▁old ▁ge ez ers , ▁while ▁pra ising ▁its ▁literary ▁mer its , ▁refused ▁to ▁accept ▁it ▁as ▁' imm oral ', ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁children ▁there ▁read ▁H eg el ▁and ▁behave ▁without ▁proper ▁respect ▁to ▁their ▁el ders ," ▁Gi pp ius ▁wrote ▁in ▁her ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁mem oir s . ▁" This ▁was ▁sc and alous . ▁The ▁director ▁instantly ▁wanted ▁to ▁see ▁this ▁jo ke ▁of ▁a ▁protocol , ▁we ▁started ▁to ▁think ▁of ▁how ▁to ▁appe ase ▁these ▁old ▁men ▁with ▁as ▁little ▁f uss ▁as ▁possible . ▁Then ▁the ▁War ▁broke ▁out , ▁everything ▁turned ▁ups ide ▁down , ▁I ▁stopped ▁even ▁thinking ▁of ▁plays ," ▁she ▁remembered ▁in ▁her ▁Blue ▁Book ▁of ▁mem oir s . ▁"... Then , ▁before ▁Christmas , ▁something ▁extraordinary ▁happened . ▁Sav ina ▁who ' d ▁read ▁my ▁play ▁( which ▁Meyer hold ▁had ▁sent ▁her ) ▁decided ▁she ▁was ▁eager ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁part ▁in ▁it ! .. ▁There ▁was ▁not ▁much ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁her ▁in ▁it , ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁age ing ▁young ish ▁mother ▁was ▁small ▁and ▁conf ined ▁to ▁just ▁one ▁single ▁act , ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁hardly ▁an ▁easy ▁one ... ▁But ▁whatever ▁the ▁queen ▁of ▁Alexand r ink a ▁dem ands , ▁is ▁hers ▁for ▁the ▁taking ! ▁And ▁the ▁whole ▁thing ▁has ▁got ▁a ▁re - start ." ▁ ▁Sav ina ▁ins isted ▁upon ▁meeting ▁the ▁author ▁and , ▁much ▁to ▁Gi pp ius ▁surprise , ▁subject ed