Maeterlinck Maurice

At the time of the Spanish Inquisition, observed Maurice Maeterlinck, the opinion of good sense. . . was certainly that people ought not to burn too large a number of heretics extreme and unreasonable opinion obviously demanded that they should burn none at all. Today it is the same with involuntary mental hospitalization. The opinion of good sense now is that psychiatrists ought to commit only those mental patients who are "very ill, or dangerous to themselves or others extreme and unreasonable opinion obviously demands that no one should be committed. 

Artaud knew the play from Maurice Maeterlinck s adaptation, Anmbella, performed in Paris in 1894. For a discussion by Stuart Seide, who directed it in France in 1975 and 2007, see www.theatredunord.fr/Public/documentation.php ID= 1874. An Italian film version (Imperia, 1971) changed the title to Addio, Pratello Crudele, a translation of Annabella s dying words. 

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