New Britain herald., 1919-09-30
CHEATING CHEATERS ENTERTAINING SHOW
lyceum Players Score Big Hit
 on Opening Night .
(By Herald RevieWer)

The theme of Manager ". C. Mas sons offering at the Lyceum theater Tor this, the fifth week of the Lyceum Players, can best be explained in two Words-Cheating Cheaters--the title of the play The show deals with the plott1ng and contemplating of two clever bands of crooks operating in the suburbs of New York city and to close four acts of intensely interest," ing acting 8 surprise ending is sprung upon the audience.
 The characte in the cast are hap- plly cast from Nan Carey alias Ruth Brockton, portrayed by Miss Leonard. and Tom Palmer, played by MT.
 Wellington, down to the two sturdy policemen who guard the doorway of the office of the National Detective Agency in New York city the morn Ing after the police make a successful coup of the gang. The work of Frank Ford who assumes the roll of Steve Wilson, a gunman and one of the toughest characters of gangdom, is especially commendable. His part, a difficult one, is handled in a most SbpooiS d1lu Wn1lG ODDOGJun1- ties are offered several times to easily overdo the@ role, Ford takes care of his lines without a flaw. A great deal
 of tho comedy .interspersed between the lines of Cheating Cheaters," is put across by Steve, and his acting of the part Of a gunman attemp pting to act as butler to better impress their z victims, is most amusing.
 As uSll91 the leads MiSc' I ,,d and MT. Wellington, could not be inn
 proved upon. Nan, (Miss Leonard)
 is the brains of one of the gangs and
 is expected to engineer the biggest
 undertaking the "combine'' has ever
 attempted, while in other quarters
 Tom (Mr. Wellington is being
 brought to task by members of his
 group for not "pulling'' the Brockton
 robbery at once. Toms hesitation is
 brought about by his love for Nan,
 whom he knows as Ruth Brockton,
 the daughter of Mir. and Mrs George
 Brockton, his victims, while Mans re-
 fusal to act, excepting when and
 where she pleases is explained in the
 closing scene of the play.
 Charles Mylott, in the role of Ira
 Lazarre, an interruptions lawyer
 who is giving the Brockton gang financial backing but playing on the outside, offering suggestions but new
 CT giving orders regarding the means of obtaining and disposing of the prized Stuyvestant jewels, is seen to advantage. His warnings to his ac- complices after they have fallen into the hands of the authorities are most amusing, he continually warning them that he has had nothing to do with the deals and that anything you say will be used against you" George Brockton, a dignified confidence man L3arrow La Paige) and the supposed father of Nan, handles his lines in ar excellent manner and Eugene Shakes l peare as a butler and accomplicc tc 1 the Palmer gang is good s .... The audience is informed through the lines of the play in the first act set in the rented apartment of the 1 Brockton gang-that the Palmer. l have been pursued across the ocear I twice in quest of the Stuyvestant jew. 1 els which are known to be in theil l possession. On the return both gang: are aboard the ill-fated Titanic anc l Tom proves himself a hero. All are 1 saved, including Ferris whose identity l is not known, but who is known tc l be trailing Brockton and Palmer ir 1 the interests of the Amalgamatet 1 Burglary Insurance companies. ] The Palmer group plays for the 1 jewels which the other combine i! known to have because of the flash,
 display of the precious stones, ant | effect a close friendship. The plo