{{Short description|Romanian writer (1871–1939)}} {{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see :Template:Infobox writer/doc --> | name = Caton Theodorian | image = Caton Theodorian 1911.png | imagesize = 220px | caption = Theodorian, photographed ca. 1911 | pseudonym = Alexandru Răzvan, Olymp, Zaveră | birth_date = {{birth date|1871|5|14}} | birth_place = Craiova, Principality of Romania | death_date = {{death date and age|1939|1|8|1871|5|14}} | death_place = Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania | occupation = journalist, civil servant, stage actor | nationality = Romanian | period = 1890–1939 | genre = tragedy, comedy, farce, sketch story, novella, memoir, psychological novel, lyric poetry | subject = | movement = Naturalism<br />''Literatorul''<br />''Sburătorul'' | signature = Theodorian signature, Dec 28, 1929.png | website = }} '''Caton Theodorian''', or '''Teodorian''' (May 14, 1871 – January 8, 1939), was a Romanian playwright, poet, short story writer and novelist. He was a maternal nephew of the politician Eugeniu Carada through his Oltenian father, a scion of the boyar nobility. His noble origins informed his chief works in both naturalistic fiction and drama, which mainly deal with social decline and boyar obsessions with heredity. Although showcased by the National Theatre Bucharest, Theodorian's plays were dismissed by critics as vulgar or wordy, and were sometimes rejected by the public. His most treasured contribution was a 1915 comedy, ''Bujoreștii'' ("The Bujorescus"), which synthesizes his recurrent themes. A moderate in ideological terms, the writer never openly affiliated with either the Romanian Symbolists or their ''Sămănătorul'' rivals, but frequented and was published by both. During the final twenty years of his life, he was attached to the ''Sburătorul'' circle.
In addition to writing, of which he did relatively little, Theodorian worked as an actor and prompter, a newspaper editor, and finally as a clerk. He had jobs with various state regulatory bodies, and several times with the Romanian Police, briefly serving as commissioner in Vâlcea County. He then had a prominent position in the Romanian Writers' Society, but resigned due to political disagreements during the early stages of World War I. Like his brother Mariu Theodorian-Carada, Caton disliked the Entente Powers, and opposed Romania's entry into the war. He spent the war years fleeing occupation and bombardments, moving from Valea Mare to Iași, then to Paris, Lausanne, and Bern. He returned to a prominent job in the Romanian Arts Ministry, and, in his final year, took an executive position in the new General Directorate of the Press and Propaganda; he was also the founder, and for long president, of the Society of Romanian Dramatic Authors.
==Biography==
===Origins and early life=== Born in Craiova,<ref name="sasu">Gheorghe Perian, "Theodorian Caton", in Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', Vol. II, p. 707. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. {{ISBN|973-697-758-7}}</ref><ref>Călinescu, p. 720; Iorga, p. 183</ref> his parents were Ion Theodorian and his wife Emma (''née'' Carada). As noted by Mariu Theodorian, his father was often mistaken for Armenian, due to his general appearance and Armenian-sounding surname. The surname was of recent origin, having been chosen by Ion, who claimed it was the original name of his father, ''Praporshchik'' Constantin Theodor.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 18–19</ref> The latter, possibly an Aromanian immigrant to Wallachia, had fought with the 1821 revolutionaries and then the Wallachian regulars, before becoming a customs officer and gentleman farmer.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 19, 21. See also Călinescu, p. 720</ref> Through his grandmother, Uța Scărișoreanu, Theodorian descended from the lower ranks of Oltenian boyardom, but his family estates had been sold off to pay outstanding debts.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 19–20. See also Călinescu, p. 720</ref>
Ion, an avid reader of literature and political science, had failed as a businessman and an actor, entering the civil service of Wallachia and then that of the United Principalities (modern Romania). He was head of the police of Craiova, and then the deputy prefect of Fălciu County, where, in 1867, he quelled a tax riot of the local Jews.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 21–24</ref> It was in Fălciu that he met his future brother-in-law, Eugeniu Carada,<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, p. 22</ref> later famous as a co-leader of the National Liberal Party. The Caradas were an ethnic Greek clan of publicans and butchers, settled in Bucharest, catering to, then marrying into, Wallachian nobility.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 26–33</ref> In 1870, having returned to Oltenia, Theodorian Sr organized the city's riotous opposition to ''Domnitor'' Carol of Hohenzollern (in conjunction with the failed "Republic of Ploiești"), and then, helped by Carada, advanced through the party ranks.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 22–23, 36–47</ref> He had two other sons in addition to Mariu (the eldest) and Caton: Ștefan and Ion "Nonu" Theodorian.<ref>Moldovan, p. 64; Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 58, 64, 98, 120, 124</ref>
The Theodorian brothers were orphaned in 1879, when Ion died of chickenpox contracted on a political tour—as recounted in Caton's memoir, ''Prima durere'' ("The First Pain").<ref>Caton Theodorian, "Prima durere", in ''Familia'', Nr. 30/1907, pp. 347–348</ref> Mariu was adopted by his uncle Eugeniu and his aunt Sultana,<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 23–27</ref> while Caton began his education at the private C. Dima Popovici Institute in his native city, where his mother was the principal.<ref name="sasu"/> He then attended Craiova's D. A. Sturdza College (1881–1885),<ref name="sasu"/> and, according to his own testimony, was briefly colleagues with writer Traian Demetrescu.<ref>Șerban Cioculescu, "Traian Demetrescu", in Șerban Cioculescu, Ovidiu Papadima, Alexandru Piru (eds.), ''Istoria literaturii române. III: Epoca marilor clasici'', p. 815. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 1973</ref> From 1885 to 1887, he attended military high school.<ref name="sasu"/> His uncle wished for him to become an officer, but Caton ran away from school, allegedly spending some time studying in Paris,<ref name="gc720">Călinescu, p. 720</ref> then working for Teodor Popescu's theatrical troupe as a prompter, copyist and extra.<ref name="sasu"/> He secured his first government post in 1888,<ref name="sasu"/> possibly through Carada's contacts.<ref name="gc720"/>
Theodorian headed ephemeral provincial publications such as ''Lumina'' ("The Light", 1890), which hosted his literary debut, and was for a while both editor and writer at ''Adevărul'' and ''Naționalul'',<ref name="sasu"/> often signing as Alexandru Răzvan, Olymp, and Zaveră.<ref>Straje, pp. 502, 595, 721, 805</ref> For a while, he frequented Alexandru Macedonski's ''Literatorul'' circle in Bucharest,<ref name="sasu"/> putting out poetry and prose fragments in the eponymous magazine.<ref>Călinescu, p. 719; Iorga, p. 13</ref> His first book was the 1891 collection of sketches and short stories ''Petale'' ("Petals"), with a preface by Macedonski; around the same time, he debuted as a dramatist in Craiova, with ''Manopere electorale'' ("Electoral Maneuvers") and ''Patima'' ("The Passion").<ref name="gc719">Călinescu, p. 719</ref> Although he remained affiliated with magazines that promoted Romanian Symbolism (''Literatorul'', ''Flacăra''), he was also published in more traditionalist reviews—such as ''Luceafărul'', ''Sămănătorul'', and ''Ramuri''.<ref name="sasu"/><ref>Straje, p. 721</ref> As noted by literary historians, he always remained "without precise affiliations",<ref>Ovid Crohmălniceanu, ''Literatura română între cele două războaie mondiale'', Vol. I, p. 24. Bucharest: Editura Minerva, 1972. {{OCLC|490001217}}</ref> an "eclectic" and "moderate".<ref>Călinescu, p. 713</ref>
===Police chief and SSR organizer=== [[File:Alexandru Satmary - Caton Theodorian, Terasa Otetelișanu, 15 (28) ian 1912 (Boabe de Grâu, oct 1934).png|thumb|260px|Theodorian at Terasa Oteteleșanu, January 1912 drawing by Alexandru Satmary]] In parallel to his writing, Theodorian advanced through with his bureau jobs, working as second inspector for State Monopolies in 1896, and being assigned a clerical position at Bucharest Police Headquarters in 1897.<ref name="gc720"/> In April 1898, while commanding the police unit in Gara de Nord, he apprehended a ring of mail thieves who had thrived on transited Western merchandise.<ref>"Descoperirea unuĭ furt însemnat", in ''Epoca'', April 8, 1898, p. 2</ref> Later that year, he became head of police in Râmnicu Vâlcea,<ref name="gc720"/> mediating between his politically ambitious brother and the Vâlcea County prefect (1900).<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 143–144</ref> He married Ana Iancovescu in 1899, and had two daughters from her—Emma and Alice.<ref name="gc721">Călinescu, p. 721</ref> From 1901 to 1903, he was a deputy prefect in Northern Dobruja, moving between Babadag, Sulina, Cataloi and Măcin.<ref name="gc720"/> He was again in Vâlcea as a village inspector on the Lotru (1904),<ref name="gc721"/> putting out the magazine ''Râmnicul'' (1906).<ref name="sasu"/> Following the peasants' revolt of March 1907 and the cession of power to a National Liberal cabinet, he became for a while director of the Vâlcea prefecture.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, p. 165. See also Călinescu, p. 721</ref> During this interval, he played host to an informal gathering of writers, including Victor Eftimiu, Octavian Goga, and Ilarie Chendi. According to Eftimiu, it was here that Chendi showed the first signs of a debilitating mental disease.<ref>Eftimiu, pp. 114–116</ref>
Theodorian returned to short-story writing with ''Prima durere'', followed by ''Calea sufletului'' ("The Way of the Soul", 1909), then ''La masa calicului'' ("At the Cadger's Table", 1911), also debuting as a novelist with the 1908 ''Sângele Solovenilor'' ("Blood of the Soloveni").<ref name="sasu"/><ref>Călinescu, pp. 709, 1018; Lovinescu, pp. 211–212</ref> His work took him to Buzău County, where he was a field inspector for agriculture (1908–1911),<ref name="gc721"/> but he also returned to Bucharest where, in 1910, with Mariu and Ion I. C. Brătianu, he visited his uncle Eugeniu at his deathbed.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, pp. 178–179</ref> He was by then involved with the Romanian Writers' Society (SSR), having joined its embryonic predecessor in 1908–1909, and becoming an executive committee member of the reorganized forum in November 1911,<ref>Victor Ion Popa, "Societatea Scriitorilor Români", in ''Boabe de Grâu'', Nr. 10/1935, pp. 611–612, 616</ref> reelected in 1912 and 1914.<ref name="csmsecol">{{in lang|ro}} Cassian Maria Spiridon, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110719230125/http://convorbiri-literare.dntis.ro/TATAapr8.html# "Secolul breslei scriitoricești"], in ''Convorbiri Literare'', April 2008</ref>
He was at that time a frequent guest of Casa Capșa restaurant, known to others as "the man with glass in his eye", for his habit of wearing monocles.<ref>Peltz, pp. 141, 148</ref> As noted by literary historian George Călinescu, while lacking "a particular career", Theodorian maintained a "sumptuous" lifestyle; also: "beyond [his] outbursts of violence and a domineering nature, he was a sentimental character."<ref name="gc721"/> The same is also argued by the dramatist Mircea Ștefănescu: "Caton Theodorian appeared to be aggressive to all those who did not know him well." This, however, was just a front, which allowed Theodorian to "defend his profession with staunchness and dignity."<ref name="mșt22">Mircea Ștefănescu, "Caton Theodorian", in ''Teatrul'', Nr. 6/1971</ref> Visiting the Kingdom of Italy and the German Empire in 1912, Theodorian sent numerous postcards to the hospitalized Chendi. When Chendi committed suicide, he proposed erecting a bust in his likeness.<ref>Netea, p. 108</ref>
With other Society members, among them Goga, Emil Gârleanu, and Cincinat Pavelescu, he traveled into Austria-Hungary, attending literary parties for the Romanian community of Transylvania.<ref>Codru, "Cronică. Serbările literare din Sibiiu. — Impresii. — (1)", in ''Luceafărul'', Nr. 7/1911, p. 165; Netea, pp. 78, 108; {{in lang|ro}} Alex. Ștefănescu, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160828210959/http://www.romlit.ro/un_album_care_e_mai_mult_dect_un_album "Un album care e mai mult decât un album"], in ''România Literară'', Nr. 33/2008</ref> Between 1910 and 1926, Theodorian was also a member in the reading committee at the National Theatre Bucharest.<ref>Massoff, p. 275</ref> Although he reported in 1911 that he was working on a new novel, ''Față'n față'' ("Face to Face"),<ref>"Cronică. Notițe", in ''Luceafărul'', Nr. 7/1911, p. 168</ref> it never came out. As noted in 1974 by Capșa colleague I. Peltz, he "wrote little, but bragged about it to no end."<ref>Peltz, p. 148</ref> He eventually returned with a tragedy, ''Ziua cea din urmă'' ("That Last Day"), hosted by ''Noua Revistă Română'' in 1912,<ref>Călinescu, pp. 709, 1018; Lovinescu, p. 316</ref> and staged at Bucharest's Modern Theater by Marioara Voiculescu's company in 1913.<ref name="sasu"/> In early 1914, following a dispute with the dramatist Dimitrie Anghel, the latter challenged him to a duel. When Theodorian refused to fight, Anghel published a letter calling him various names, including an "intriguer" and "ridiculous Oltenian knight".<ref>"Incidentul D. Anghel – Caton Teodorian", in ''Adevărul'', February 16, 1914, p. 2</ref>
Two more volumes of short prose also came out in 1914: ''Povestea unei odăi'' ("The History of a Room") and ''Cum plânge Zinica'' ("Watch Zinica Sobbing").<ref name="sasu"/><ref>Călinescu, p. 1018; Lovinescu, p. 212</ref> In his other contributions, he translated books by Théophile Gautier, Émile Zola, and Arnould Galopin.<ref name="sasu"/><ref name="gc1018">Călinescu, p. 1018</ref> His adaptation of Romain Coolus' ''Une femme passa'' (as ''Trecu o femeie'') was included by George Diamandy in the National Theater program of 1914; the next year, Alexandru Mavrodi did the same with ''Amicul Teddy'', translated by Theodorian and V. Enescu from Rivoire–Besnard's ''Mon ami Teddy''.<ref>Massoff, pp. 217, 219</ref> Elected SSR vice president in January 1915, during Diamandy's mandate,<ref name="csmsecol"/> Theodorian followed up with his own comedy, ''Bujoreștii''. Viewed by several critics as his masterpiece and one of the best Romanian comedies,<ref name="mșt22"/><ref>Călinescu, pp. 719, 720; Lovinescu, pp. 316, 317, 322</ref> it was also described by Tudor Vianu as a rare break with the "Romantic formula" of Romanian theater.<ref>I. Valerian, ''Cu scriitorii prin veac'', p. 229. Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură, 1967</ref> ''Bujoreștii'' was soon after taken up by the National Theater, then under Ion Peretz, and premiered with Constantin Radovici as lead.<ref>Livescu, pp. 133, 143</ref> The play was also included in the Iași Theatre repertoire, where it was appreciated by the public, but panned by local critics.<ref name="razu323">D. Razu, "Cronica dramatică. Teatrul Național din Iași. ''Hamlet'', ''Bujoreștii''", in ''Gândirea'', Nr. 17/1922, p. 323</ref>
===World War I=== During the first two years of war, with Romania maintaining a cautious neutrality, Mariu Theodorian became a major proponent of non-alignment, speaking out against supporters of both the Entente and the Central Powers. He had left the National Liberals during the municipal elections of 1914, rallying with the Conservative Party as a disciple of Alexandru Marghiloman and Titu Maiorescu, and therefore of its ''Junimea'' inner faction.<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 39–41</ref> Although not a "Germanophile", Mariu supported a Maiorescu neutralist cabinet, which, he argued, would have been able to gather political support from the Entente, but without going to war; he was also opposed to the Entente because it included the Russian Empire, accused of persecuting the Romanians of Bessarabia.<ref>Boia, pp. 84–85; Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 46–47, 65–66, 75–76</ref> An expert in canon law,<ref name="lb85">Boia, p. 85</ref> he was noted as a critic of the Romanian Orthodox Church, having argued, as early as 1897, that "all true Christians will end up turning to Rome."<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 6–7</ref> By May 1908, under guidance from Vladimir Ghika, he had done so himself, being received into the Greek-Catholic community, and working to build a Greek-Catholic church in Bucharest.<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 8–10</ref>
Caton did not share his brother's worldview. He was in France as the war started, and had to take an unusually long trip back to Romania, through Italy, Greece, and the Turkish Straits. Recounting his adventure in ''Adevărul'', he argued that the world was poised for an Entente victory.<ref>"Note din apusul Europei. Ce ne povestește d. Caton Theodorian care s'a înapoiat dela Paris.—Tripla înțelegere va învinge, spune un mare corespondent de răsboiu", in ''Adevărul'', August 25, 1914, p. 2</ref> Privately, however, he was also in favor of neutralism. As argued by historian Lucian Boia, he was "hypochondriac and restless", especially alarmed by news of aerial bombardments.<ref>Boia, p. 125</ref> In July 1916, as the conflict of visions split the SSR into factions, Theodorian resigned his position on the committee. He politely declined when asked by the prestigious novelist Duiliu Zamfirescu to return and ensure "continuity"; later, he resigned from the syndicate altogether.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20160307033122/http://www.romlit.ro/duiliu_zamfirescu__pagini_de_coresponden "Duiliu Zamfirescu — pagini de corespondență"], in ''România Literară'', Nr. 23/2015</ref> He ran for reelection at the reading committee, against George Ranetti. Ranetti claimed that, although he lost, Theodorian was still appointed, being favored by Education Minister Ion G. Duca.<ref>George Ranetti, "N'am noroc, și pace!", in ''Furnica'', Nr. 40/1916, p. 2</ref>
Eventually, in August, King Ferdinand I opted to declare war on the Central Powers. After briefly going on the offensive the Romanian Land Forces had to deal with a counterattack, eventually leading to the occupation of Craiova. According to Mariu, the family's book collection was ransacked by the Germans.<ref>Theodorian-Carada I, p. 24</ref> For a while, Caton took refuge at Valea Mare, in Muscel County, where he reunited with his brother Mariu and many others who believed that resistance would be organized there. When this failed to happen, they both sought a safer haven at Câmpulung.<ref>Boia, pp. 125–126; Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 60–61, 143–144</ref>
Caton awaited the arrival of the German Army, confident that the Germans were chivalrous enemies.<ref name="lb126">Boia, p. 126</ref> He fled again, just before the area was engulfed. By November 1916 he was in Iași, Western Moldavia; a month later, he began a long journey to Paris,<ref name="lb126"/> arriving there in 1917.<ref name="gc721"/> In the French capital, he reunited with his writer friend Eftimiu, as another member of the isolated Romanian cell. In his 1965 recollections, Eftimiu claims that, while he had trouble making ends meet, Theodorian "knew how to take care of himself, though not by hard work, nor by mental concentration."<ref>Eftimiu, p. 341</ref> According to Theodorian, however, his was "no easy life". By 1918, living in the Latin Quarter with his family, he was working as a typist for the agency recording prisoners of war, and also making shells in a factory.<ref>Theodorian (1920), pp. 540–542</ref> Other sources indicate that he was also the press agent for the Romanian military attaché in France.<ref name="o-ldsaëns">Oana-Lucia Dimitriu, "Saint-Saëns îi scrie lui Ion Theodorian", in ''Magazin Istoric'', April 2003, p. 33</ref> He proposed to Eftimiu that they work together on a screenplay about the legendary Romanian ancestors of Pierre de Ronsard. The project was aborted when Eftimiu discovered that the necessitous Gaumont would not even hire him as an extra.<ref>Eftimiu, pp. 341–346</ref>
In the meantime, the fall of Bucharest had left Romania divided: King Ferdinand, his government, and the army proceeded to Western Moldavia, where they continued resistance; in the Wallachian south, Conservative {{ill|Lupu Kostaki|ro|Lupu C. Kostaki}} and his allies tolerated, or collaborated with, the German occupation. Mariu was one of Kostaki's associates, and, in January 1918, was appointed secretary of the Wallachian Bishopric, an Orthodox institution. His Catholicism having been revealed to the public, he was forced two resign a few days into his office.<ref name="lb85"/> A few weeks after, Marghiloman was called upon to form a cabinet and negotiate a peace with the Central Powers (which was signed in May 1918). Mariu believed that Marghiloman was a godsend for Romania: "he managed to defend the dynasty and protect the army from being disarmed".<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, p. 81</ref> He ran in the 1918 election, taking a seat in Senate for Ilfov County, and resuming his work for the unification of churches.<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 81–87</ref> His major effort was in supporting the Romanians of Northern Dobruja, which Romania had effectively ceded to Greater Bulgaria. Mariu Theodorian suggested that Orthodox Romanians, forcefully integrated into Bulgarian Orthodoxy, protect themselves by mass-converting to Catholicism.<ref>Boia, p. 85; Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 47, 81–82, 146–148</ref>
Mariu remained in office under the emergency cabinet of Constantin Coandă, during which time Romania gravitated back toward the Entente camp: an interlude of "anarchy", as he himself put it.<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 88–97</ref> Caton rushed out of Paris in February or March 1918, when the Germans dropped incendiary bombs on that city, and took his family to Switzerland.<ref>Călinescu, p. 721, Theodorian (1920), pp. 540, 541–542</ref> By August, he was living in Lausanne, and taking a political course similar to Mariu's. As he explained in letters addressed to Liviu Rebreanu, he resented the "cheeky" Romanian Ententists who had escaped to France, advocating a purge of those who had "pushed us into a crazy war".<ref name="lb126"/> Unable to make ends meet in Lausanne, he and his family moved to Bern, where they were assisted by the Romanian Red Cross.<ref>Theodorian (1920), p. 542</ref>
===Return and later life=== The unexpected fall of Germany was registered as a triumph for the Ententists. Mariu, entering Marghiloman's Progressive Conservative Party, contested the November 1919 election and lost his Senate seat.<ref>Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 88–94</ref> Caton and his family left Switzerland with a Yugoslav sanitary train, stopping in Zemun, then crossing over to Craiova.<ref>Theodorian (1920), pp. 543–546</ref> He returned to Bucharest before or during April 1919, when he took part in the founding of ''Sburătorul'', a modernist magazine and literary circle.<ref name="sasu"/><ref>Iorga, p. 258; Lovinescu, p. 50</ref> He then had his new play, ''Comedia inimei'' ("Heart's Comedy"), performed at the National Theater.<ref>Călinescu, pp. 719, 1018; Massoff, pp. 225</ref> It was booed on its premiere,<ref name="gc719"/> then quickly "buried".<ref name="lr166–7">Liviu Rebreanu, "Cronica teatrală. Teatrul Național: ''Comedia inimii''", in ''Sburătorul'', Nr. 33/1919, pp. 166–167</ref> Theodorian then resumed his activity as a translator, with a version of ''L'affaire Clémenceau'', by Alexandre Dumas, fils, coming out in 1921.<ref name="gc1018"/> He put out the prose volume ''Epice și dramatice'' ("Things Epic and Dramatic", 1921),<ref name="sasu"/> and two other new plays: ''Nevestele domnului Pleșu'' ("Mr. Pleșu's Wives"), and ''Stăpâna'' ("Mistress", first performed in 1919, published 1936).<ref>Livescu, p. 148; Lovinescu, p. 317. See also Călinescu, p. 1018</ref> With Eftimiu and Mavrodi as managers of the National Theater, the latter were performed as part of the mandatory quota of "original plays" during the early 1920s.<ref>Livescu, pp. 147–148. See also Massoff, p. 229</ref> At the time, his family suffered a loss. Nonu Theodorian, who was ill with tuberculosis from about 1919,<ref name="o-ldsaëns"/> died in 1922. Under the pen name "Jean d'Orient", he had followed his brother's career choices, publishing several art chronicles in ''L'Indépendance Roumaine''.<ref>Straje, pp. 231, 721–722; Theodorian-Carada II, pp. 120, 124</ref>
In the new Greater Romania, Caton was a member of the arts directorate committee within the Arts Ministry in 1923,<ref name="sasu"/> appointed inspector-general of the theaters some four years later.<ref name="prp287">Perpessicius, "D-l Caton Teodorian la Teatru", in ''Universul Literar'', Nr. 18/1927, p. 287</ref> As such, in 1929 he investigated the conflict between the National Theater and actress Maria Giurgea, who alleged unlawful termination of contract.<ref>"Ultima oră. Știri diverse", in ''Adevărul'', February 20, 1929, p. 6</ref> In parallel, he became a founding member of the Society of Romanian Dramatic Authors (SADR). Created solely by Theodorian's efforts, it fulfilled his dream to give dramatists more social standing, and, on his initiative, offered special prizes specifically for Romanian-themed comedies.<ref name="mșt22"/> These went to Anton Holban, Ion Marin Sadoveanu, and George Mihail Zamfirescu.<ref name="vs86">Valentin Silvestru, "Răsfoind vechi reviste teatrale românești", in ''Teatrul'', Nr. 7/1966, p. 86</ref> He served as SADR president in 1923–1926, and again in 1933–1939,<ref name="sasu"/> being seconded by Ion Al. Vasilescu-Valjean, Mihail Sorbul, and Rebreanu (with Paul Gusty as treasurer and Victor Ion Popa as secretary).<ref name="vs86"/> He represented the body as a speaker at the funerals of Garabet Ibrăileanu,<ref>Alexandru Piru, ''Viața lui G. Ibrăileanu'', p. 163. Bucharest: Editura Fundațiilor Regale, 1946</ref> Petre I. Sturdza, and Eugeniu Botez.<ref>Constantin Mohanu, ''Jean Bart (Eugeniu Botez). Viața și opera'', pp. 192, 349, 380. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, Bucharest, 2001. {{ISBN|973-98919-5-0}}</ref> He also attended congresses of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, promoting Romanian works for an international audience,<ref name="mșt22"/> and playing host to Coolus when the latter visited Bucharest in November 1934.<ref>"Romain Coolus la Societatea Autorilor Dramatici", in ''Realitatea Ilustată'', Nr. 410, November 1934, p. 18</ref> His ''Bujoreștii'' was translated into Italian by Venere Isopescu, and published in Lanciano by Casa editrice Rocco Carabba.<ref>Călinescu, p. 1018; Roberto Merlo, "Liniștea de după 'fortuna': o scurtă istorie a traducerilor din proza română în limba italiană în secolul al XIX-lea", in Elena Dănilă, Ofelia Ichim, Florin-Teodor Olariu (eds.), ''Comunicare interculturală și integrare europeană'', pp. 193, 225. Iași: Editura ALFA, 2006. {{ISBN|9789738953079}}</ref>
His penultimate published work was ''Greșeala lui Dumnezeu'' ("God's Mistake"), taken up by the National Theater in 1926, issued as a book in 1929,<ref name="sasu"/><ref>Călinescu, p. 1018; Massoff, p. 238</ref> and turned into a radio play by Radio Prague in 1939.<ref>Traian Ionescu-Nișcov, "''Baltagul'' în limba cehă", in ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'', Nr. 10/1939, p. 213</ref> ''Jucării sfărâmate'' ("Broken Toys"), which came out in 1927,<ref name="prp287"/> unusually premiered at Chișinău National Theatre, Bessarabia, Theodorian having decided he preferred this over the Bucharest equivalent<ref>L., "O premieră reușită, la Teatrul Național din Chișinău", in ''Ilustrațiunea Română'', Nr. 50/1931, p. 15</ref> (the latter only staged it in 1936).<ref>Massoff, p. 259</ref> His attention later switched to his native city and his family history. In 1937, he edited for print his father's letters, relating to the 1870 riots,<ref name="gc1018"/> and, in September 1938, donated his collection, comprising 284 volumes, autographs, and a portrait of his father, to the Alexandru and Aristia Aman Foundation in Craiova.<ref>Gabriela Braun, Tudor Nedelcea, Mariana Leferman, Toma Rădulescu, ''Familia Aman'', pp. 58, 78–79, 145–147. Craiova: Editura Aius, 2003. {{ISBN|973-7000-09-9}}</ref> By then, his SADR project had crumbled, lacking sufficient funds and being torn by disputes between its members.<ref name="vs86"/> Although pensioned by the Arts Ministry,<ref name="gc721"/> during his last months Theodorian cooperated with the National Renaissance Front dictatorship. From March 1938, alongside Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești, Emanoil Bucuța, Maria Filotti and Constantin Kirițescu, he led the General Directorate of the Press and Propaganda, which dealt with both promoting regime literature and censoring out its critics.<ref>Radu Florian Bruja, "''Suceava'' – o gazetă ținutală în slujba regimului autoritar carlist", in Raduț Bîlbîie, Mihaela Teodor (eds.), ''Elita culturală și presa (Congresul Național de istorie a presei, ediția a VI-a)'', pp. 207–208. Bucharest: Editura Militară, 2013. {{ISBN|978-973-32-0922-5}}</ref>
He left fragments of plays, titled ''Obsesia'' ("Obsession"), ''Micobul'' ("The Microbe"), and ''Numărul de telefon'' ("A Telephone Number"); a one-act comedy in manuscript, titled ''Autorul'' ("The Author"); and a sketch for the novel ''Să vrei să iubești'' ("The Will to Love").<ref name="gc1018"/> He was survived by his daughter Alice, who was pursuing an on-off affair with the novelist Mihail Sebastian,<ref>Mihail Sebastian, ''Journal, 1935–1944'', pp. 188, 392. London: Random House, 2003. {{ISBN|0-7126-8388-7}}</ref> and by his brother Mariu. In December 1939, the latter was requesting a pension from the SSR. As claimed by a friend, the bishop Ioan Bălan, his father's estate had been "eaten away" by his other three siblings, and he was reduced to living on what remained from his adoptive mother.<ref>Moldovan, pp. 64–65</ref>
==Literary work==
===Prose=== During his ''Petale'' and ''Prima durere'' years, Theodorian borrowed inspiration from his Craiova colleague, Traian Demetrescu, producing novellas about aggrieved figures—pious prostitutes, marginalized officers, altruistic girls.<ref name="gc719"/> According to his ''Sburătorul'' patron Eugen Lovinescu, the bulk of his short prose resembles Brătescu-Voinești and I. A. Bassarabescu: urban-themed but longing for the "patriarchal" environment of the countryside, this "quite uniform" literature is "rather better in its miniature portrayals [of] aged maniacs and most of all survivors from a bygone era".<ref name="el212">Lovinescu, p. 212</ref> Călinescu suggests that Theodorian's sketches were "amateurish", and the humorous ones "very weak". He reserved some praise for the more "dramatic" ones, such as ''Calea sufletului'', in which the protagonist, an Orthodox priest, confronts the notary and a band of robbers to protect his charity box.<ref name="gc719"/> Reviewing the latter, Izabela Sadoveanu described Theodorian's "absence of taste and common sense, [which] makes him slide into sentimental exaggeration, into fake, affected, romanticism". ''Calea sufletului'', she argues, is an "anecdote that, had it been recounted concisely, vigorously, would have been interesting enough with its sheer chain of events."<ref>Izabela Sadoveanu, "Caton Theodorian. ''Calea sufletului''", in ''Viața Romînească'', Nr. 8/1909, pp. 314–315</ref> Contrarily, Nicolae Iorga of ''Sămănătorul'' found the works illuminating, with Theodorian as "master of the smooth and solid form", including "one of the best stories ever written in Romanian."<ref name="ni183">Iorga, p. 183</ref>
Summarized by George Călinescu as "literature opposing boyars to the upstarts",<ref>Călinescu, p. 747</ref> its more lively elements, according to Lovinescu, are its recurring samples of Theodorian's native Oltenian dialect.<ref name="el212"/> Thus, the ideologically-tinged ''Sângele Solovenilor'' was, according to Lovinescu, a mixture of ''Sămănătorul'' traditionalism (though "not one of attitudes") and ''Junimea'' conservatism.<ref>Lovinescu, pp. 211–212</ref> Călinescu rates it, more precisely, as "naturalistic", "in that variety of Romanian naturalism which deals with matters of heredity."<ref name="gc719"/> Iorga, who notes the same affiliation, suggests that the work is disappointing, but also that it features "many well-contoured characters."<ref name="ni183"/> At core, the psychological novel is about a clash of identities, between the legitimate and illegitimate sons of boyar Isaie Murat, ending in tragic suicide.<ref>Călinescu, p. 719; Lovinescu, pp. 211–212</ref> Heredity is also the background theme in ''Povestea unei odăi'', where Lady Zinca tries her best to fend off destiny, keeping her grandson uninformed about his father's gambling addiction.<ref name="gc719"/>
===Drama=== Novelist Léon Thévenin argued that Theodorian's contribution in theater made him a Romanian Eugène Brieux, albeit one writing for art's sake.<ref>Léon Thévenin, "Le théatre roumain", in ''Le Temps'', August 25, 1930, p. 2</ref> ''Bujoreștii'', presenting a dramatic version of Theodorian's stories, was a direct inspiration for the interwar theater of various authors (including Camil Petrescu and Lucreția Petrescu).<ref>Călinescu, pp. 747, 934</ref> It centers on the aging epicurean Fotin Bujorescu, depicted in tandem with the affable pharmacist, Amos. The latter is, according to Lovinescu, inspired by Ludwig Fulda's "Blockhead", but "more nuanced and of more depth".<ref name="el316">Lovinescu, p. 316</ref> Călinescu notes that, beyond superficial similarities with the plays of Émile Augier, ''Bujoreștii'' is original in depicting Fotin, a boyar, consumed not by thoughts of his mortality and his lineage dying out, but by the notion of eternity adapted to the Romanian psyche: he desperately wants his name to live on, not necessarily his aristocratic genes.<ref name="gc720"/> For this reason, he wants Amos, whom he believes to be a distant relative, as his son-in-law, shunning the commoner Cărbuneanu, although Cărbuneanu has impregnated his daughter Olga. Amos accepts the deal, and only because he genuinely loves his betrothed.<ref name="gc720"/>
On its 1921 premiere in Iași, ''Bujoreștii'' was noted by critic D. Razu for its richness of detail, with "every scene [...] a tiny work of drama"; a disadvantage of this was a certain slowness of action, which left actors with fewer lines simply "caged" on the stage. Razu, who noted that both the actors and the public were enjoying the play, suggested that this was mostly because of its sexualized ''double entendres'', concluding: "We're told that Mr Caton Teodorian {{sic}} [...] wrote his ''Bujoreștii'' to poke fun at his public. In this, he succeeded fully."<ref name="razu323"/> In its second act, this "chronologically imprecise"<ref name="el316"/> comedy depicts an awkward confrontation between Fotin and a circle of modernist youths. This atemporality, as well as its penchant for "written, not spoken" language, are described by Lovinescu as Theodorian's chief mistakes. He notes that such defects were constant, but even more noticeable, in all of Theodorian's writings for the stage.<ref>Lovinescu, pp. 316–317</ref>
Written on the same structure as ''Bujoreștii'', these works often touch on romantic subjects, particularly so ''Comedia inimii''—in which Amos makes his return; and ''Greșeala lui Dumnezeu''—in which the architect Scutaru is present to fill in the same mediating role.<ref name="el317">Lovinescu, p. 317</ref> As Călinescu records, ''Comedia inimii'', like ''Ziua cea din urmă'' (about an accidental fratricide), is "banal and falsely poetic."<ref name="gc719"/> The former was partly defended by Liviu Rebreanu, who suggested that the work erred in being "exceedingly perfect as literature", but not workable as drama. He suggested publishing it as a book, and rehashing it in a shortened version for the stage.<ref name="lr166–7"/>
Fulda's influence was also detected in ''Nevestele domnului Pleșu''. As Lovinescu notes, this work is less of a drama and more of a farce, but also shows a will for human betterment, personified by the clerk Hristache, triumphant over evil—represented here by the exploitative Stolnici.<ref name="el317"/> Călinescu rates the work as a "puerile, substantially vulgar" comedy.<ref name="gc719"/> Similarly, in ''Stăpâna'', Tecla Breazu cheats on her husband, bailiff Stoica, "on account that she cannot change the boyar blood in her."<ref name="gc719"/> Meanwhile, the kind and tenacious Stroica fights off the absurd wishes of his father-in-law—the play ends with a marriage of love between his daughter and another commoner.<ref name="el317"/> Theodorian's final contribution, ''Jucării sfărâmate'', shows a middle-aged man falling for a much younger woman, who only loves him as a father-figure. The result, Călinescu writes, is a "downright awful comedy"<ref name="gc720"/> (although, according to Perpessicius, the play was "not done justice").<ref name="prp287"/>
==Notes== {{reflist|3}}
==References== *Lucian Boia, ''"Germanofilii". Elita intelectuală românească în anii Primului Război Mondial''. Bucharest: Humanitas, 2010. {{ISBN|978-973-50-2635-6}} *George Călinescu, ''Istoria literaturii române de la origini pînă în prezent''. Bucharest: Editura Minerva, 1986. *Victor Eftimiu, ''Portrete și amintiri''. Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură, 1965. *Nicolae Iorga, ''Istoria literaturii românești contemporane. II: În căutarea fondului (1890–1934)''. Bucharest: Editura Adevĕrul, 1934. *Ion Livescu, ''Amintiri și scrieri despre teatru''. Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură, 1967. *Eugen Lovinescu, ''Istoria literaturii române contemporane''. Chișinău: Editura Litera, 1998. {{ISBN|9975740502}} *Ioan Massoff, ''Istoria Teatrului Național din București: 1877—1937''. Bucharest, Alcaly, [n. y.]. *Andrei Moldovan, "Din corespondența lui Liviu Rebreanu", in ''Vatra'', Nr. 1/2011, pp. 20–68. *Vasile Netea, ''Publicistică, V: Scrieri literare 1964–1987. Diverse''. Târgu Mureș: Petru Maior University Press, 2015. {{ISBN|978-606-581-127-0}} *I. Peltz, ''Amintiri din viața literară''. Bucharest: Cartea Românească, 1974. {{OCLC|15994515}} *Mihail Straje, ''Dicționar de pseudonime, anonime, anagrame, astronime, criptonime ale scriitorilor și publiciștilor români''. Bucharest: Editura Minerva, 1973. {{OCLC|8994172}} *Caton Theodorian, "Internaționala", in ''Sburătorul'', Nr. 50/1920, pp. 540–546. *Mariu Theodorian-Carada, **''Efemeridele. Insemnări & amintiri. Întâiul volum''. Bucharest: Tipografia Capitalei, 1930. **''Efemeridele. Însemnări & amintiri: 1908–1928''. Săbăoani: Serafica, 1937.
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theodorian, Caton}} Category:1871 births Category:1939 deaths Category:20th-century Romanian male writers Category:19th-century Romanian novelists Category:20th-century Romanian novelists Category:19th-century Romanian dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century Romanian dramatists and playwrights Category:Romanian male dramatists and playwrights Category:19th-century Romanian short story writers Category:20th-century Romanian short story writers Category:Romanian male short story writers Category:Romanian memoirists Category:Romanian humorists Category:19th-century Romanian translators Category:French–Romanian translators Category:Romanian magazine editors Category:Romanian magazine founders Category:Romanian book publishers (people) Category:Romanian propagandists Category:Adevărul editors Category:Adevărul writers Category:20th-century Romanian civil servants Category:Romanian police officers Category:Romanian censors Category:19th-century Romanian male actors Category:Romanian trade union leaders Category:People from Craiova Category:Romanian nobility Category:Romanian people of Greek descent Category:Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Category:Romanian people of World War I Category:Romanian refugees Category:Romanian expatriates in France Category:Romanian expatriates in Switzerland Category:Romanian book and manuscript collectors