The Prolet-Buehne was among the most successful and long-lasting of the Workers Theatre projects.

‘The Artistic Life of the Prolet-Buehne, New York’s German Agitprop Troup’ by M. Thon from Workers Theatre. Vol. 1 No. 6. September, 1931.

The Prolet-Buehne has not always been an Agitprop Troup. Until two years ago the Prolet-Buehne played to entertain workers at their affairs. There was, of course, always a general political tendency in the plays but not real propaganda for political action. According to this general political tendency the structure of the plays was still in the bourgeois style. But together with the political training of the members developed the artistic life of the Prolet-Buehne. Out of the intense class-struggle grew the agitprop style. We do not play anymore to entertain the workers but to do propaganda for the class-struggle, that is “Agitprop-work.” To what extent did the Prolet-Buehne fulfill this task?

In the year 1930 we gave 31 performances, including revues, mass recitals, proletarian songs and poems. The first revue: “Strasse frei! Es wird, geschossent”…(Clear the streets, or else we’ll shoot you”), consists of short satirical scenes and a pantomime. Some of the scenes are accompanied by music, The scenes can be played separately. The second revue: “Wenn wir wollen” (“It’s up to us “) was given during the election campaign. This revue was of a more serious political tendency than the first revue, some of the scenes were in Agitprop style. The music played a minor part this time, a gong gave the rhythm. The revue ended with a mass recital with rhythmic movements.

This year we gave so far 30 performances; including mass recitals, plays and pantomimes. The mass recital is one of the most of effecting forms that we have tried out. It can easily be put up. It does not take much time to write and to rehearse it. Concrete events regarding the class-struggle can be dramatized in the shortest possible time. As for instance, the mass recital about the Scottsboro case was written rehearsed and played in one week. Another advantage of the mass recital is that it can be played wherever workers are, as there is no scenery necessary. To make a mass recital more effective we use megaphones and posters with slogans.

As we were asked to perform before English and foreign language organizations, we had to find a way to make ourselves understood. We did this by means of the pantomime. The pantomime “Divide and Rule” was first played at a protest meeting against discrimination of the foreign-born. A few posters marked the scenery, a drum gave the rhythm to the movements. Instead of a mass recital, posters with slogans were raised at the end of the pantomime.

How do wo write our plays?

Some are done collectively, some individually.

In writing our last play, we formed committees consisting each of two comrades. Ideas and contents of the play were formulated at the meeting.

The plays presented by the committee were read, discussed and the best one chosen. This method seems to be very successful since all comrades of the group were stimulated to write.

The directing of the plays is done by one comrade. For each play a director is selected in order to give every comrade training in directing.

How do wo put up our plays?

For mass recitals wo do not need any settings at all. If there is a stage, we cover the background with a black curtain. Stairs connect the audience with the players. If we do need settings they are very simple. They can easily be put up and folded together, as for instance in our play “Work or Wages,” we have the background of the set covered with drawings on gray paper. These drawings can be rolled up. Often posters are used for settings.

As to the music in our plays, it is very simple. Drum beats support the rhythm of the words and the movements. We have come to this simple rhythm out of necessity as we did not have any comrades who could compose.

One of the shortcomings of our group is the limited possibilities that we have to perform outside of German organizations. We try to overcome this by working together with the workers Laboratory Theatre. As a result we gave joined performances, a collective report at the Workers Cultural Convention and a mass recital for the W,I.R. Furthermore we participated in the various mass pageants.

We have not as yet reached that point of agitprop work that they have in Germany. We have not had any performances on the streets, at demonstrations and open air meetings, except on August 1st, at Union Square under the direction of the Dram-Bureau of the workers cultural Federation.

Our work for the future has to be broadened to roach more workers, especially those that have never heard anything about the class-struggle.

The New Theatre 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/v1n06-sep-1931-Workers-Theatre-NYPL-mfilm.pdf