The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-08

ject with all possible respect. We would of the Nazarene appearing as a per sonallty, we would simply suggest His presence by shaft of light" General Wallace sat for some moments in deep study Finally he raised his head.
 Gentlemen he said, T think you have devised plans which will lead to a perfect presentation of Ben Hur' on the stage. For years l have refused to consider such propositions, because those who made them could not demonstrate to me how my own conception of what this story should be as play could be realized. You have done so completely, and I will accept your proposition" The contract signed that day has resulted in the great est artistic and financial success the world has ever known-in an exhibition of most exhalted dramatic and scenic art that has held the stage in thirty-one cities.
 William Young, a scholar of great att tainments and dramatic writer of force and dignity, made the dramatic version of Ben Hur," which is presented in six acts and fifteen scenes. The scenes rep resent the meeting of the Wise Men in the desert and the appearance to them of the Star of Bethlehem: the roof-terraee of the palace of Hur in Jerusalem where the quarrel between Ben Hur and Mes
  changes the fortunes of the hero and his mother and sister and brings them un- der the hand of Gratus, the new Roman procurator; the rowers' deck in the gall ley of Arrius, the Roman tribune the rescue of Arrius by Ben Hur the house of Simonides in Antioch, the Temple of Apollo in the Grove of Daphne. the foun- tain of Castalia, the tower of the Sheilx Ilderim in the Orchard of Palms, the lake In he y1 of oa Irnc ba ayta of the great arena of Antioch, the chariot race, the victory of Ben Hur the palace of Hur In Jerusalem, the tombs of the lepers in the Vale of Hinnom and Mount OlIvet.
 It will be observed that this scenario retains every vital incident of the story to the crucifixion, which, of course, could have no place in any dramatic perform ance except the Passion Play, perform ed abroad every ten years solely as a religious rite. It omits only. with this ex- eeption, the fight between Ben Hur and the companion of Thord. the Northman in the palace in Antioch where the vic tor in the chariot race is lured after the contest by the crippled Messala, who plots his death. What a contrast between the dramatic version of Ben Hur' and some others that have been made the basis of popular novels" during the past seven years! Both from a literary and dramatic standpoint, without reference to the merit and interest in the story on which 1t is founded. 1t possesses a true ring that is not even echoed in the sligh.- est degree by the carpenter-shop creations which have been inflicted on the public as "dramatizatlons" of late.
 Writing the dialogue of Ben IIur' after the senario alone was made, oc- cupied Mr. Young six months time. The most impressive and artistically beauti- full part of Ben Hur" is the miracle scene in the last act The vision of the healing of the lepers, the presence of the Nazarene, only suggested by shaft of brilliant light falling on the hands of the afflicted ones, affects the audience most profoundly. As the curtain falls. the great chorus singing in canon form This is Jesus of Nazareth" the orchestra rem dering the beautiful musical theme, "The Star of Bethlehem" there Is hardly a fearless eye in the theatre.
 And all of this is the result of Ameri- can brains--of the great story of the sol dier of forty years ago. of the chief Amer lean producers. Klaw & Erlanger, of Will liam Young. an American dramatist of American scenic artists. of Edgar Still man Kelley an American composer. and of American stage directing. Fifteen