The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-25
AMUSEMENT NOTES
nPOLLY OF THE CIRCUS"
The Dramatic Scenes Of Big Production
on Tuesday Evening.


aEntreat me not TO leave thee With
er thou goest l win e"
They are the immortal words of Ruth,
put into the mouth of dear little Polly,
the circus rider, hsped at first in un-
certain wonder, MS being something new
and strange and different from the tan
bark jargon that was the speech Of her
people, but later breathed in an agony
of spirit as plea against separation
from the man she loved. Like a refrain
they run through the pretty story OF
Polly's romance, alternating with echoes
OF the "barker's" cry; THE greatest
show on EARTH" and between these two
utteranccs, so opposed to one another,
there Is found the conflict Of charming
play. The piece in question is Polly Of
the Circus" which comes to the Barre
opera house Tuesday evening, January
The play makes profound emotional
appeal. AS dramatic work, it is a
thing Of much substance; its story Is
simple and its plot along novel lines. It
is profoundly touching, and without over
wrought emotional stress lays certain
hold upon the heart. First Of ell, IL
has the deft touch of feminine author
ship-coming from the pen of Miss Mar
garet Mayo-and with womanly sympa-
thy IL does not wander from sentiment
into sentimentality. Then, and this is
the principal factor, its leading role is
in the hands of flower like actress,
accomplished far beyond her years,
whose personality is fragrant with the
allure Of delicate girlhood, and whose
technique is so developed that she can
strike chord OF emotion with exactly
the right toueh--light, vagrant, yet GER
tain, eyolsing tones that carry sincerity
Of feeling with subtle and wooing ef-
feet.
"Polly of the Circus" is a dramatic
study in tender sentiment, not spec
taole The circus atmosphere is re-
served for scenic effect until the last
act, when in three different scenes, it
is tinted into the general picture with
out violence to the action itself. In
the first act, Polly IS brought into the
homo Of rural minister, after having
been injured in one of her bareback
exploits under canvas; in the second act,
she is seen, about year afterward,
the protege OF the man who has be-
friended her, who has become her idol,
and Of whose heart she has taken quiet
possession, and in the third act she Is
back with the show again, sacrificing her
own yearnings In order to save the min
ister from scandal bearing deacons and
deaconesses. This last episode Is in
three scenes; first in the lot behind the
main tent, where the story is worked
out TO its conclusion; then in the arena
itself, for whirling forty-fve seconds
glimpse OF circus in action.
The Thompsonesque finale is highly Ell.
fective from the pictorial point Of view,
though the episode nature OF the two
last tableaux let the dramatic action
leak away between them, and a few
more touches of dialogue or pantomime
are apparently necessary TO round out
the story. Be that as it may, the gen
eral impression is delightful. The clowns
are bouncing about, the tumblers are
tumbling, and the substitute equestri.
enne is performing genuine circus tricks
upon the back OF revolving steed when
Polly, frantic, distressed, distracted,
bursts into the arena, bent upon sacri6c-
ing her love, and also professionally de-
termined to prove that she can ride as
well "a in the days Of her tanbark
glory. But she only faints in heap and
breaks up the show. Then comes the
last picture; the village by moonlight,
with the little church steeple towering
above the houses, and. winding their
way over the distant hills, the departing
lanterns Of the circus caravan And
there stands Polly, remaining behind
with the man of her futtering little
heart and upon the words Of Ruth again
the play closes.