New-York tribune., 1911-10-29
IMPRESSIONS OF WALLER
Man Who Plays the Monk in
Garden of Allah" a Firebrand.

There is no anti-climax in going be-
hind" at the Century Theatre after per
formance OF THE Garden OF Allah" and
meeting face 20 face the man whose roman
tic power I'm acting has reused New YORK
Lewis Walters Boris Androvsky mas m
deed. been hailed as the return OF romance
to the, American stage, and the reception
mat has been given him AZ ii stage hgare
has stirred no end OF curiosity about the
man himself
His is the kind OF personality that. when
YOU come in contact with II. at once makes
a strong and decided impression. His man
ner tells YOU that he is the sort OF man
who quickly assumes control Of any situ-
alton in which he becomes involved anu
with his dynamic force and big reserve OF
seIf-confdence ne shows himself TO be pc
culiarly well fitted to make himself felt in
the world OF the theatre.
Mr. Waller came TO America from
BACKGROUND of widespread popularity in
England And he came with some anxiety.
II seemed like throwing the gauntlet to
fortune, the trickiest Of all the spirits Of
light and darkness. TO leave the people who
knew and accepted him as final and who
went 10 him to make them young again,
and come 10 a new place. new and untried
people. and take the chance OF having them
say Of him that his acting meant nothing
70 them. There is such thing as great
mans becoming a failure overnight. as
there Is Of nobodys becoming famous. j
Waller had met defeat here II would have
affected his standing in England seriously
lie knew that. and said so at the time
of his acce pting the lead in The Garden
but he took the chance.
What his feelings were as he strode into
tho little inclosure of the Hotel at Benz
Ntora and there for the first time met
tho silent fire of three thousand or more
rairz of American eyes need hardly be
described Later on. after his love scene
with Domini IN the palm sheltered garden
~ Count Anteoni. when the big audience
gave him an ovation the like OF which
has not been recorded here in great many
Years he was almost specifies MS is
overwhelming" was all he could say.
Lewis walters description OF the SEN
satious that swept over him in response
30 the enthusiasm OF his hrsl America"
audience is interesting because II Ie'ie0'S
something characteristic OF the people h-'e
and unconsciously compares them win 'ne
theatre audiences of England.
There was something electric an" VII"
an extraordinary power about the Spoh'a-
ueitv. the suddenness of lt that quite S"eP,
me off my feet. have ne'e. experienced
such "a thing before. TO be- called 10 'he
curtain fifteen times for one short scene oil
romance is unparalleled cold. WIZ New
York audiences are not cold IheE are
ouick fire. Amy one who thinks Americans
n"srHi Il
are indifferent and undemjnsttdilNT s"'u"
60 tp London and see audiences 'he'e.
81 am glad they were SO cordial to"
can tell YOU ] needed it on that hisl TIE
ucrdous day Just think Of having u" aP-
pear twice IN that enormously 'ons pIa! on
the FIRST DAY OF ones appearance before
new audi encc iu country wholly ne" 10
one and untrieJ such thing i'' ! 'mhh'
unprecedented ] needed all the support |
could get for the ordeal. and even WIN '""'
most unexpected and eNhhai"u"s i'''P
uon 20 buoy me up j nearly gave out "e-
fore the final curtain went down at Il .i''
You see. had been at IL almost H'ea"NE
since O'CLOCK 'h '"r ''''n'o'i'
on 'i '"e mus 'e"''i "''.'
ne I"5lhS "'l Uoso'n'' ..
MI. ""lIel ''lNS ''o"' "'''N''' ""'
peiSohdl experiences VII" d" vase ""'," -
largely assumed. NI'"oukh '"H"'eS nav
Dee" 'u' - an" PC ''''' ne ~ ~ -
~'oF" ." -, ~ 49,.
-,-.-'. ...,.., ,,.,, ,,..,,,a,., 80
snip usual! ','''.'
Hoh an" Vi sNie"''"O ''''"' P'''
ana tl'hES 'he"'ilodi ''' ''"' "''' i'' p
'he Alhu ol actor lIoi" ""o,' INV "'
can learn no" 10 "i''e P"'H' '"e S.oS'
manager can IeaIh no" 10 P'"""'e '"e"'
ana other actors can learn nov To a'' 'ue"
y MINT OF MS 'dHoie may oe s''''i W - ''
ms answer 10 'He o"l"i"e H"''''" '''
every one raises VINO HdS ever IVA" NV
book OF seen the pay oi me "'"'" w
AAah 'the question w nat 90 lo" l"'i'
OF the enolng' 10 YOU beHeNe 'hd' ''i''
shouId 90 Dack 10 the monastery
can answer YOU thd' III q h"'sutH' w.
It Is simply ths' II the nooh was 10 ne
dramatzed as ~ was "nlteh-ahu lhal J.
What mas been dOne-BorIs must remain
consistent character, as he was IN the
book.
Everything that he saws. everything
that he does the very depth Of his suf-
ferlng and gloom itself shows that he
was man who loved God. after all. better
than ne could ever love life, ana couHd
never be happy In the breaking OF his VOWS
20 God. IL IS just as he cried out tc
Domini in his confession 10 her. Il love
God. / love Him. / love Him. and that /
have broken my VOWS to Him "a my com
slant horror. my despair"
IT YOU 10 TO all the trouble of develop
iug this character In this WAY. showing
from the very beginning what is the con-
trolling factor OF his life, you cannot turn