Winnipeg school board trustee Joe Zuken was involved in the putting on of the play in its initial - and foreshortened - run. The agitprop play told the story of Tim Buck and his arrest as a Communist under Section 98 of the Criminal Code that made simple association with an organization advocating violent overthrow of the government a crime. However, such accusations were often made without regard to the organizations' actual intentions, effectively allowing the federal government to claim that any powerful group which potentially opposed them to be labelled as 'subversive' . Furthermore, it details the apparent  assassination attempt on Buck during a prison riot when shots were fired into his cell despite the fact he was not participating in the riot in any way. The play is most noted for the reaction of the local authorities following the play's one performance at Toronto's Standard Theatre on December 4, 1933. The police ordered the play closed and threatened to revoke the theatre's licence if the play was performed again. A theatre in Winnipeg had its licence revoked to pre-empt the play being performed there.  When the Progressive Arts Club had a meeting to protest this censorship,  former Manitoba Labour MLA  A. E. Smith  gave a speech endorsing the play and its presentation of the attempted assassination of the imprisoned Communist leader. Smith was arested and charged with sedition. The resulting trial allowed Buck to take the stand and relate the events of the incident in open court. Smith was acquitted, and Buck and his comrades were soon released afterward.
 The agitprop play tells story of the imprisonment of Tim Buck and seven others Communist Party leaders under Section 98 of the Criminal Code , which made simple association with the Communist Party a crime. The law allowed authorities to claim that any powerful group which potentially opposed them to be labelled as 'subversive' and thus punishable. The play also dramatized an assassination attempt on Buck while in prison. During a prison riot , shots were fired into Buck's cell despite the fact he was not participating in the riot in any way. The play is most noted for the reaction of the Toronto authorities following the play's one performance at Toronto's Standard Theatre on December 4, 1933. The police ordered the play closed and threatened to revoke the theatre's licence if the play was performed again. Communist Winnipeg school board trustee Joe Zuken and others attempted to have the play performed in Winnipeg. But authorities revoked the theatre's licence and stopped the play's performance. When the Progressive Arts Club had a meeting to protest this censorship, a former Manitoba Labour MLA , A. E. Smith , gave a speech endorsing the play and its presentation of the attempted assassination of the imprisoned Communist leader. Smith was arested and charged with sedition. The resulting trial allowed Buck to take the stand and relate the events of the incident in open court. Smith was acquitted, and Buck and his comrades were soon released afterward.
D
Winnipeg school board trustee Joe Zuken was involved in the putting on of the play in its initial - and foreshortened - run.
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told the story of
tells story of the imprisonment of
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his arrest as a Communist
seven others Communist Party leaders
R
that
, which
R
an organization advocating violent overthrow of the government
the Communist Party
R
However, such accusations were often made without regard to the organizations' actual intentions, effectively allowing the federal government to
The law allowed authorities to
R
. Furthermore, it details the apparent
and thus punishable.
A
The play also dramatized an
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during
while in prison. During
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when
,
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his
Buck's
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local
Toronto
D
A theatre in Winnipeg had its licence revoked to pre-empt the play being performed there.
A
Communist Winnipeg school board trustee Joe Zuken and others attempted to have the play performed in Winnipeg. But authorities revoked the theatre's licence and stopped the play's performance.
A
a
A
,
A
,