The Washington herald., 1907-12-15
Frederic and Mrs. Thomnsnn

1t is a great team, that of Mr.. Frederic
Thompson. of Luna Park fame, and his
young and talented wife. nee Taliaferro
and the combination OF their joint abll-
ties eliminated in something like a tri-
umph for both of them, when. on Tues
day evening. at the National Theater.
they produced that charming play by
Miss Margaret Mayo. Polly OF the Cir
Gus Miss Mayo has done some of her
best work in the writing OF this dainty
and sympathetic love-play. True, the
theme is time-worn and hoary. but it is
one Of those themes that are ever new.
and so long as they are worthily pre-
sented will always be held beautiful and
inspiring. 1t is not hard 10 imagine
though, that in constructing her plav
Miss Mayo had but little idea Of what the
finished product would be like, for to the
genius and art Of the playwright had 10
be added the talent and instinct of the
Snowman. and on top of that the deli
cate beauty and appealing acting of this
particular showman's wife The result
is play that is unique As an enter
tainment, il holds the interest of the au-
dience from the beginning to the end;
there are windy gusts Of laughter that
tread close upon the heels of passages
that are very close to tears. And II is
all so human and so clean and fine.
Washington is known among the thear
rical profession as a hard theatrical
town. It is said that audiences here are
inclined to be coldly critical and a bit
selfish, too. in that even if they enjoy a
play or a scene OF fine acting. they are
chary Of letting it be known-in the only
way It can be known 10 the actor-bv an
plause. But If this be indeed true. then
a tradition was shattered on Tuesday
night, for more generous. hearty. and
spontaneous applause could hardly have
been given. Many old-time theatergoers
declared, In fact. that never before in a
Washington theater had they heard such
an outpcuring of applause And the
beauty of it was that every bit OF II was
deserved. Mr.. Thompson has given the
play a setting that is al once gorgeous
and artistic, and the final tableaux show
ing the weary circus wagons going away
over the hills in the moonlight has rarely
In its beauty and significance. been
rivaled on the American stage. The cir
Gus moves OF one way, Polly. the circus
rider no longer, looking back at the
vanishing old life as she steps forward
into the new.
Very much OF the success of the play is
due TO Miss Mayo; much Of it is due 10
the elaborate scenic effects and the at
mosphere' created by Mr. Thompson.
but much more than all this is the sue
cess Of Polly of the Circus" due 10 the
clever and sympathetic work of Miss
Taliaferro. 1t was inevitable that some
day she should get part that would suit
her temperamentally and artisticaIly. and
she has it here. No one who has watched
her career on the stage from the early
essays as child actress. but must have
felt in his soul that this fraH and beau
uful child-woman was destined TO make
her mark. II one saw her as the fairy
child in The Land of Hearts Desire"
one could even then feel the inspirafioo
that was in her To see her as Lovey
Mary in Mrs. Wigs" was as fine as
listening TO a poem. and as for strength
iiiNiSN4aNeu tuc ptSSeSSlOn or that
when in Pippa Passes" she held the
stage for twenty minutes reciting Brown
lngs not any too easy lines As Nance. |
in The Bishops Carriage" she was mis-
east. but even here there was win
someness and talent about her work !
which saved the play from falling into
And now, at last. as Polly she has
come into her own. From the time she |
irst sits UP in the little bed. veritabIe
child fun Of wonder at a life she knows
so little about. she captures the hearts /
and the souls and the inteliects OF her \
audience, and she holds that interest clear
10 the iinai curtain. so that we laugh |
with her. romp with her, JOY with her
n her happy games with the children. |