The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-11-29

NE Of tho biggest houses of tho sea
" son welcomed Polly OF the Circus"
TO the Salt Lake thcater last night This
quaint melodrams possesses a human in-
tcrcst that is constantly Juggling AT the
hcartstrings. Its humor and pathos are
without artihcc; It's characters are nat
ural and most OF the situations tenscly
dramatic. II Is not difficult, therefore. to
understand the reasons for its continued
popularity.
The story tells with appealing sim
plicity OF the loves OF minister and a
circus girl. The idea Is sufficiently out
OF the. beaten path TO grip the attention
AT once and il permits the dramatist Ia
produce situations that have much OF the
charm OF novelty.
The FIRST scene introduces the audience
70 the pastors study and TO some OF the
narrow minded religious folk who are TO
become prosecutors of tho circus srl and
pastor The second scene is the bed
room in the parsonage. Polly, hurt while
performing her daredevil equestrian
act. Is carried from the tent 70 the min
isters home and remains there for a long
time. growing in strength and beauty and
Intelligence.
Deacon Strong and others OF the con-
gregation demand that the pastor send
the "clrcus- riding sirr' away. When she
hears what the gossip is she tears love
out OF her heart and goes back 10 the
circus. She fails to "rn5ke good be-
cause she is sick in mind and heart. She
does not know. however that her act
is not as good as it was until the pro-
prietor threatens to discharge her, This
threat comes on the night the circus re-
turns TO the village where she was in
iured.
The pastor visits the tent TO inquire
about her and Is followed by the deacon
and another pious spy. Polly, in a thrill
Ing scene, urges the minister To leave her,
to go back TO his church and forget her
He beGs her To quit the circus HE and
to marry him and starts TO thrash tile
deacon. but one Of the circus men takes
this pleasant task off his hands. Mean
time Polly, who had begged off riding
for the night. despite the rage and dis
gust OF the circus proprietor, decides 10
ride and rushes into the ring just as the
announcer tells the audience she VIII not
appear.
Miss ST. Leon proves herself a most ad-
mrable eQuestrenne, far outshininG her
substitute; and she is met with storms OF
applause. In the end, however. she fails
OF the minister, who has icaped into the
ring.
The tableau which concludes the piece
shows the circus wagons departing for
the train. In the foreground are Polly
and the pastor. She begins Il little speech
OF farewell. but he cuts her excuses short
and clasps her in his arms as the cur
tain falls.
Set over against the prim people of the
church, who are familiar Characters OF
the American stage, are the circus types.
the proprietor. the acrobats, the clowns,
the boss csnvasman and the equestrian
artists. All Of the circus folk except
tho proprietor are given. sympathetic
characters, whereas the church people,
with the exception Of the pastor. are por-
trayed in most repellant colors, just as
CARLYLE painted all his heroes OF the
French revolution as angels and all the
characters he dislilSed as demons 1t
adds to the dramatic quality Of the play
while derogating somewhat from the
sense Of reality.
While Miss ST. Leon Is the chief lumi
nary of the company, SHE Is assisted by
an entirely competent company. The play
will be seen at the Salt Lake for the
remainder OF the week.