The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-21

o
Daily Worker: it IS the voice Of your
| class. This was shown In
kind Of kaleidoscope technique with
the figures changing their IDENTITY
I from one flash" 70 another. Bits
we're effectively borrowed FROM the
Joos ballots CITY Impressions and
from the Siftons' "1931-.' Each bit
was striking and convincing because
! the essential action or word and THAI
alone WIS presented; and the slogans
we're added to each picture Ike g
period to a sentence. The whole
thing was done with remarkable
rhythm concentration, fervor and
1est,
THg American Youth duh o.
Brooklyn put on a playlet called
| Boots and Shoes, Amen" that dealt
with strike in a shoe-fectory, the
| betrayal Of the A. T. OF L leaders
and the successful carrying through
Of the strike by the rank-and-file
members, one Of whom Is killed BY
the bosses hired thugs. This mum
Der was interesting for a certain
straightforward presentation Of use
ful information like 8 simply written
| strike report. It was acted in the
same spirit, except for a tendency
to "adorn" the material with super
flcial theatricality. The actors should
not have used makeup at all, Just az
its author might have avoided an &C.
casional leaning toward conventional
melodramatics.
The New Experimental Theatre
| gave us q satire on the economic con-
ference, In which the mask Of the
Marx brothers was employed to nVen
! the satire with horse-play. This had
amusing moments, but 1t was at least
five minutes too long and should
have been played faster. The inter
esting feature in this instance was
the attemrt to turn its idea into the
atrically entertaining form by way
OF farce and colorful high-i inks.
The Harlem Progressive Club pre-
sented a playlet showing the radi-
calization Of a White-collarite. This
like all the plot pieces Of the eve
ming failed because Of its effort to do
too much with the result that its
story became threadbare and absurd.
Some Of the actors in this group,
however, have unusual ability.
The Workers School group presented
a sketch demonstrating the need for
unionization amongst office workers.
1t was simpler and more convincing
than the Harlem Progressive Clubs
play, but it was not as well acted,
Two children's groups appeared
the Ella May Wiggin Group and the
Aurora Players. Both did nice work
particularly the former which
showed excellent discipline We are
not sure, however, that the idea Of
having young children recite slogans
is the best way of training them
Should not some attempt be made to
find material more characteristic Of
child's approach and Of a childs
experience? To have. children Shout
| the exact phrases that are used by
their seniors make the children appear
unnatural and their seniors childish.
THE tendency to rely indiScrinn-
nately on slogans seems to be the
pitfall Of most Of these groups. Near
ly all the playletS are written on q
formula, and very few Of the groups
seem to realize that 1t is their Jobs
to bring their own particular imagi--
nations to bear on the material
The problem Of the Workers Theatres
is with each performance to reveal
anew the truth Of their point of view
to state their message in some way
which shall strike the audience as
If it were for the first time with the
relevancy Of the Communist inter
probation OF events. Unless this is
done, the mere repetition of hack
neyed illustrations becomes stale and
Wearisome and nothing is accom-
/ pliShed either Electrically or fdeo-
logically. Nor is it necessary for The
short playlets to encompass ever
| thing, to present realistically a whole
| complex of affairs. This was the
fault Of most Of Sundays playlets
which for this reason evoked the
wrong kind Of laughter. A simple
| point concisely and strikingly stated
| stimulates the audience and con-
/ vjnces it. From this angle, we re-
peat, the 'Newsboy" of the WILT
is model to be studied.
The jury which included Elton,
Bonn, Rothman, Daniels, Schneider
and Edgar chose 'Newsboy" and the
playlet of the American Youth Club
and the New Experimental Theatre
to be presented at the final New
York competition, and recommended
that the Ella May Wiggin children's
group also appear at that event.