Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-10
POLl'S
POLLY OF THE CIRCUS"

lolsls1 UT lIlE Allttl o,
 IL was not q large audience that
 greeted the first performance in thIs city of Polly of the Circus" but 1t was an enthusiastic one. for seldom
 has the theater-g0ing public been
 treated to such production, so merl-
 torlous in every manner. As ti 1 title suggests the plot hOvers around
 circus, with the heroine one of the
 pretty circus riders and the hero a
 young minister, whose views of life
 have been nodded in the modern .'e- | ligiOus channels. The church, Of
 which he was the acting pastor, and
 the home of the minister, were clos"
 to the circus grounds The circus
 comes to town and lhe tents are
 pitched. The marrow minded bigoh
 of the church, both men and women.
 hold up their hands in horror and protest against the "scandalous" en-
 tertainment. The young minister
 tries to show them that their antipa- thy to circus people Is not true re.
 ligion. The performance begins and
 From the window of the pastors home 1t is seen that something un-
 usual has happened beneath the big
 canvas. The minister ruShcs out and
 returns, carrying in his arms thn
 pretty little horseback rider, who has
 been thrown and injured. Those O.
 his congregation who had been visit
 ing him flee in dread as they see the | circus rider carried into the minis ter's home. Then began the fight
 back to life and the gradual falling
 in love of the minister and Polly of
 the Circus, as the injured rider was
 known. The Solicitudc of Uncle
 Toby. the clown of the circus, and
 Big Jim, the boss canyasman. for the
 welfare of their little girl, as they
 called Polly, and the promise of the
 minister that he would care for her,
 added to the beauty of the produc~
 tion. Again came the bigots with 1 bitter words. which drove the girl from the minister's home back to the
 old circus life, where she proved failure after her year of absence
 from the ring. Then came her las.
 effort after her bitter denunciaton by the ringmaster, her swoon in the |
 young pastor. The final scene saN
 the departure of the circUs and the promise of Polly to become the min
 ister's bride. There are some sDlpn-
 did characters in the production and
 they are beautifully and appropriate
 ly arranged. Notably Earl Brown
 as the Rev John Douglass, James
 Cherry as Deacon Strong. J. B. IIol-
 lis as Deacon ElversOn, Guy Nichols
 as Nasty Jones, the lazy colored ser
 want, John Findlay as Uncle Toby,
 Joseph Brennan as Big Jim, Mathildc
 Wefting as Mrs Willoughby, the lead CT of the choir, Jennie Weathersby as
 Miss Perkins, a Spinster, Matte Fer gusOn as Mandy Jones, who made a
 splendid old colored mammy, and Fay Wallace as Polly. The last character was d beautiful one anu
 Miss Wallace, with her pretty face and petite form, made perfect stage picture in her portrayal of the circus girl. Then there were the young sters connected with the play and the circus acrobats and attaches, all So naturally played that you would iM- aSine the real circus was before you The scenic effects were some of the grandest and most elaborate that have ever been seen in this city and the tableauX were more than realistic. The final one, in which the circus is seen moving over the hills, wagon following wagon. while Polly and the pastor are completing their love pact, is one of the best things of the kind ever conceived. The play will be produced this evening and ir is well worth any persons time and money to witness it.