Evening star., 1934-11-25
Continued From First Page.)

NCOntlnueQ fTOm rLoL rhScJ
current in them all is far from
grotesque. 1t is humanitarian.
The basic principle upon which he
has constructed not only mis- theater,
but also his novels Is the seeming
paradox Of destruction. He destroys
the SNUG and specious to create under
standing and sympathy. Behind the
veil Of doubt turks the purpose of help
and compassion for groping souls.
Pirandello Is, indeed, one continual
plea for tolerance and compassion for
tormented humanity.
Today the so-called Pirandello con-
science is accepted as the platform
upon which his plays are built. Rather
it is a balance in which wrong and
right, good and bad, false and true,
sane and mad, real and unreal are
weighed with startling precision. The
object, plainly stated, is to make people
realize the anguish caused by cocksure
judgments and by judging from ap-
pearances.
IF I am criticized for intruding
the element of doubt into life, let me
inquire If It is not better to question
than to accept what causes suffering,
said Pirandello. who can say, with
surety, what is false or true, what Is
illusion and what reality? If I de-
stroy conventional standards 1t Is to
reveal the tragedy and the despair
they may conceal. Does not the fun
damental philosophy underlying my
plays make for deeper sympathy and
understanding of humanity?
ANY force that will make people
think, that will make them weigh
values, that will cause them to recog-
nize the rights of others, that will
make them tolerant, Is important.
And the power Of the dramatist is
greater than that OF the politician.
Other playwrights call attention to
social injustices and political corrup-
ton. I follow the philosophical and
ethical hope of helping the individual
and SO the whole of humanity"
But in striving for fair play. Piran-
dello gives warning of the instability
of character. The battling problem Of
personality always is with us. There
always are illusions. What Is true
today may not be true tomorrow un-
der different circumstances.
remember my somewhat facetious
thoughts when I left Pirandello after
that first visit and recalled his state
ment, The greatest suffering comes
from a bewildered mind" Mine Ger
tainly was in state of bewilderment.
1t was not until later that the
poignant note I seemed to sense in
Pirandello's eloquent discussion of tor
mented minds or the borderlines of IL
lusion and reality was revealed to me
Then I learned that the wife he loved
devotedly was in a sanatorium.
My first visit, which had a definite
objective. brought me an illuminat-
ing sidelight on Pirandellos quick
understanding of psychology, whether
national or personal.
had gone to his home in the hopes
Of securing the translation rights of
L'Uomo, Ia Bestia Ia Virtu" ("Man.
Beast and Virtue"O, the premiere Of
,, which I had witnessed in Rome.
Despite the fact that the Milan pre-
miere had caused so many dissenting
opinions, with subsequent duelS, that
it was withdrawn, believed it was
good for America.
Not for Americans.
Pirandello was frankly sqeptical
about America liking it, although he
gave me the rights Of translation.
His knowledge of the American the
ater was instinctively correct, for, al
though Brock Pemberton produced
the piece under the name of Say 1t
With Flowers" at a midnight show. it
passed with astonishing swiftness
from the boards
In connection with this play Piran-
dello revealed a characteristic which
seemed destined to stabilize the Piran-
dello personality, despite his theories.
A prominent New York manager
had cabled me saying he wanted Man
Beast and Virtue" If a popular writer
Of bed room farces could make the
adaptation. Rather timorously trans
lated the cable to Pirandello. The re-
suit was electric. There was no ques-
ton about the finality Of that
indignant refusal.
"One may translate, but never
adapt" he exclaimed-with reason
Why. it would no longer be Piran-
dello!"
A similar refusal to an English pro-
ducer who wished to change the end
ing of Right You Are" established
unquestionably the "Pirandello con-
! science" but lost him money.
/ Last Winter Man, Beast and
/ Virtue" was produced as a slap-stick
| farce at the Jewish Art Theater, or
Second avenue, under the title of He
She and the Ox!" 1t did have New
| York run after all! And previously
"As You Desire Me" was produced ir
New York with modified" first act
| Pirandello, who is contemplating
return to America, visited this country
in 1924 to be present at the New York
premiere of Henry w." He remained
nearly three months-long enough fol
the average foreign visitor to accumu-
late several volumes of criticism. But
| not this meticulous weigher of truth
| He likes Americans so much that nj
worries about them!
| Naturally. he was lioniZed. The