape men of a certain fast and financially well-off clique while on 8 comparatively mea- ger salary, appears to advantage. Graphically. he shows how easy 1t is for person to yield to temptation, when in a position to get money cas- lily and, apparently, without detection
 when money will buy pleasures among the white lights'' and bring
 the smiles of fascinating women of
 the near butterfly world. He does not count with the intuition of woman
 kind, the real type of a woman, who knows full we'll that a twenty-five dollar a week clerk cannot honestly meet expenses that amount to many times that figure. How he is saved to himself and women he unconsciously loves and who loves him with a true woman's love is we'll developed in the plot of the story. It is a produc- ton that is we'll worth seeing and the lesson is one that can we'll be pondered over by many a young man and woman in any community.
 Ono cannot help but admire and respect Samuel Meade, secret service operative. the role oapably handled by Philip Quin, idol of local theater- goers. Even if a representative of the law. he shows the human side of a government sleuth and aids ''the little grey lady" in the reformation of the man she loves. His sacrifice Is better understood when 1t Is shown that he too loves the heroine, has the goods on his rival and can break" him with hardly the lifting of 8 finger. He throws the temptation ! aside. shows himself to be true man and destroys the $100 bill, pur- Joined from the money going through Carlyle's hands.
 As Mrs. Jordan, Miss Margie Dow gives a realistic interpretation of a typical Washington boarding house | lsndlady and is responsible for not a few sparklets of humor in the apidly-developing plot. Miss Irene Antel appears in the role of Mrs. Graham. a roomer who Is secretly
 married because the government would allow no married women to be employed in that department. Ruth Jordan, daughter of the landlady. n girl with ideas as to how life should be enjoyed and not unconscious of her attractiveness for the opposite
 sex, Is well portrayed by Miss Doro- thea Antel. She brings ability of . high rank into her interpretation of the role.
 Harry K. Hamilton Is cast as Capt.
 Henry Jordan. husband of the board ing house landlady and father of Ruth while Ralph Murphy cleverly portrays Richard Graham, secret hus-
 band of winsome Irene Antel. vic- tor Beecroft capably fills the role of Bob, another of those domiciled
 among the familiar Washington '