New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-25
WINTER GARDENS
NINETY-POUNDER
Daphne Pollard, Four Feet
Tall, the Smallest Sou
brette on Broadway.

Daphne Pollard is about as big as a
minute. but before she finishes her first
song Mt the Winter Garden she has
completely captivated her audience.
She is a newcomer on Broadway, and
played important roles at the age of
six. At eight she was the leading lady
of an opera company, and before she
was twelve she had repertory OF
thirty-two musical comedies and comic
operas. So, you see, her success on
broadway at twenty-five IS not alto
gether accidental.
The "littlest soubrette" stands feet
in her high-heeled slippers. she
weighs ninety pounds and wears lS1
shoe. Until she made her hit IN Inc
Passing Show of 1915" she was sorry
that she was so small. Now she is glad
that she is lust mite of humanity, Tor
ebe realiz,s that il has a lot 10 do with
her success.
Her real name is Trott, and for eight
wears she was a member of the Pollard
iilliputian Opera Company, Of Mel
bourne. Australia, joining this troupe
nj the age of six. The Pollard Opera
Company was not composed OF real LII
liputians, but Of children ranging from
six to sixteen years old. It was the
Pollard custom TO pick out the bright
est Youngsters and give them the lam
ily name, as has been done in Austria
liam theatricals for upward OF hfty
years. And this is how Daphne Troto
became Daphne Pollard. Her sister,
ivy Trott. was a dancer in the COM
many. and one day, when Daphne was
six. she accompanied her TO rehearsais.
She heard the members of the company
talking about going TO Manila-for IT
was the custom of the company to visit
the Philippines and the principal cities
along the China coast-and the idea OF
travelling appealed to her. She ap..
preached the manager and asked him II
he would take her.
What can you do ?" he asked.
For a reply the six-year-old girl
turned a couple of cartwheeis on the
stage. 81 can act, too" she added.
And she was engaged. =,
During the engagement at Mania
one of the girls playing leading roles
was taken i'll, and Daphne was selected
from the fifty children that COMPRISED
the company TO take her place. so,
before she was seven years ola, she
was playing important parts in various
eight she became the leading woman
of the organization.
The tours of the Pollard company
finally brought her TO San Francisco.
For weeks the children played 10
hacked audiences at the Tivoli, the
famous home of musical comedy at the
Golden Gate. II was planned to IN
wade New York, but the Gerry Society
made such trip impossible. Few OF
the states east of the Mississippi allow
children under sixteen years old TO APP
near on the stage, and the oldest mem
/ Der of the company was scarcely tnat
/ age. So the organization returned TO
| Australia. minus Daphne Pollard, who
/ decided TO enter vaudeville.
While playing in Seattle she met a
vounp man who had seen and admired
her when she was the bright particular
/ star of the Pollard company. lie pre-,
vailed upon her to marry him and
/ leave the stage, so she settled down 10
/ the prosaic life of Seattle matron
! at the age Of eighteen. For three years
/ she lived there, having, as she thought,
/ abandoned the stage for all time. But
/ the lure of the footlights proved too
great, and last fall she returned to
/ them.
/ In the Chicago run of a piece last
winter she was seen by the Messrs.
Shubert, who engaged her for the sum-
mer, production at the Winter arden;
Ever since ! was a little girl
mean a young girl wanted to be
tall" said Miss Pollard TO the writer.
cts awful to be peanut and know
/ that you will always be peanut. And
| it's inconvenient. as well. It's almost
/ impossible TO get a 1874 shoe. The
stores don't carry them. And | have
TO go TO a children's store for my
clothes, for | wear 'children's 1872.
| But the managers tell me that this is
the day of the dimunitive lady, and
that I'm being paid n good salary be
! cause I'm among the smallest of the