The New York herald., 1922-11-05

He Turned Playwright
At the Age of Fifty

! question" he replied. why live in
world of illusions? Who is there to
say just what is false or true? In what
play do l rob the theater or life OF
truth?'
And the mission OF your plays?"
| inquired in my most moralizing ac-
cents.
But II you have seen and read my
plays you know the object. I have no
political nor social purpose like Bernard
shaw Mine is rather u philosophical
expression.
"Of course" ! replied. they teach
rne many a lesson. We must not Judge.
TO use a trite expression. person by
appearances. We must not condemn a
person everlastingly for a nomentary
act. We must not believe u person
necessarily that which we see him to
be. III other words we must not be
too cocksure of our ego as a critical
entity"
Yes" replied Pirandello Willie drew
a relieved gasp.
1t was at this point I began to real
ize that the major course in philosophy.
psychology. experimental and other
wise. back in the academic arms of
my alma mater had not been wasted
after all. II was all q preparation for
Pirandello.
You ask about Illusions" he con-
tinued. II say that there Is no reality,
that there are always illusions which
cause the confusion of personalities. We
are many in one. Our personality Is SO
varied that we express ourselves diff
ferently to different people To you I
! am quito a different person that was
to the last person l met. To me you .tc
an entirely different personality .har
you were to the person with whom, you
dined last night
Pirandelio Is tho only foreigner l
have ever interviewed in his native
tongue when ! was not conscious OF the
| limitations of language.
! OF course, ! won't so so far as 20 say
Pirandello INDUCED in the same con-
sciousness
But after ALL what's an imperfect sub.
junctlve and a participlc with past be-
tween friends ] reasoned as we huftled
nadly through mental hoops and bal
anced dizzily on cerebral trapezes.
MY theater was really born while
was writing my book, 'uno Nessuno,
Centa Mia zone. No One, Hundred
Thousand. he was saying. II put aside
the book to write play for my friend
AIusco, the Sicilian actor. II was IN
| Sicillan dialect. That was five years
| ago and l never picked up that book
again until now. From Sicilian / began
! to write dramas in Italian"
Then ] remembered that this learned
university professor, who in addition 20
all his literary activities still follows his
original calling. Is Sicilian.
What an antithesis, this mysticaLphilo-
sophical. aupermental man to the gen.
orally accepted Idea OF that ferYid. pul-
sating southern island What a contrast
I a l4N IN hn s1t.
ored melodramas which Giovanni Grasso
and Mimi Agulio have given America as
portraying Siciiian life
What definitely decided you 10 de.
vote your time to drama2' I asked.
THE realization that italy should
have drama of her own" he replied.
Until now the Italian theater has been
mere imitation Of the French. Dario
Nicodemi. Marco Praga. Roberto Bracco
have written good plays, but they all
follow French forms"
us II really true that no lure OF gold
could ever persuade YOU TO change u
play?" / quoried, for / myself had gone
In vain 20 Pirandello with q proposal
from big American manager to have
ore of his plays adapted by an Ameri-
can playwright.
IF any one else adapted my play II
would no longer represent what want
20 express. In England The manager
or West End thcater wanted TO pro-
duce It's SO or You Think II Is)';
only he wanted to change the ending.
Naturally ! couldn't do that" said Pi-
randello, with the sublime naivete or
one who sees no middle course between
personal conviction and lucre. OF
course, the play was not produced"
What DO you consider your best
play?"
After Henry W. 1 like best SIX