The Garden of Allah

The Garden of Allah is a play written by Robert Hichens and Mary Anderson. It was based on Hichens 1904 novel of the same name. It consists of four acts and an epilogue, with a medium-sized speaking cast and slow pacing. The play is concerned with the romance between a wealthy young Englishwoman and a half-Russian, half-English man of mysterious background. The settings are various locales in French Algeria and French Tunis around 1900, particularly the oasis town of Beni-Mora, a fictional name for Biskra. The title stems from an Arabic saying that the desert is the Garden of Allah. The play was a commercial success, famed for its spectacle, with large numbers of authentic Algerian people, live animals, and complex set designs and effects. However, it was not a dramatic success; several reviewers expressed surprise that a book with so much dramatic potential was winnowed down to a few disjointed scenes. Despite the lack of drama, over 375,000 people saw it during the Broadway run (Oct 1911-May 1912), more than any single play to that date. Characters Leads Domini Enfilden — Wealthy Englishwoman, a devout Catholic, thirty-two years old and never married. Boris Androvsky — Son of a Russian father and English mother, entered Trappist monastery at age 17, but ran away after twenty years devotion. Count Anteoni — Italian nobleman, who owns the garden in Beni-Mora. Supporting Father Roubier — Parish priest of Beni-Mora, sympathetic to Domini but wary of Boris. Captain De Trevignac — French officer, guest of Count Anteoni. Batouch — Arab poet, who acts as Domini's guide and general factotum throughout the play. Hadj — Batouch's cousin, also a guide, hired by Boris. Suzanne — Domini's maid, played for comedy. The Sand Diviner — An Arab seer, who foresees Domini's future in the sands he wears in a bag around his waist.