The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-02
ADJUSTMENTS
''Polly of the Circus

Elspeth Mcneil
Willie NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Goodwin.
Jennie MISUNDERSTANDING Goodwin.
Julia Strong, the deacon's daughter
Mabel Kipp.
Miss Perkins, a spinster-May Mckay.
Mandy Jones, a colored housekeeper-
Kate Jepson.
Polly-Edith 'Taliaferro.
CIRCUS ARTISTS.
Mr.. Alexander Seabert and his trained
mules and ponies
Madam Lizette Seabert, Queen of Eques-
triennes
A. Aronson and His Acting Dogs.
The Famous onri Family of European
Acrobats-John, Robert, Archie, Andy and
Andrew orni and Bessie and Rosa Lee
Orni, Acrobats, Ground and Lofty Tumb-
ling and Equilibrists
First Clown, A. Aronson; Second Clown,
Robert Onri
Canvasmen, Jockeys, Side Show spiel-
ers, Roman Soldiers, Cowboys and Jes-
tiers, etc.
Into the narrow, hypocritieal atmo-
sphere of a country church fate precipi-
tates a girl who was born to the saw
dust. She is a bareback rider, whose
mother before her was a bareback rider
and so on back to the remote forbears
of a family renowned in the spangled
world that es&beneath the big top
This girl pure and sweet and innocent
in spite of her slang and circus ways,
is hurt while doing her act in little
country town, where the circus of which
she is the star is spending the day. She
is carried into the parsonage of a young
minister whose church is nearby and there
it is decided that Polly shall stay until
her injury is healed. The old clown,
Uncle Toby, and Big Jim, the boss can
vasman, who have been father and mother
to the young girl, leave her under the
protection of the minister and the story
is we'll begun.
From the first scene when Polly wakes
up in her new environment and has her
first confidential chat with the minister
it is not hard to guess that there will be
a love story and one that is both tender
and true. Polly gets well, she studies,
she laughs and she plays and impereep-
tibly the ties which bind her to the young
minister and him to her grow stronger.
Gradually her former love for the circus
dies she boasts no more of her act, she
signs no more for the excitement and the
applause of the ring The woman in her
speaks in a strange, new voice, but
voice of wonderful allurement. Polly loves
the minister.
But venomed tongues are wagging. The
pastors congregation and several busy
bodies more particularly declare that
scandal is brewing and the girl must
I,s-
and takes the part of the girl. He will
not give her up, even If he must lose his
place Just about this time the circus
comes back on it's return visit to the
town. 1t is at a neighboring village on
the day when Polly, struck dumb by the
revelation of her position in the minis
ter's life learns that her presence is
menace to his future-that he may lose
his church on her account. Jim, the can
vasman, has come to see her and she has
just told him that she will not go back
to the circus, but when Polly's eyes are
opened by a hypoeritcal deacon she leaves
the minister and resumes her life in the
circus.
The circus comes back to the village
where Polly was hurt and where she
learned to love the minister. Her heart
fails her She cannot ride that day, be-
fore the crowds that have come to cape
at the minister's circus rider, but the
minister comes to the dressing tent and
pleads his case so eloquently that Polly
tells him why she left. Again the deacon
interferes and again Polly is driven to
declare in frenzy that she will ride. She
pushes into the big tent where the per-
Torrance is going on to ride and is hurt.
1t was her last appearance on the scene
of her former triumphs Polly goes back
to the parsonage and if there is any
trust to be put in auguries, she and the
minister are very happy there.
polly of the Circus introduces a sim
gularly appealing characteristic tropic
butterfly OF the circus blighted in the
cold intolerance of a country church. And
1t teaches a lesson. True Christianity
has no creeds and it is no more out of
place in the heart of an old clown and
in a sawdust ring than it is in the heart
of a deacon and in the pulpit of a church.
1t would be difficult to convey in words
the charm of love story which contains
so much of novelty and so many appeal
ing human qualities. Polly is a inquire
who grips the heart. Her love for the
minister and his love for her is ennobling
and beautiful.
Edith Taliaferro seems to be the perfect
embodiment of Polly. She has been very
successful In the part and deservedly so
characterization, while Earl Ryder as the
Rev. John douglas, Charles Lamb as Big
Jim, David r. Young as Deacon Strong,
Thomas Hoier as Deacon ElYerson, Harry
j. Lane as Uncle Toby and many others
give the youthful star excellent support.
The play is admirably staged In the
last act three scenes of wonderful real
ism from the circus are reproduced. The
| first shows the entrance to the dressing
| tent of the circus with a constant pro-
| cession of clowns, acrobats, bareback rid
| ers. trained dogs, ponies and horses pass
| ing back and forth while the perform
| ance is going on in the main tent. The
| second scene shows the interior of the
| circus in full swing, with real bare
| back rider whirling around the ring or
| the back of a circus horse and clowns
| and acrobats galore, The third scene
| shows the circus lot after the performance
| Is over Polly and the minister are say
| ing farewell to the circus as the lighted
| wagons wind over the hills in the dark
| ness. In the distance the diminished
! horses and wagons toll slowly out OF
! sight, leaving Polly and the minister to
| gether
| Go to see Polly of the Circus this
afternoon or tonight The play will dc
| you good.
"A Knight for Day."
The role of jonathan JOY in the big
musical gaiety, "A Knight For Day
requires comedian of small stature as