Caton Theodorian, or Teodorian (May 14, 1871 â€" January 8, 1939), was
a Romanian playwright, poet, short story writer and novelist. A
maternal nephew of the politician Eugeniu Carada, he was, 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 Theater 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.Born in Craiova, 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. The
latter, possibly a Macedo-Romanian immigrant to Wallachia, had fought
with the 1821 revolutionaries and then the Wallachian regulars, before
becoming a customs officer and gentleman farmer. 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.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. It was in Fălciu that he met
his future brother-in-law, Eugeniu Carada, 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. 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. He had two other sons in addition to Mariu (the
eldest) and Caton: Ștefan and Ion "Nonu" Theodorian.
a Romanian playwright, poet, short story writer and novelist. A
maternal nephew of the politician Eugeniu Carada, he was, 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 Theater 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.Born in Craiova, 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. The
latter, possibly a Macedo-Romanian immigrant to Wallachia, had fought
with the 1821 revolutionaries and then the Wallachian regulars, before
becoming a customs officer and gentleman farmer. 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.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. It was in Fălciu that he met
his future brother-in-law, Eugeniu Carada, 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. 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. He had two other sons in addition to Mariu (the
eldest) and Caton: Ștefan and Ion "Nonu" Theodorian.
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