Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-26

Edith Taliaferro and company in Polly
OF the Circus" n comedy In three ac-s
and six scenes. by Margaret Mayo, under
direction of Frederic Thompson. The cast;
Rev. John Douglass. .............B Bar Ryder
Deacon Strong ...s..........DaNid X a9uns
Deacon Elverson...'s".'... Ih0mss f1g.SuI
Dr. Hartey...............Douis Bishop nan
Hasty Jones. a colored servant. 49,.
........,.. Johnson
Uncle Jim, boss canvasman. Charles Lamb
Joe Barker. a circus proprietor. Allan Allen
Mrs. Willoughby. leader of the choir;.;. an
Willie wiloughby ......... .Nevins Goodwin
Jennie Willoughby ........ Dorothy GOODWIN
lula Strong, the deacon's daughter;..v
Miss Perkins, a spinster. ....... May Mckay
Mandy Jones, a colored housekeeper. -.
Kate Jepson
Polly Edith Taliaferro
CIRCUS ARTISTS.
Alexander sesbert and his trained mules
and ponies.
Madam Lizette seabert. queen of eques-
t~riennes.
A. Aronson and his acting dogs.
acro6atsIJoSn, robert. Archie. Andy and
OnrL
Acrobats, ground and lofty tumbling and
First clown, A. Aronson.
Second clown, Robert Onrt.
Canvasmen, Jockeys, side show spielers,
Roman soldiers. cowboys and testers. etc.
II any regret fingers after seeing Polly
Of the Circus" it is that big Jim. the cir
Gus man. didn't let the parson punch the
deacon's head in the first scene Of the last
act, whom he started to. This would have
made the happiness Of all complete. The
preacher was willing, but Jim. who hap
pened to be canvass boss and general
tigger master OF the wagon show, with q
sixteen-inch biceps. wouldn't stand for the
proceeding. That's all on that point. The
play itself is a nice little story of how q
circus rider fell from her horse and tore
the llgaments In an ankle so badly that
she had to be left behind. and, as 1t sc
happened, at the home of the bachelor par
son, who was young and energetic, and
fell in love with her. Almost any young
man would, II the circus girl were al
pretty and winsome as Edith Tsliaferro
After she had recovered and had learned
the story Of Ruth and Naomi we'll enough
to say "Entreat me not to leave thee,' tn,
women of the congregation began to tall
about the matter, and a couple of noseS
old descons took It up, and then the circus
came back in that neighborhood, and Polly
went back to riding bareback again. Blu
she was out Of touch with that life, ant
the parson walked up to the fact that Low,
had crept into his heart, and so he pu
Obb " tHC CtINu5 BIOuIuS. I1eTS ne IOuu'
out how he had been misled by the dea
con, and was Just on the point OF maulinl
his sanctimonious head when big Jim inter
fered. He followed Polly into the ring IN,
held her head when she tainted. And a
the last curtain falls on the play, tn
wagons OF the circus are shown slowl,
winding their way over the hills and GU
of town, while Polly and her parson Low
. ingly repeat. together the declaration o
a Ruth of old, whittier thou goest, 1 vii
a CO." etc.
a Miss Mayo has a knack OF making he
i plays OF such simple material, quite with
3 out subtlety of argument, but more tha
n compromising for this lack by providin
o them with a series OF we'll thought ou
characters that give life and tone to tn
action. In this c~harmingly quaint coined
t she contrasts the primitive christianity @
e the rural New England region with tn
n more modern muscular type OF religion, an
n sets them over against a pleasing pictur
OF the 1owlier but wholesome virtues G
e the people who make up the world tina
lives and moves under the big tops G
the circus. In this way she contrlves (
r add much OF interest to her story, an
e the actors are thus furnished with som
9 very good material for their art. Tn
s stage mechanic and scene painter also 90
e a fine opportunity. for the settings includ
e a parlor and bedroom in a country PAL
o sonage. a splendid garden scene, the entr
II way between the dressing room and tn
big tent of a circus, with the actors an
= their horses moving back and forth, a eli
y Gus ring with a bareback riding act on 81
full view OF the audience" and finally tn
= Tot" after the show has started out {
town. AL this is given with a real touc
that deserves the word triumph"
10 Miss Taliaferro is dainty, demure, carr
est, sincere and in all ways charming a
Polly. From the moment she make he
!" entry, carried in from the accident by tn
II minister, till she makes her exit, leanin
on his arm. his promised wife. she II
1T terests. Her art, like the play, is simpl
e and consists chiefly in being herself. ju,
IS as she was when she came to Omaha g
to Lovely Mary in "Mrs. Wigs" And 81
was the occasion of applause as spontant
Gus as was ever heard In the theate
with a double curtain call after the la,
Id acts. folks actually sitting still unit
40 after she had bowed the second tim
This In itself 10 a tribute paid TO might
Va few in this spot of the map.
Mr.. Ryder makes a very !nterestin
A. lover and a really manly preacher.
ha would be very unfair to all to single o,
:. any one other member OF the compar
for special mention, as all do their woI
capitally well. 1t Is this excellence
Interpretation that gives the play &
VI vogue. Such g w~ell-eQuipped and pc
fectly adjusted organization is rarely e.
countered nowadays.
-. The audience last night at the Boyd WI
large and was most enthusiastic.
Lucky jim" at the KPuE.
From a geographical standpoint,
O. least. there Is nothing short abor
Lucky Jim" the play in which Jcsey
Santley opened at the Krug last mig
for a three-nights' engagement. with
Christmas and the usual Saturday ma
inees. Wall street and the Grand Ce
trail station. New York. provide the ope
ing scenes and from there the pli
progresses to Death Valley. Ariz., a.
the Cliff house. San Francisco. Neither
1t a drift without incident. for there
F aounaNhNn4 Antn0 fn aa, IA