La Ronde: A Play

A play for our times. Even though it was written more than 100 years ago, Arthur Schnitzler's `Hands Around' is still fresh and down to earth, when it comes to man-woman relationships that will lead to a sexual intercourse. Originally written in 1890s, this play was an instant scandal when first performed in 1920s. One can't help but wonders why. Don't wonder that much everything is there: sex is the main theme of this text. Yes, in this play people frankly talk about having sex for different reasons, such as money, love, power etc. This is what makes this text so timeless. A proof of this is that dramatist David Hare --who scripted the movie `The Hours'-- updated it and entitled as `The Blue Room', that brought together talents like Nicole Kidman and director Sam Mendes, to the London production.`Hands' is a cycle of 10 dialogues always featuring a man and a woman. One is trying to seduce the other, who, by different reasons, is trying to escape from the seducer. More than baring bodies with his words, Arthur Schnitzler --whose one of most famous work `Dream Story' was the base for Stanley Kubrick's `Eyes Wide Shut'-- bares people souls, and brings a lot of tension --mostly sexual-- to the stage. Most of this author works' deals with Love (sex) and Death and this play is no exception. Although very subtle sometimes, Schnitzler is not afraid of talking about dissimulation and the power that sex has over people, making them do things they would never do in other context. This play is a gem. Wonderfully written and with unforgettable characters. Nevertheless, it is not for everyone. Some people may be offended with so many invasions of our minds and souls.

Arthur Schnitzler's play "Hands Around" was first published in 1897, but (according to the brief prefatory note in the Dover edition), its controversial nature prevented it from being performed until 1920. The Dover edition contains an English translation of the play."Hands Around" is a cycle of ten dialogues, each of which is linked to the previous and following dialogue through one or the other speaker. Thus, "The Girl of the Streets and the Soldier" is followed by "The Soldier and the Parlor-Maid," which is in turn followed by "The Parlor-Maid and the Young Man," etc. The couple in each dialogue is about to have, or has just had, a sexual encounter.Through his characters, the Vienna-born Schnitzler holds up a harsh mirror to the dishonesty, hypocrisy, and loneliness of life. There are some passages of truly dark cynicism. Consider this statement of "the Count" to "the Actress": "Happiness? There really is no such thing as happiness. All the things that people talk about most, don't exist... for instance, love."Schnitzler paints a rather bleak portrait of human nature. His characters' disturbing inner lives are ironically complemented by surroundings that are either sadly shabby or elegantly decadent. Overall, "Hands Around" is a fascinating, if uneven, work of European theater.

Though the last reveiw was good enough to compel me to read this play, the writer is a bit off. Hands Around involves 10 people who each have affairs with two lovers. Each scene involves the dialouge between the lovers before and after they have sex. It starts with the "girl of the streets", who has sex with a soldier, who forces himself upon the maid, who is suduced by the young man, etc. and ends with the girl of the streets... I found the play not only intruiging because of its bold approach torwards promiscuity but also because of the time it was written; 1890. It was only first publicly presented in the 20's and even then was condemed for the scandal it created. I read this in one sitting, first because it's short and you could easily finish it in under an hour, but also because I couldn't put it down. If this play is ever performed near where I live, I will have to see it. Everyone should have the privledge of enjoying this work and now that it's in dover-thirft editions you can get it for less than a what a sandwich might cost you.