New-York tribune., 1911-10-22
THE DRAMA
LEWIS WALLER IN THE GAR.
DEN OF ALLAH "
Robert Hichens Novel Dramatized for
the Century Theatre.

favor OF a New York audience. This was
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Waller was act
ing for the first time in America. II may
be he wishes now that he had come before.
II may be that American audiences will
share that wish. Surely he established
/ himself here Saturday afternoon. IL was
not A matinee audience. II was first
night audience at a matinee. The large
theatre. the Century formerly The New
/ THEATRE was filed. Curiosity ran high.
unhindered by the wretched weather.
/ Would The Garden OF Allah" as a play
he anything like the book? And what
would the new actor, Lewis Waller be
/ like? For to New York he is a new actor.
! Some OF US who have been familiar with
! his work in London had no doubt he would
win favor here II the play could supply
| him with moment or two OF fire, with
| scene or two of romantic spirit. And II
! The Garden Of Allah could not furnish
brace OF romantic passages what play
| under the sun might he expected 20 do 80
! The romantic passages were there. and
| Lewis Waller won with them not merely
| appreciation. but enthusiastic applause and
| even cheers. The character he played was,
of course. Boris Androvsky
But Robert HiChenss well known novel
/ is one thing. and his play is another thing.
Nothing, 10 speak frankly but gently. is
| gained by making the play quite different
! in some respects from the novel But the
| supposed exigencies of the stage have led
TO some changes. and other demands. not
/ SO easily understood. have caused other
| changes. Count Anteoni does not first meet
| Domini in his garden, nor in his house.
| Some hitherto unheard OF uncle Of Domini
| has written 10 him Of her comingi And
the count presents himself upon her ar
| rival at BENZ Mora and appoints himself
/ her guardian. He seems later TO be mildly
in love with the lady. And he does not
| become a Mahometan. but leaves Africa
| forever and goes TO Rome You are left
| to infer what going to Rome" may mean.
He forces Boris to confess 10 Domini. and
Boris drawing a revolver. threatens 70
kill him! What with this, and with other
things, II is best to dismiss the novel from
your thoughts when you enter the theatre
and 70 take the play on its own merits.
Its merits as A play are not conspicuous
II you have read the book you will miss its
spirit, and. therefore. much of It's motive
II you have not read the book YOU may. al
times, wonder what il is all about and why
some things are as they are. The dramatic
moments are few, the spectacular moments
are incessant The Century Theatre NAV
become Drury Lane Theatre. with a diff
ference. This play is a Drury Lane play.
with. perhaps a more elevated tone. but
slower movement, and with quite as much
scenic marvel as they give to dramas in
Drurv Lane. II IS certainly wonderful IN
It's effects" but does not this abundance
Of scenery overload the life Of the play?
The first scene OF all, the Desert at Dawn,
s impressive but Il would be more I'M
pressve If IL were more suggestive Of spa
ciousness The horizon is rather too near
II YOU have ever seen the seas OF sand. In
all the other scenes, excepting that Of the
sand storm. the illusion is as perfect as II
is likely ever 10 be in a theatre. Color
and costume. camels. donkeys, horses, goats,
dances the Street OF the Ouled Nails. the
Desert at Mogar. the two scenes in the
Counts garden. the grounds Of the hotel at
Rent -Mora-what more could be asked, un-
loss it we're more Of the Arab life that sur
rounds and influences the lives Of Domini,
NJ Boris. Of Anteoni? But II there we're
more Of all this there would be less act
,,g. and of acting there is little enough.
some Of the scenes are snapshots, or NOV
en-. ni,tures in color. They are over before
yon have begun TO take them in. But, even
So they are long enough because the spec
,stor looks for more Of the moving incl
dents OF the story. An audience, be II re-
ren,bered. always wants to see the story
-. ten Il wants 10 see the theme worked
,,r and worked out, not talked about And
IL ftsffh
This gorgeously capsrisoned play "hat
uorder then. that the audience would IKE
~ see more Of Boris and AnteonL mean
ing Of course, Lewis Waller and EO'h
Plympton?
Eben Plympton's acting is the finest IN
the niece. Ii is long since this actor was
seen al such advantage. Ills art ol sPeeCh
10 unite remarkable and refreshing. Two
-, tbrea times he missed his cues, out the
eIirs uera less damaging than obvious HIS
,-o,,,t Anteoni was quite d tine personality.
His hearing. his ease, his speech, might NC
s+,,died nv Younger actors. IL young actors
st,,d,, Lewis Waller had something 100
much of the hunted air IN the hfst TWO
-tnov are called parts on the pro-
e,.ar,,,,e NOT acts lie did not seem
tbar the man of courage that boIiS uh-
do,htedlv was, Notwithstanding MS shy
-. -. INTACT with the world. lie did not
-, those earlier scenes suggest the AloHh
,-ro had awakened and become man.
p,,t once he gave himself 10 the sPeH VI
his great love. ne became oelns IoI "HoiA
:. as nossiple to sustain an interest lie
IL, himself go. lie ceased to talA a0ou'
.tf,os lie was driven uy ms love lo'
,I.,,,t,i As Boris was In the BOOK. lie
-. love as Boris made II IN t4e oooh-
-, ,ctors lately have not mace love Oh li'7
=, ,,sge There was some noNelly IN
- e,o of this man; real passion IN MS at
- bie voice There was an instant
n.n,, he gripped the house, ana the nouse
.-...,d.d With a cry Of admiration. IL
- = - rho public had been lonslh. IoI
Dho can give II one thrilling mo-
- ,n a plav. and, finding the man. II
-5,5 him for that moment. Here was
-,.,,..rti, actor at his best In his best
moment. ,.-..-,--sior, scere.
,,-,I.r had 4 test which few actors
~. .',,rort 50 well. 4 long. long speech
H.. -o,-,.d longer than any speech ol nam
Lot or Cyrano. n was an eHort hel oi'a''y
sustained. But It was TOO iohs lo' az
actor. and for any audience. IL "ou,u
more moving II ii were snorteheu ~
though Waller did we'll MS ei~H0e
not quite as clear as 1t had oeeh anu =
was difficult TO carry the nre ana '"e P"il
over so long time. Besides ne oohlesseu
~ An unresponsive pomini Inc uese,I
elf was more agitated and sympsthet'c
.t,r she. Miss Mannering was cast loF
roD,ini Enhlden. but mystery ana romance
d
-,or,ed 70 escape her. To be sure the par
30, much unfolded by the sdapters' ou'