The New York herald., 1922-04-30

bpectot Correspondence oy THu NEW fosk
F HuALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Rome. April ID.
"HE expressions "grotesques"
and "the grotesque move
ment" have been for some time
on the lips Of every one In Italy who
follows the trend of the modern drama.
The movement is both fresh and orig
inal, a new departure. something SO
far not done In the modern theater.
The Italian grotesques Of to-day.
though they may owe something to
the German Wedekind, to Bernard
are new development, and devel-
opment singularly characteristic OF
the time.
Luigi Chiarelli, the Milanese started
the fashion for marionettish comedies,
in which man becomes, as Pirandello.
the acknowledged head OF the school
calls 1t. "the puppet of himself" But
as matter Of fact Pirandello had al
ready provided Chiarelli with the idea
for his Face and the Mask" ola
Maschera ed IL volto") in his novel.
THE Late Mattias Pascal" which
treats OF a doubling Of personality
owing to supposed suicide.
The Mask and the Face" Is the story
OF husband who has always professed
In society the heroic theory that a be-
trayed husband should kill his guilty
wife. But when by a strange chance
he discovers before numerous witnesses
the evidence that his wife has been un-
faithful to him with an unknown man
he finds he lacks the courage to carry
out his boastful procedure OF wife MUIR
der. So. naturally enough. he comes to
arrangement with his wife by which
she agrees to let It be supposed that
he killed her. She goes abroad secretly,
and the husband. Paul, gives himself up
to the police, declaring that he has
strangled his wife and thrown her into
the lake adjoining his house. He Is
sure Of being acquitted. and his lawyer,
Luci0n--who, unknown to him, Is the be-
trayer OF his wife--does succeed In get
ting him free after an eloquent harangue
in which he vituperates the character Of
the erring lady.
The second act strikes the true gro
tesque note. A woman's body. altered
beyond recognition. Is found in the lake.
All the same. every one recognizes It as
the body OF the "late" Sdvind. Paul
himself. The funeral is being prepared,
when suddenly Sdvind turns up from
abroad secretly In order to congratulate
her husband on his acquittal. Paul has
to hide her in a room while the servants
cross the stage bearing lighted candles
to place beside the body in the mortuary
chamber.
In the third act Savina Is discovered
by her lover. the lawyer, LMcl0n. She
merely reads to him from a newspaper
his speech for the defense at the trial.
A friendly magistrate tells Paul that
this time he is certainly guilty before
the law for simulated crime. There Is
therefore nothing for the recmciled
couple to do but to escape. This they
do while the village band sounds the
funeral march outside the house.
PirandeIlo the Leader.
But '"rhe Mask and the Face" though
the earliest grotesque. is by no means
the finest. The leader OF the movement
Is DR.. Luigi Pirandcilo. Sicilian. college
professor and author of twelve or thir-
teen plays. all written In the course of
the last four or Ave years. Pirandelo
Is the finest. the most subtle spirit among
those working in this new movement.
He Is not a young mamie must be 53-
and Il is curious that he should have
turned his attention to the stage at
relatively late period of his life. He
lives In a charming little villa on the
outskirts OF Rome. In appearance he
rather resembles Anatole France. He is
the most discussed figure OF the modern
Italian stage.
To give an Idea OF his work and his
character one cannot do better than
summarize rapidly one or two OF his
brilliant comedies. in which irony. pathos
and glancing hurnor are delightfully."-
mingled. Take six Characters In
Search OF an Author" (Sel Personaggi
In cerea d'Autore). one Of Pirandello's
most characteristic pieces and also one
Of the most original.
theatrical company Is about to be-
gin the rehearsal OF comedy. The
stage Is In confusion the actors man
ager. prompter and stage hands are
there. Suddenly six mysterious figures
make their appearance from the little
door at the back of the stage. They are
all dressed In black. their faces strangely
pale. Their leader, man with flaming
red hair. is In front of the others. Who
are they? What do they want? Tim
idly, but with a curious insistence, the
red haired man says: I'VE are looking
for an author" What author?' ANY
author" he answers. Bit by bit. with
pauses. flashes OF irony. nervousness and
unexpected turns the story comes out.
AuG siA ChaAfAcAcEb are IltUDtTS Oh ~
family. persohages OF comedy created
by an author who afterward did not
wish or was unable to incorporate them
In drama. They long to attain 10 the
full life of the illuminated stage and beg
the manager TO make a play out or
them. He complains that there In no
book" But we are the book" the
characters say. At first the manager
thinks he Is dealing with madmen, bu.
gradually he and his actors fall under
the spell Of the spokesman, THE Father"
The other characters are THE Mother"
THE Step Daughter" '"rhe Son" The
Youth" and The Child"
"The Book Of the Play"
Many years before the Father" aban-
doned the Mother" taking with him
the SON.. The Mother then had a
lover. by whom she had three moro
children. The Step Daughter" The
Youth" and '.rhe Child When this
lover died the family fell on bad times,
and came even to work for a modiste
OF doubtful reputation. who allowed her
place to be used for clandestlne appoint
rnents THE Father" somehow became
the client" OF the place, and one day
was surprised there by his wife. whom
he had lost sight OF for eight years,
just as he was about to embrace The
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