THEATRE ON WHEELS

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1930, Page 10

THEATRE ON WHEELS

MORE “THESPIAN CARTS.” INNOVATION IN ITALY. Under the auspices of the Fascist Party and the direction of Giovacchino Forzano, the well-known author and stage manager, a company of actors went on tour last year in the south of Italy with a travelling theatre, which was called “Il carro di Tespi,” in memory of Thespis, the attic poet, who gave performances in his famous cart, travelling from place to place, some 24&0 years ago. The success of the enterprise was beyond their highest hopes. To remote villagers the “cart” seemed full of miracles. This year. three theatres on wheels have just started a spring aiid summer tour of Italy, and a fourth one is being prepared entirely devoted to lyric opera. Next year it is expected that these enterprising Thespians will cross the frontier and wander much further afield. When these Thespian actors inaugurated their tour on May 22 in Rome, before Mussolini and a distinguished gathering of officials, all three “carts” were drawm up in a line, each company acting in turn, and as the curtain dropped the audience moved on to the next the-, atre. So deeply had the players been imbued with the spirit of drama that different actors undertook the same character without detriment to their art. D’Annunzio’s play “La Figlia di Jorio” has been given the place of honour in the tour, which has called forth a strong protest in the Osservatore Romano, the Papal organ. That a play condemned by the ecclesiastical authorities for its immorality should be chosen by the Fascist authorities to bo performed in a public square is to show a want of respect for the Holy City. In spite of protests, even from so high a quarter, the players went joyfully upon their way, even to the Villa on Garda of Gabrielle D’Annunzio, whose works have been condemned wholesale by the Vatican Inquisition. The theatres were set up in the grounds of the “Vittoriale” —so called from the monument to the Italian victory guarded as a shrine by the poetsoldier—and the audience saw “La Fi'glia di Jorio” acted against a second background of Lake Garda by the light of powerful electric lamps hung from the surrounding trees. Three salvoes were fired by -cannon which announced the poet’s departure from his villa, whereupon his pathway was brightly illuminated by torchlights. On his appearance the audience stood up and cheered, but they were silenced by a gesture and these words: “This is no time for applause. Il Vittoriale is the kingdom of silence.” So deep was -the silence which followed his wishes that the grasshoppers and tree-frogs w’ere heard in the i warm evening air, < J

In the course of a speech made by D’Annunzio after the performance, In which he praised the actors, he related how this Abruzzi drama had come to him in the midst of other work which entailed the consultation of many history books. All had been laid aside “to follow the inner voice,” and in 19 days he had written “La Figlia di Jorio,” which, ho said, “has the rhythm of a country song.”.