Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-09-28
FOrsberg Players
CredifabLy Enact
Delightful Play
"Polly of the Circus" Proves to
Be a Success at the
Park Place.
THE CAST.

Mrs. Willowby. Miss Beulah Monroe
Willie Wlllowby. 1900. Master Devis1
Jennie Willowby -. Dorothy Koelmel
Julia Strong ..,...... Miss Pearl Gray
Mandy Jones'. Mrs. Lena Kennedy
Polly. Miss That's Magrane
When the play Polly of the Circus"
can be successfully presented by a
stock company there Is no doubt in
ones mind as to the merits of that
company. 1t is not always the heavy
dramas that meet with difficulties,
but most always plays such as the
well-known circus play, which needs
the acting, rather than mere recita-
tions. And SO when the ForSberg
Players at the Park Place Theater
present this old-t time vehicle, and do
so with good acting, there is hope of
having good productions throughout
the winter. OF course, there will be
Waterloo but it is still vision.
Miss That's Magrane, who enacted
Polly, was superb. A better Polly
could not be found, excepting, per-
haps, Edith Taliaferro, who starred
i'll the play when 1t was first pro-
duced Miss Magrane carried herself
better perhaps than many ingenues
and rose higher than the expectations
OF the audience 1t was rumored that
she couldn't play the part, but she
did, and did 1t we'll.
The rest of the company was in
keeping with Miss Magrane, and, de-
spite the many inconvenience OF
stage settings caused by lack of
space, the performance was in
class A.
The story Is that of little circus
rider who, through an accident, finds
herself in the midst of the "doings'
of a small country church. She is
indebted to the minister Rev. John
Douglass, who sheltered her when she
met with the accident and the COM
pany has TO leave her Although
being a circus girl through and
through. she finds herself accepting
the life of the quaint people whom
she has grown to love, and especially
the "parson" But the members of
the congregation are not given to ac-
cepting her, and make it their busi-
ness to see to it that she leaves.
They put it up to the RevADougIassE
to send her away, but he refuses. !
They then talk to Polly. and meet
with success. Polly thinks that she
can save Douglass from losing his
charge il she goes. and when the
circus plays in q neighboring town
Polly is once more the "main squeeze
(circus tallI.
The last act shows the outside of
the main tent. The circus is show
ing in Douglass's town, and Polly re-
fuses to ride Tired of the life and
longing to re-establish the peaceful-
ness of the parsonage surroundings IN
her soul the little circus rider all but
gives up the fight. Douglass pleads
with her, but, true to her type, she is
loyal, and daringly takes her last ride
in a. circus ring.
'Tis a play with a happy ending.
The last scene shows Polly and
Douglass facing the new life. and
away off in the distance the fading
lights of the circus wagons pass ont
of their lives forever.
Notwithstanding the fact that Dr.
Hartley was rather young for the
part and little Willie Willowby very
shy, the company went through the
flrst-day performance fiawlessly. van
Sloan made very impressive Mother
Tim. and Stuart Beebe, as Uncle
Toby. the beloved clown, was up to
his usual mark. Mr. Beebe during his
short stay in this city has proved his
ability over and over again.