The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-05

The Garden of Allah.

Silence--a silence which keeps the
audience quietly seated minute long
err than in the usual eager rush TO the
exits-occurs sfter the final scene or
the Garden OF Allah, now on It's
fifth annual tour and which comes to
the Academy Monday matinee and
night enthralling through the beauty
OF its magnificent Stage pictures and
the power OF its philosophy.
The silence is tribute TO the won
dersul impression which the play pro-
6uces--the audience completely cap
ltuiating TO the final memories of the
story.
In brief IL tells Of Boris, the monk,
who goes to the desert in search OF
peace and contentment. and there
meets pomini F-nflden. beautiful
young English woman. deeply relig~
ious. but whose life has been one OF
sorrow Boris il rude to Domini and
encounters her displeasure, but In his
strange, wild nature, she finds attrac-
tsoee snd they are iuasixs married
Their honeymoon Is spent In a desert
trip, In which andstorm forms one
of the rioh pictures graphically shown
to the audience out Of the storm
comes Count Anteoni. who han been
kind to Domini and Father Roubier.
Boris is then unmasked .hy the count.
and the raging elements In the sand
storm seem puny IN the mighty strug-
gle OF soul which leads Boris TO con-
tess his past life TO Domini. His re-
turn to the monastery at the insist
ence and self sacrifice OF Domini,
The play is rich In clinaXes--ri-
vailed the audience awed and silent
vailed only in power and action by
the witchery of stagecraft. which pros
duces series of scenes with all OF
the haunting mysticism OF the Orient
Seats now selling
Ben Hur.
Klaw and ErlanFer originally
launched their production OF General
Lew Wallaces Ben Hur" at the
Broadway theater, New York. Novem-
Der 90 1899. In the years that have
elapsed since that time 5000 perform
ances have been given in the United
States. England, Australia and Cana
da, attracting an attendance of more
than ten million people.
The big spectacle Is coming to the
Academy next week for an engage
ment OF four performances with matt
nee on Saturday The mail order sale
will be opened this morning and rcser-
vations will be made in the order of
their receipt, when requests are ac-
c0mpanied by check or money order
made payable to the Academy.
Ben Hur" holds the record for
! long engagements and big attendances
in every fheater and city in America
and Canada. II has faaa presented
sixty-two weeks In Naw York, fifty
eight weeks In Boston. MY six weeks
/ in Philadelphia. thirty-nino weeks IN
Chicago. the majority of which were
played in the big auditorium which
seats more than 1000 paople. thirty
one weeks in st. LouiR, from eight TO
fifteen weeks in Bro oklyr. Washing
ton. Cincinnati, San Francisco. Pitts
purE. Indianapolis. Gle, Gland. Detroit
ard Baltimore, and from three to four
weeks in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo,
Toronto. Denver. Los Angeles, Salt
Lake City. Atlanta and New Orleans.
Nearly all of the smaller cities of the
country have had Ben Hur" for one
or two weeks
To properly present this play. Klaw
and Erlanger found II necessary to
remodel the stage in every playhouse
where II has been booked. 1t Is es-
than 100000 IN making changes,
which, of course. have benefited all
other plays.
The Ben Hur" touring o~ganiza-
ton has numbered from $50 to $50
people each season. An orchestra ef
from sixteen to thirty has been cur
ried to properly render Edgar Stills
man kcfieyas nnustcat score To trans
fer the scenic and mechanical equip
ment from one city TO another eight
eighty-foot baggage cars are REQUIRED.
while for the racing stable. which
numbers twenty odd horses and three
camels, two Arms palace stock cara
are pressed into service. Seat sale
Monday
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