Round One/Round Two and Eric Bentley

Eric Bentley first translated and published Reigen in the 1950's and later published his same translation under the title: Round One in the 1980's. Round One became Bentley's inspiration for a similarly styled and themed piece set in 1970's New York City highlighting gay culture and relationships. In each play he included a preface which explores themes and ideas in Schnitzler's Reigen.

HERE IS A LINK TO THE PREFACE OF ROUND ONE

Pay close attention to the quote found on page xi:

"The play opens with the encounter of Whore and Soldier. The latter is the most crudest character in the play, a man who has almost totally given up his humanity. Other people exist just to provide him with a physical release. Thus in the interplay of body and soul which is the life of this play and the characters in it, he stands at one extreme, and the Count in the last scene stands at the other. The Count is so intent on proving that the sould is more real than the body that he actually forgets he has had sex with the whore and fantasized about a conceivable relation, even with  a whore (!), that is 'romantic', i.e. spiritual. Thus REIGEN has what most commentators seem to have denied it; a development of plot and theme from one extremity to another."

HERE IS A LINK TO THE PREFACE OF ROUND TWO