Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-03-25
PERFORMANCE THIS
EVENING AT Sis


a fashionable audience last night
saw the first performance OF Mrs.
/ Bumpstead-Leigh." the three.act com.
edy produced by Mrs. H. b. Meceary,
| for the benefit of the Naval Academy
! Branch of the Navy Relief Society.
This amusing and satirical comedy.
written by Harry James Smith, first
saw the light OF the footlights when
! il served as a vehicle for Mrs Fiske's
delicate art. and IL was an extremely
ambitious undertaking for amateurs
10 attempt its production. But TO say
they put ii across" successfully last
night is very mild praise indeed for
/ they scored one of the biggest hits
ever made in this town where the
standard of amateur theatricals is a
very high one.
| Too much credit cannot be given
to the work of the producer Mrs.
Mecleary: the director. Mrs Red
grave. and the faithful and conscen-
tious cast, which bore the drudgery
OF weeks of rehearsal with heroic for
| ttude.
nv NtNi hth Aht ANii AtNuih tbA
their lahors last night by the smooth
finish of their performance and the
audiences delighted laughter as each
point got home.
Carefully Staged +.
! Mrs Mecleary displayed the knowI-
edge she had acquired in her several
years OF work in various local pro-
ductions and with the Midshipmen's
Masqueraders by the careful attention
she devoted to the hundred and one
minor details that go to make up a
successful play.
The characters were well cast and
in choosing the eXacting role of Mrs.
Bumpstead Leigh for herself she
showed a clear understanding of her
own capabilities. AS the attractive
and scheming American hustler. in-
heritor Of her fraudulent fathers
business acumen and determination,
she was equally clever and amusing
whether holding the center Of the
stage, acting as the bogus overseas
visitor OF fashion and position. or
when in moments of intimate conver-
sation with her family she let the old
Della Sayles of Missionary Loop"
origin show through Mrs Bumpstead-
Leigh's veneer of refinement. Mrs.
Mecleary is a born actress and her
stage poise and assurance, easy en-
frances and exits, always a difficult
matter TO negotiate. are those OF the
seasoned professional rather than the
talented amateur.
In the second role. that OF Violet,
the chamng young sister who spills
. the beans in her determination to,be
honest. regardless of consequences.
Mrs Brereton added another laurel
/, to those she won in her dramatic eff
forts last year at the Circle Play
, house. Mrs Brereton's acting was
sincere and convincing, at times ris-
ing TO surprising emotional heights,
and her appealing beauty was as at
tractive on the stage as IL is OIL.
Mrs. Barron p Dubois made Of the
role OF Mrs de Sale, widow OF the
erstwhile proprietor Of the Sissipoola
Indian Herb Remedy and mother OF
Mrs. Bumpstead-Lei and Violet,
screaming character sketch that con-
trihuted greatly to the entertainment
of the audience, which was enchanted
every time she came on the stage.
In the minor female parts Mrs.
James Parker was delightful in the
role of the oldest living Rawson,"
high bred representative Of Americas
first families, and infused real spirit
of light comedy into her lines.
Mrs. McElduff carried of the maid 8
: role with such dainty witchery that
far from blaming the fiirtatious AN
thony for being ''epris" with her
charms the audience onIy wondered
, why all the other men didn't also fall
for her.
Mrs. T. NJ. Shock was equally good
E as Mrs. Leavitt, the aristocratic
y neighbor of the Rawsons. .
, Male Characters
Turning to the mems parts -'the
| difficult roles of the two Rawson
n brothers, Anthony and Geoffrey, were
Q well filled by Mr. Herrick and Lieu-
: tenant Shock, who made pleasing
h contrast to each other. Mr.. Herricks
handsome pale face and sardonic man'
ner and infection we're admirably
q suited to the part Of the hypocritical
! Anthony, while Mr.. Shock, as tha
! younger brother of simple tastes, who
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