Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-11
"A ROADSIDE MARRIAGE. ].

The above comedy drama, from the pen of Oscar Eagle, was presented at Polls theater slaSE evening for the first time in the eastern part of this country and by a company of amateurs of this city and Naugatuck. It was given q very clever production also and received most generous applause from an audience of goodly numbers. The play itself Is well written and pos sesses many effective situations It tells an interesting story from first to last and balances well in every charac- ter. While the house was not crowd ed, vet the theater management say that 1t was q good paying audience, and the Waterbury Stock company was fortunate in coming in so late in the season and drawing such an audi ence. Some new scenery added to the dressing of the play, and the costumes were appropriate and well selected. l Some of the work of the amateurs was more than creditable, while there were few who could have been improved upon. but who did as well as could De 1 expected under so short time for pre- 1 Daration. The hero and the villain were so unevenly balanced that the 1 work of both was sometimes handl- capped.
 Naturally the most interest centered around the work of Frank S. fnelps in the character of Maurice Warner, and Miss Charlotte Terry of Naugatuck in the character of Phyllis Maidstone. | Both had been featured for the produc-
 tion and the featuring was not done ill ] vain. IT. s. Phelps had a difficult char l arter to produce Tn that of the wander 1 ing artist Warner, but his conception was clever, his actions perfect in every detail and his whole work was well,
 very we'll done. His best scenes were
 with Phyllis, and he was ably assisted lby Miss Terry in marking his part so l successful
 Miss Terry made her first public ap-
 pearance before Waterbury audience I in the character of Phyllis Hailstone, and she is entitled to many encomiums.
 Tn voice, figure, action and everything necessary to make her part run
 smoothly, she was always there. She
 brought to the character strength and cleverness and deserves all the praise
 she received.
 There was another lady in the cast
 who deserves special mention as we'll
 and that was Miss Jennie Freney
 There were those in the audience last night who could look back a few years
 and remember when little Jennie Ere ney. then little tot, made her debut
 as Edward Denyer's little child in "The
 Silver King" presented by St Joseph's
 society. She then gave promise of dra-
 matic ability, and in her charcater last
 night of May McKenna. whether as
 the daughter of the wandering tinker or impersonating an Indian maiden ol as the coy lover, she enacted 2 sou
 brette role that was pleasing and inter
 esting.
 The other lady character. Mrs Me Kenna. by Miss Isahella Mullaney, and Harriet Poyntz. by Miss Bertha Seider
 man. did not have the opportunities tc display their histrionic abilities as had
 the others. but what they did have tc . do they did we'll
 Of the other gentlemen characters the two which created the most inter
 est aside from the character of Warner
 were those oftDan McKenna, by w H Benham and Jamsie. by J. F. De 1aney. Both Irish characters, dressed , suitably and not outlandishly, and botl . with bfogues rich enough and broad