The English "Old Vic" company performs two plays of Shakespeare: "The Merchant of Venice" and "Antony and Cleopatra"

Since the beginning of this year, the Baalbek Festivals Committee has been holding meeting after meeting and distributing the work, in preparation for this summer's festivals. In view of the great success achieved last summer by the English "Old Vic" company under the direction of Mr. Atkins, the committee entered into contacts with the same company, once it had become clear to it that it specializes in staging the plays of Shakespeare, the greatest dramatist in the world without exception.

At the beginning of May last, the company sent its artistic director, Mr. Benthall, to Beirut to make

contact with the members of the committee, visit the temples of Baalbek, arrange matters, and reach agreement upon them.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 8, Mr. Benthall held a press conference in the office of the Baalbek Festivals Committee for the representatives of the local press and the correspondents of the foreign press. Attending this meeting were Madame Charles Kettaneh, president of the committee, Madame Charles Malik, Lady Cochrane, Madame Fouad al-Said, and Messrs. Jean Fattal, Fuad Sarruf, and Georges al-Rayess.

Mr. Sarruf opened the proceedings and introduced Mr. Benthall