The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-24
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The Pollard Juvenile Opera company
began their brief enga cement IN ST. Paul
last night at the Metropolitan with pro-
duction of "a Gaiety Girl" and to say
that this wonderful organization made a
hit with the large audience present would
season has there been such enthusiasm,
such wild applause, such an OVerwhelm-
ing outburst of laughter. The clever lit
tie folks quite captured the audience, and
it is safe TO say that every person pres
ent at last nights performance will go
out of his way today to urge his friends
to go.
1t is truly a wonderful troupe When
it is considered the performers are under
fourteen years of age, and many of them
under ten, their achievement is little less
than miraculous.
But before another word is said we must
pay our all too inadequate tribute 30 one
member of the company, whose name will
be repeated in St. Paul many times to-
day. Miss Daphne Pollard-down on the
stage programme as Corporal Lance-was
the star of the aggregation in so far as
the audience was concerned.
1nat delightful midget started more
laughs last night than any ''grown-up'
comedian who has ever appeared here.
Her name should appear in big letters.
1t would have been a distinguished actor
l.
tention of the audience last, night from
this rare Ben Jonson" of little comedi-
ans. He-or rather, she-Gt is almost
impossible, however, to speak or to think
of Corporal Lance as anything other than
a roguish, lovable little tyke of a boy,
and more than one person looked on the
programme last night with disappoint-
ment when it was discovered that that
funny little fellow was in reality a lit
tie miss)-she is absolutely and irresisti
bly, funny-funny all the time, naturally
funny, an Out-and-out nature made hui
morist.
Half the time he-or she. rather-was
doing nothing and saying nothing but the
audience would be directing it's entire at
tention to her, oblivious to other pro
ceedings, and all the while convulsed with
laughter. Corporal Lance had but to kink
his nose, or twist his head, or ''bat his
eye, and the audience howled. PEOPLE
laughed until the tears ran down their
cheeks, and then they howled and clan
ped, and Corporal Lance simply looked
up with queer expression of surprise
tno1 set them off again. Words are in
adequate for proper description of this
wonderful little seyen-year-old comedian
Her stimulation of drunkenness was done
to perfection
If every person in st. Paul could see
Corporal Lance, that worthy individual
could certainly cash in on the Coliseum
fund. and take the city.
But there are others in the company
Indeed the whole troupe did surrrisingIv
Weh Undoubtedly the audience went to
the theater in generous frame of mind.
expecting to make allowances for the ner
formers because they were children. They
were surprised by the gensfal excellence
OF the performance, by the high ouaIitv
OF the achievement of the individual per
and 1aY,
person present had forgotten all abolt
making allowances, and was singing
the praises of the clever little peoDle
for the enjoyment of the performance
ala not consist only in the sirnnIicjtv
and artiessness of beautiful children. but
as well in the actual art of the perform
efs. The acting was excellent through
out. The performance was not a mere
reading and singing of the lines graceful.
ly, 1t was an original interpretation of
artistic unity, finish and form.
Most of the children are entitled to he
called artists. They showed a cornnra
henslon of their parts which was mar
Vicious. The character creations were
original and worthy. Then there was
SpoHtdhelty about the performance which
was delightful. 1t was carried OFF -;rs1
if it were indeed play for the children
Ihere was a charm Of simplicity ana
sweetness which made it appealing an
atmosphere different from that of the or
binary theatrical performance. The
bright, beautiful, winsome faces of chill
dren, with their clear, natural voices
lacking in their action any faint Of the
artificial constituted an element rev To
stage productions.
The ''littlest ones" touched the hearts
OF the people by their natural childish
ness. They gave no Indication Of CON
seriousness of being on the stage. They
acted just as they might if they were re-
hearsing by themselves free from re-
straint Of any kind
Next to Corporal Lance" Master Jack
Pollard, as Sir Lewis Gray, the divorce
judge, Master Willie Pollard. as Rev.
Montague Briefly, and Master wiIIia
Thomas, as Maj. Barclay, received the