Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-10-21
Her Latest Play the Queen Of
Sheba"
is A GRAND PRODUCTION



great train. With cxmss that hare spises.
aud very much gold. and precious stor.es;
and when she was come ~ solomon abe
e0mmuned with him of al that was in
her heart
report tkat heard in milne own land Of the
acts aud Of thy wisdom;
Howbeit believed not the words until /
came. and mine eyes had seen it, and. he
hold. the bali Vas not told met thy wisdom
and prosperity ekcesdsth the fame which /
heard.
And she gave the king an hundred and
twenty talents of gold. and of Spices very
| great store. and precious stones there came
no more such abundance Of spices as these
which the Queen Of Sheba gave 10 King
| solomon.
Of sheba all her desire, Whatsoever she
asked. besides that which solomon gave her
OF his royal bounty. So abe turned and
went TO her own country. she and her
This" says George +. Goodale in a
review Of the Queen Of Sheba." Rhea's
new play. which wss presented in The
Powers last evening. rs the Old Tesla
ment record OF an imposing human ex-
( perience that suggested TO Khea the idea
OF her latest play. liz was written by
the Frenchman. NJ. Adrian Barbnsse.
during Rhea's residence at her home
near Paris last summer" Then follows
a synopsis OF the play which is abridged
here 10 give q general idea OK its con-
cept aud execution.
The First Act.
The first act opens on the day OF the
conservation ot the Temple of Jerusa-
len. which event is to be rendered more
glorious by the visit Of lamar. queen OF
Sheba. Everybody is filed with de
lightfui expectations except Hiram, the
I chief builder OF the temple. solomon
offers him great rewards. but he refuses
riches and asks only for small picture.
the portrait Of A WOMAN he has seen in
casket In Solomon's apartment The
/ king yields on condition that Hiram
shall leave Jerusalem Immediately by
/ the gate OF the fountain and not return
| within four days. Meanwhile the
/ Queen OF Sheba and her train are seen
ascending the hill. Hiram. nov in pos
session OF bis treasure. is about
| To leave when some one calls
his name. IL is Balkis. who,
from childhood. has loved Hiram.
lie tells her not 10 be jealous. that he
IL only in love with dream, and shows
her the picture. She STILES a scream
she has recognized the portrait OF Ia
/ mar. At the same moment. music aud
| shouts announce the arrival Of the
I queen. Balkis realizes that Hiram must
/ not see her. and leads him 10 a room in
! the palace. The queen enters and takes
! her place upon the throne pays tribute
! Ia the greatness ~ Solomon and begs
7 him 70 accept the presents sine has
/ brought. shes calls Balkis. The door OF
the room where she is hidden opens and
Hiram appears. lie sees ON tho throne
| the original OF the picture be has in his
1 possession. He thinks il is a vision, for
/ gets his surroundings, kneels. and ex-
! claims in ecstasy: IL love thee. 1 love
thee" There Is CONSERVATION in the as
sembly. The queen Indignantly gives
orders TO chastise Hiram. Jabez throws
him weapon. Hearing Jabez is be-
trothed TO the queen Hiram is enraged
and wounds him.
The Second Act
The second act represents a terrace
| overlooking Jerusalem. The queen is
| lying on a couch. nervous and irritated
| Hiram has not only insulted her; he has
Illuminated the man who is To be h.r
husband. lie deeerves death. lie is
brought before her. She reproaches
him, but TO all she says he answers sim
/ ply. Il love theel" She is about To
strike him with her dagger. but il falls
from her hand. and. ashamed 81 her
weakness. she retiroS her heart flied
I with strange emotions. Jabez and
4 Balkis have Witnessed the scene. and
! they understand that the queen will
! love Hiram-loycs him already perhaps
/ IL must not be. Jabez offers Hiram a
poisoned drink. prepared by Balkis. and
tells him u Is by order OF the queen.
I Hiram drinks, and Jabez and Baikis
have their revenge. They have hardly
| time To escape when Tamor enters, alb
sorbed ia thought. The sight Of
Htrams agony arouses her. What has
happened. tie tells her. In the awful
conviction that death is near the queen
I forgets her state aud cries out: Thou
/ shalt not die. FOR love thee.' Hiram
makes a supreme struggle for life. but
the drink has done its sure work. and
/ he falls back with reiteration OF his
/ love for lamar on his lips
The Third Act
The third act IL in two tableaux. The
first represents the sepnlcher wherein
I Hiram lies. The door opens and the
/ queen appears Az she advances she
secs a weeping woman crouched on the
( floor. IL - Baikis- lamar gues~es Der
( love for Hiram. and likewise suspects
I her ~ his death bat Baixis accuses
/ Jabex and protests her own innocence.
lamar has come to pray. but will now
avenge She quits the sepulchcr and
I demands - solomon the punishment OF
the murderer. Left alone. Balkis takes
/ from her rote vial and pours few
drops % a reviYing liquid on tie lips %
the supposed dead man. Hiram awakoa
! The drink hs bad taken was not p0i
son after all. Baikis tries 30 move his
heart 10 lore. but Ia vain. IL IL lamar
alone Who ills HE soul. Overwhelming
jealousy takes possession ~ her. and
rather than see him and the queen 10
gsther, she would gladly behold him
dead.
The second tahleau ~ this act IL the
conservation 4 the Temple. solomon IL
shout 10 offer prayer fog Hiram uhen
fsgnsr appears and accuses Jahcz % the
killing. he denies a. Opening the
door - The sepuichar. The queen cries.
Would q thou CARA 90 deny Il tefore
Thy victim wanhlr Hiram ap-