The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-11-01
STAGING THE
SPEED-UP
JIM COOPERKOP
BY SHIN GODINER


Produced by Benno Schneider,
setting by B. Aronson, Dances by B.
zemach, Music by Lain Adohmyan.
THE PLAYERS:
Woodrow Rockford (American Mag
nate)-A. Hirshbein, M. Friedman;
Lengston (Another American Mag
Mates. Nagoshiner;
Edgar Howard Inventor OF JIM
Welichansky;
Jim Cooperkop Mechanical Man,
A. Kopilofsky;
Prof. Lee Psychriatrist for Rock
ford-Leib Freilich;
Tom "a Negro, oldest servant Of
RockforO-A. Holz;
Jessie "a mulatto, Toms daughter)-
Liuba Rymer- Chana Shpiner;
Fornithve Rockford's Private Sec
retary)-Sara Silberberg;
Tonnes Labor Leaders,. Levin;
Robert (Worker, Chairman of the
AXIS" Society)-Max Schneiderman
Graneck (Speaker)-Joseph Shrogin;
Thunp Negro worker)-G. Roster;
Bette Smith Editors Of Com
munist Daily)-Dene brute, Fela
Bro. M. Friedman, A. Hirshbein;
Lee-Ho "a Chinese laborer) -Michel
Goldstein;
Jim Cotter Negro laborer)-S.
Straus;
Jack (Worker-Stool Pigeon &C.
Rutnan:
A man with outstreched arm Tin
the prologue)--J. Shrogin:
A Woman-Tina Todrina. Eda
Shatzky;
Rockford's Agent-Hersh Gendel;
The Spectre-Michel Goldstein;
First Servant lin Rockford's Study
Bonnie Jacobs;
Second Servant Tin Rockford's
Study)-Munie Dubitsky;
Advertising Mosques Gin Prologue)
Guests In the Salon-Workers
The Artef Players have brought to
the stage Of the Princess Theatre,
where they are now housed, revo-
lutionary drama whose theme at
least is of tremendous political sig
nificance. In the words Of the
printed synopsis, Jim Cooperkop'
is "the decentralization Of an idea
and a forecast" Summed up, the
theme, is the boomerang effect of
capitalist naturalization on the sys-
tenn that created 1t.
Godiner has given us his thesis
in the form Of symbol. through q
plot that is, to say the least, intri-
cate. Woodrow Rockford, American
captain Of industry, alarmed at the
growing Righteousness OF the work
ing masses, Is driven to seek a way
of stenlming the tide of revolution.
He induces an inventor, Edgar
Howard, to sell him his mechanical
man, Jim Cooperkop (CopperheaO
after ordering that the automaton
be deprived Of its heart and brain.
Divested Of these two disturbance
centers. Jim Cooperkop is ready to
be turned into the ideal wage slave.
The robot, however, proves ineffec-
tual to halt the revolutionary march.
In desperation, Rockford plans by
means Of an internal machine to
destroy the earth and all the fac
tories on 1t. But Jim Cooperkop,
vengefully set in motion by the
cheated Negro servant, Tom, brushes
Rockford together with his mulatto
mistress, Jessie, Toms own daughter.
The final scene shows the jubila-
ton Of Rockford's arch-competitor
Langston, with whom the former
vainly sought to enter into merger.
Jim Cooperkop, has now been made
to stand high up In a public square,
believing laughter, at the behest Of
the gloating Langston and his re-
tainers-a laughing colossus to SYM
bolize the victorious gayety of Amer
lean high finance.
But the revelry Is brought to a
sudden end by the news of nation
wide strikes In Langston's plants
Workers in rebellion come marching
upon the scene. The automaton, set
in motion. marches in the ranks of
the revolution.
An ambitious work!--the endeavor
to dramatize the era of declining
capitalism.
A master may take a vast project
of this type and realize it on limited
scene through a concrete situation.
But with Codiner the drama has
not crossed from conception to OBJ
jective reality. The setting is still
in the domain Of the idea. 1t stands
to reason that such drama lacks the
It was Ten Days of Comrade Join
ing That Shook the World!
Weasel was so scared he sucked
himself to death. Octopus hugget
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