Reports of workers theater activities from Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Davenport, Kansas City, Detroit, Chicago, Louisville, Philadelphia, and New York.

‘Coast to Coast with the Workers Theatre Groups’ from Workers Theatre. Vol. 3 No. 5-6. May-June, 1933.

LOS ANGELES. The Workers Dramatic Council here is taking steps to organize a Collective Theatre of professionals to put on full length revolutionary plays cooperatively at regular intervals.

The Rebel Players report that the honor bestowed upon them by their being considered a group worthy of representing the LOWT at the International Olympiad (see elsewhere in this issue has awakened their organization to its importance in the class struggle as a weapon in the hands of the workers, and has resulted in a growth of interest on the part of the members. They have resolved to increase their activities, which of late have been slackening.

In April the Rebel Players performed “Hands Off” for the Southern California Anti-War Conference and gave Tom Thomas’ May Day Mass Recitation at the local Way Day Celebration, with both their Blue Blouse Troupes taking part. The two Blue Blouse Troupes are undergoing a reorganization for greater efficiency.

Future bookings include performances at a cultural evening to be given by the National Youth Day Conference on May 28th, participation in the National Youth Day demonstration at San Diego, and a performance of an Anti-Criminal Syndicalist Law play for the Conference for the Repeal of the Criminal Syndicalism Law.

They are planning to do “Broadway 1933” soon, possibly at an evening of plays to be given by Rebe! Players.

MILWAUKEE. And this time we actually have a bit of good news from Milwaukee though not received directly from the groups there. We are waiting for a more detailed report of the activities of the groups in that glorious socialist city of theirs.

John Reed Drama Group participated in the program the May 1st affair where they performed before audience of thousands of workers.

The Prolet-Buehne, Milwaukee, seems to have inherited not only the name but also the revolutionary spirit of its N.Y. sister-organization. In addition to performances at various affairs the group accepted the challenge of the Prolet-Buehne, N.Y., and raised their quota for new subscriptions for the “Arbeiter”, German-language Communist weekly. And what is more: The Prolet-Buehne, Milwaukee, not only won this competition but is ahead of all German organizations in the campaign. That’s real work for an agit-prop group, and our older groups better take a lesson from this young group.

KANSAS CITY. Kansas City has organized a workers Modern Library, which uses books, lectures, moving pictures, and plays as instruments for the dissemination of knowledge concerning the class struggle and general conditions of the working class. Their dramatic group presents its first program, consisting of workers theatre plays, on May 27th. They gave three showings of the Soviet film, “A Fragment of an Empire” on April 30th.

CHICAGO. The Workers Theatre of Chicago presented their first play, “Precedent” by I.J. Golden, in revised form and with the addition of a finale called the Camera Voice depicting the seventeen years of Mooney’s incarceration. The Camera Voice was done with mass voices off stage over a public address system while projections from glass sides of the passage of time were shown on the dares of the stage.

The Chicago Blouses have not replied to the challenge issued by the Red Players of N.Y. to Socialist competition in selling WORKERS quota for each group, 75. Chicago comrades are way behind Los Angeles in reacting to such important developments. Since then, the Red Players have disbanded because of organizational weakness. The Chicago Blue Blouses would find worthy revolutionary competitors in the John Reed Drama Group of Philadelphia. What do you say, Chi?

DAVENPORT. The recently organized Workers Theatre reports that it gave a performance of Paul Feters “Dirt Farmer” to an audience of 375 workers and farmers. More details about the group will be welcome: Method of work, future plans, etc.

DETROIT. Children’s dramatic groups are being organized in the Pioneer troops of Detroit. They need children’s plays, pantomimes, and other suitable material. All groups or playwrights who have such material should send in copies at once.

LOUISVILLE. The Pen and Hammer Club of this city has formed a Workers Dramatic Group in conjunction with the local Socialist group in an effort to put on revolutionary class-struggle plays. Material of the full-length type is wanted.

PHILADELPHIA. The John Reed Club Drama Group has performed on the average of once a week during the past year, at labor meetings, concerts, demonstrations, picnics, celebrations, Party mass meetings, and bazaars. They hold discussions once a week on political and technical matters pertaining to dramatic work; they are now having a course on The History of Drama. Most of their material now comes either from WORKERS THEATRE, which has been of tremendous assistance to them, or from the playwrights affiliated with the Philadelphia John Reed Club. They have performed in other cities within a radius of 80 miles. On National Youth Day, May 30, they are sending an agitprop brigade to perform at Allentown, Pa.

NEW YORK. The Finnish Youth Club of the Finnish Federation is beginning dramatic work along with its other activities. They have already produced “The Spark”, and are planning to do “Broadway 1933” next. The group meets at 764 40th Street, Brooklyn. The Finnish youth are welcome to join.

Drama Group of the F.S.U. Romain Rolland Youth Branch, 600 Arnow Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. Composed of 8 comrades. Have performed “Dr. Krupps and individual recitations such as “And I’ll De Hane Within a Year” by Anital Hidas, “Good-bye Christ” by Langston Hughes. Now working on a mass chant which condemns imperialist war.

The Theatre of the Workers School, one of the youngest groups in the city, at the present date, has sold the greatest number of tickets for the N.Y. Spartakiade. They have turned in $11.05 so far–with more coming. They are sending in the cash quickly, for they realize that we need the cash for the printer so that we can get the next issue of WORKERS THEATRE out in time. So, comrades, Rush all funds, money for dues, magazines, tickets, contributions, etc., to the office of the LOWT, 42 East 12th Street, N.Y.C.

The Megaphone Brigade on May 1st and organized the mass shouting at the Anti-Fascist demonstration on May 10th. The next performances will be given on May 30 at a unit affair and on May 21st at the Y.C.L. district hike. The next Megaphone Brigade will be organized for the National Youth Day Parade on May 30th.On Thursday, May 11th, a Russian Professional Actor’s group was formed, under the name “Workers Theatre of the Audience.” The group consists of 40 people: actors, singers, scenery artists, electricians, stage hands, etc. The group includes Russian actors: L. Luganoff, M. Lavrowsky, Nikulin, Less, Dagmarova, etc.

The purpose of this group is to produce once every week, beginning this coming September, performances of plays dealing with Soviet life. The repertoire will consist of the best plays staged in Soviet Union, also of plays from American life. Prices will be very low.

The Young Communist League, N.Y. in conjunction With the L.O.W.T. is organizing a city-wide agitprop group with delegates from the different units. The group will function for a while as a regular agitprop group, but in addition to the practical work, the participants will be instructed as to how to organize a group, how to write and direct plays, etc. These comrades will later go back to their respective units and organize all agitprop groups attached to the unit. The first practical work of this group will be the participation in the Megaphone Brigade on National Youth Day. All young boys and girls interested whether Y.C.L. members or not, should get in touch with Comrade Ann. Howe, LOWT, 42 12th or Y.C.L. District office, 35 E. 12th.

The Yorkville Youth Players, formerly known as the Dram Section of the Y.C.L. Yorkville Unit, gave their first 3 performances of “Charity” during 10 days, selling 15 copies of WORKERS THEATRE, March issue, 11 copies of WORKERS THEATRE, April issue (up-to-now) and $11.00 worth of tickets for the N.Y. Spartakiade. Although the group had to call off participation in the Spartakiade because members of the cast got jobs for that day, the play written collectively was finished. Five members took part in.

The Theatre Collective (Section of the workers Laboratory Theatre) is hard at work on the production of “1931”, the play by Clair and Paul Sifton which had a Broadway presentation last season by the Group Theatre. The play has been revised for the T.C. by the authors. “1931” opens at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, 28th St. and Broadway, on May 20th, and will run for several days.

The Technical Department has its hands full preparing its end of the production. At the same time, the other activities of the Theatre Collective are continuing. The actor’s class, which consists now of those not being used in the rehearsal, is working on scenes from “The Weavers” of Gerhard Hauptmann. The dancing class continues to move to the beat of a chinese drum, and the Executive Committee meets even in the hallway, when other space is not available.

An All-Eastern Conference of Workers Theatres will be held at the end of June, when Comrade J.E. Bonn, our delegate to the International Workers Theatre Olympiad in Moscow will return and give his report. Also, plans for a National W.T. Conference and Spartakiade to be held in 1934 will be completed. All groups in the Eastern region must send in recommendations, names and addresses of delegates elected, groups participating, etc. as soon as possible to LOWT, National Office.

New York to have Membership Meeting. Monday, May 29, at 8:30 P.M. a general membership meeting of all N.Y. workers theatre groups will be held at 42 East 12th Street. On the agenda will be such important points as: Discussion on N.Y. Spartakiade: International Workers Theatre Olympiad: All-Eastern Conference of LOWTs, National Spartakiade 1934. No member of any group can afford to miss this meeting. Groups which have their rehearsals on Mondays must shift them to another night for that week.

Workers Laboratory Theatre of the W.I.R., Agit-prop section. The Socialist Competition is on: Rebel Players of Los Angeles vs W.L.T. on sale of WORKERS THEATRE. W.L.T. must sell 3 to every 1 of Rebel Players. Come on Agit-Propers, Let’s go! W.L.T. is preparing a Political Side Show for the summer (see WORKERS THEATRE August 1932). Working on a plan to play at amateur nights in bourgeois theatres (going to the masses). During the month of April, we have performed 12 times giving 21 plays and recitations. Took part in May 1st parade with Yorkville Y.C.L. Drama Group as a megaphone brigade that led the Downtown Section into Union Square. Working out a plan for the coming year to extend its activities; Last but not least, came out first in N.Y. Section of LOWT Spartakiade this year with our production of the “SELL OUT.”

The Workers Dance League is holding its first Dance Spartakiade on June 4th, 1933, at the Shakespeare Theatre. Eleven dance groups in New York City and vicinity will compete, and possibly, groups from Boston, Philadelphia, Plainfield, N.J. and other cities.

The Groups will present dance compositions created and executed by their members, which will be judged on the basis of artistic merit, use of costumes, scenery, lighting, space, etc., musical setting, (or percussion), content and clarity, and appeal to workers’ audiences.

The New Theater continued Workers Theater. Workers Theater began in New York City in 1931 as the publication of The Workers Laboratory Theater collective, an agitprop group associated with Workers International Relief, becoming the League of Workers Theaters, section of the International Union of Revolutionary Theater of the Comintern. The rough production values of the first years were replaced by a color magazine as it became primarily associated with the New Theater. It contains a wealth of left cultural history and ideas. Published roughly monthly were Workers Theater from April 1931-July/Aug 1933, New Theater from Sept/Oct 1933-November 1937, New Theater and Film from April and March of 1937, (only two issues).

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/workers-theatre/v3n5-n6-1933-may-jun-Workers-Theatre-yale-mf.pdf