The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-28
ADJUSTMENTS .
The Pollard Juveniles in ga Gafety
Grip Mt the Metropolitan.

The Pollard Juveniles in GA Gaiety
Girl" ut the Metropolitan.
Childhood is the age of mimicry. With the
first dawnings of intelligence in the infantile
brain comes the impulse to initiate what its
elders do. Through imitation comes educa-
ton. In most cases the power Of mimicry Is
gradually lost the child approaches ma
turity and forms an individuality OF its
own. The Pollard Juveniles form an illus
tration little less than wonderful of what can
he done in training child mimcs for stage
purposes.
Passing over the question Of whether stage
life is good for children-and that is a most
serious question-one who saw the company
of youngsters ranging from little tots OF
upward play "a Gaiety girl' last night could
not fail to be astonished and delighted. The
little people entered into the imitation Of
grown-ups with great zest and comical gray.
ity. Their childish voices and hurried ELI
sions of syllables in the big words contrasteo
strangely with what they were doing and
saying.
OF course, it was quite impossible that they
should give. the famous English musical COM
edy in such a way as to create any illusion.
One would get rather confused and indis-
tinct idea of the piece from their performance
of it. The enjoyment lay rather in watching
the mannikins as they sang, danced and
acted The disparity in the sizes of the actors
some Of whom have stretched lankily upward
while others have not yet lost their dimple1
chubbiness, is rather disconcerting to the
looker-on. r.t.
Many of the children display wonderful his
trionic talent, and it is altogether likely that
the stage will some day be enriched by their
mature efforts. The central figure was little
7-year-old Daphne Pollard, who evinced q
precocity in comedy work almost startling.
She played little corporal in approved
Tommy Atkins style and later appeared in a
highland rig that was declared by the women
of the audience to be ''just too cute for any
thing" She danced and strobe around with
most comical mannish air Imaginable and
even sang a topical song with great effect.
The Introduction of a drunken verse in this
song is certainly most reprehensibe, even il
the tot did do it well. The rest of the cast
is largely young Pollards, all of whom seem
to have inherited talent. Master Fred plays
lieutenant and sings a sentimental song
Master Jack plays Judge with great gravity
Miss Ivy plays the young hero Economically
Miss Connie is a marplot French maid Mas
ter Willie is a gay chaplain and very good
comedian: Miss" Alice" is his sweet voiced
daughter; and Miss Myrtle dances with lis
some grace and accuracy. Pretty we'll fo1
the Pollard family! The other stars are Miss
Madge Woodson, who is a Stunning figure as
the hero's divorcee aunt and whose mock-oI6
ways cause much laughter; and Master Willie
Thomas, who plays the giddy major with
great gusto in spite Of his hoarseness.
The costumes and effects are very fetching
and it is not difficult to understand how
these Australian youngsters have won sucI
successes in their own country as we'll as
in South Africa, India, Singapore, Hongkong
Shanghai, Manila and Honolulu before in
Vading America.
w. B. Chamberlain.