The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 9, 1926, Page 14

ADCAST Re THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION A Classical Play. A Satire, in Dramatic Form, on the Recent Convention of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ weet By PAULINE SCHULMAN. p Cast of Characters With the Members of the Union as the Public: Sigman........... Manager of a Theater Dubinsky, A Man Wielding Great Power. Bart sccemnsctstssecstsienssvsece Bank Director Hochman, Spokesman for the Troupe IARIOE. hii sisdcicsinsnsastrsnntecionsiys The Poet Halpern, Savior of the Country BBCOMIRE pica ciccicsecccearserec The Clown BIMAMDG i icsssciicasbaaclessniciaddisediiocd A Sport A ,Preacher Lefkowitz: | Spe A Philosopher ‘Fania M. Cohn, A “Red Cross” Nurse Molly Friedman, A Salvation Army Girl : First, Second and Third Ciritic. A Number of Elderly Men and Young Girls, Police and Plainclothes Men. Time: Present. Place: Philadelphia, Prologue Before The Curtain Manager (Sigman): My good friends, on whom I have depended to assist and advise me,come to your old friend’s aid once more tonight. (Not knowing what fate may befall his present undertaking, he evidently tried very hard to please the assem- bled audience.) To please the public I am most, desirous. “Live and let live” has ever been its maxim, Gladly does the public pay whatever we tax it. I know the people’s taste; . their whims, caprices, are and were always satisfied by the production of-new and popular pieces; but heretofore .I have never. been so harrassed. as. now. Everyone reads ’so much about every- thing. The books they read are. not the chests dthigidis- true. And they are foreyer, reading,—reading!. This. being so, how can we hope to produce any- thing new and good? Poet (Nagler): With my dramatic voice I surely will inspire them. My powers do not desert me when facing tumultous crowds and maintain their vigor as well as when I gaze into the quiet of an ever-silent spring, I know the mutitude and how to play on their feelings. Spokesman (Hochman): Where the poet will fail with his dramatic voice, I'll command! In case of necessity I will shout so as to compel applause from the critic who represents the public. Savior of the Country (Halpern): Haven't I worked hard and prepared adequately? Look at all these girls who will be among the representatives of the public. At my first signal they will applaud; they have nothing else to do and are paid well for doing so. The Powerful Man (Dubinsky): M methods have never failed and those who assist me are always at my serv- ice. Clown (Antonini): The critics surely will not have anything against me, I'll always make them laugh. With my head hanging clumsily between my shoulders, the little mustache on my upper lip trying to show a seri- ous and honest face which is a rarity with me—no doubt they will be amused. In case I notice any dissat- isfaction emanating from the critics, I'll jump on the platform and will have something to say to the Man- ager, 80 as not to give the represen- tatives of the public an opportunity to express their opinion, Philosopher (Lefkowitz) (Lost in profound contemplation): Yes, it is the most important thing not to let the critics express themselves, be+ cause press representatvies are here and still they will surely broadcast the message to the public which would mean total failure for this play as well as for our stage as a whole, No! this shall not, it must not happen! To match my French beard, I'll let my moustache grow long. I will use some very high-sounding phrases so as to make the critics believe that no yf nore in hesitation. They cry: material motives or personal interests enter my. mind. Nothing less than World Phenomena concerns me, Salvation, Army Girl (Molly Fried- man): With my songs I'll try to per- suade the critics to believe that these actors mean well and are trying to up- lift them with their new art, which is art with a purpose, not art as we have had it heretofore—“Art for Art’s sake.” I will make the critics think that no other aim have these actors but ‘to serve the public. Should I no- tice any look of doubt upon anyone’s face, I'll turn my eyes to heaven and Swear that I believe in these actors ‘ja8t as strongly as I trust in god, that I would .net fear to entrust my life it ied hands. ‘oss Nurse (Fania Cohn), (Pleasure alone is wal te pu f is seeking. There are mé phag life which may interest thém. to them some excerpts from diary wherein I have jotted down notes 0 the statements uttered by men on the point of death. At the same time lll try to draw their attention to the importance of life insurance institu- tions, so that they may forget about the play. The Manager (Sigman) (Listening to the foregoing becomes a little self confident, altho his heart trembled with fear, for he knows too well that there is nothing new to give, and that his sole duty is to cover up the old things): I know the public will de- tect ‘my hollowness, for these whom they have sent as their representa- tives have eyes which penetrate the thickest skull. But the members of my staff know that and will surely do their best, for after all it is to their interest as well as to. my own. (All retire, and the curtain is raised to reveal the full stage. It is decorat- ed with numerous: flowers;>:The imo- ment thesplay: begins, inevitable: daw hin, fall of the: manager and staff‘ becomes}. imminent. The critics immediately after the first act begin to protest, for it is obvious that this is not the classical play supposed to be present- ed. It is found to be a vaudeville comedy rather than a classic drama.) First Critic: Shift your scenes rap- idly; let your play represent the life we live every day. Your tricks are in vain. Our public, as it is now consti- tuted, with each new hour becomes more conscious, gains new strength, develops greater power to judge for itself and react to your unfavorable performance. Second Critic: You are .but losing time, wasting words and time, playing with language and empty phrases. Your instruments are no longer use- ful, even tho you have given them a thoro tuning in preparation for this play. It will be of no avail to you. For the masses do not believe any “No more delay, no more excuse for the stuff you promised to produce!” (The Manager turns pale and is pari with rage! (Aside): The pte city! To tell me all that in plain S$ so that the world may know it a tomorréw, if not today! (He fixes his gaze at the correspondent’s desk. The curtain fall sharply.) (Behind the curtain a panic breaks out. One blames the other for not having played his part correctly. Again the curtain is raised but due to their quarrels they ‘become so upset that they lose their heads altogether. The clown not only does not amuse, but his two thumbs clutch at each cor- ner of his vest, his face an accurate reflection of pain, his little mustache lending him the appearance of a cat that has had the mouse in its claws but which was unable to hold on to it, The manager from behind the curtain is threatening that those who make a wrong step in any of their parts will be discharged.) The Poet (Ninfo): The devil with it all! I don’t give a hang, I know nothing will help, for the play is lost, The critics are severe as acid, The public is determined to have its choice and will no longer accept what we try to hand out to them. Why, fool our selves? We announced a classical drama and what do we give instead? A comedy! It will not go, mo it will not work any longer! Band Director (Barroff): The Sport speaks so easily about it, it seems that it means but little to him. Oh! how I hate his everlasting Smile; he can help himself, but J, in my old age —what can I do? It is hard to find a bank where one cam be the sole boss and at the same time solemnly declare that this is done for the ‘benefit of our public. (He walked. i stop and down the stage” and: sto ea mirror). Of coyrse, my appearance is one of a real bank director, with my gray hair, broad shoulders, large belly <I personify dignity itself. ~ The Philosopher (Latkowitzy (Who the entire quarrel was lost in , suddenly cries out): Hap iwi what would help! We ist ha¥e our preacher, for he always saved us! Spokesman (Hochman): I doubt whether he will come, Besides he is quite expensive. Not very long ago for a little assistance we paid him $20,000. Our treasury is exhausted today. Powerful Man (Dubinsky): He will, he must come! Our strength is de- creasing, We must make the final ef- fort or else everything is lost. I still have some hobe to control this stage at least for a little while, if not for long. The Preacher (Hillquit) (Appears and speaks in a soft, sweet, imploring voice): Children of the masses, you haye always listened to me.. Be con- tented with what is presented to you on this stage! You know that changes on the stage as well as in practical life come from above, We mortals must be patient until the lord assigns: to} jus’ ‘a change ii*our ways. © (Turn- ing doen eritio he dénitinues): ‘The ses must wait at least another two years; then it will be the duty of our actors to present new and different plays, but the time is not yet. (With his eyes uplifted towards the sky): There is a world above us where all of us will continue our lives in free- dom and happiness. At this present moment I wish to bring a little joy in- to the lives of the people so as to make them feel pleasant until our real happy existence over there (again pointing to the sky) will begin. Third Critic (To the Manager): You put up a strong fight but it is in vain. You will not succeed. The masses you give but very little consid- Editor’s Note. fer ITH pleasure we publish in this issue the greeting to The DAILY WORKER on its anniversary which comes from Comrade Shapurji- Sak- latvala, member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, who repres- ents the working class of Battersea, England, in the British house of com- mons, Comrade Saklatvala’s name rang thru the world at the time of his recent exclusion from the United States when he wished to attend at Now York a meeting of the interpar- liamentary union, In its pleasure at receiving this greeting from Comrade Saklatvala, The DAILY WORKER is obliged to express the hope that the reader will not gather from Comrade Saklatvala’s words an inaccurate im- pression of the Communist view of the class struggle and the world-wide revolution. The revolution is a strug- gle in which the working class and the colonial peoples and working farmers in alliance with them do not play solely a defensive role, nor await the final stages of the class struggle before 0 the working class and colo forces for this struggle. The working class does not obtain power thru the acts of legislative bodies of the capitalist state, but thru revolutionary action outside of capitalist parliaments; working class parliamentary action is a necessary means of mobilizing-and teaching the working class, It would be unfortun- ate for members of the working class to gather the impression that the mere moral resolye not to recognize cect tn TOOT tah cose manasa peavte eration, Among , _yourgelyea” each | strives with the other for mastery, . i Fora number of years, you and your 1 i group have been living at the expense, | | of our public, on whose last drop of | blood you have thrived, And for their good money you gave them cheap vau-’ deville and farce instead “of good! tlas-: sic drama ‘to develop theif minds: ‘ “AN I can, say is “Finita la “Comedia!” we - are thri, with you. “Our publte “at” present is getting ‘Strdnger;” and’ suré-”" ly 'will they not’ stand to¢ your none sense any, longer. The Maiecer. (Bening: ‘the® “eurtiing ~ : crigs_out loudly to, ‘his actors): “Weft” What have you go to say to this? zs Spokesman (With a bunch of mana: ” scripts enters the stage; spedks “to"the critic): ‘There!° I'll “convince you ‘ttiat you are wrong. These @octiments are old, historic ones and I assure ‘you that it is from the past that we can learn and not from the future. Why do yow always want something new? The futtre we must leave to the gods. The Clown (Antonini) (Does his best to’ take at s6fts of faces” ‘pat in vain.) sia The Critic: You are ‘aine your? time, your energy and our ‘publie’s ©“ money, All we will do now is to bring a message giving all the information and thus let them decide for them- selves. Manager (Sigman) (Behind the cur- tain): The best thing for me would be to resign and let some one else with hot, red blood bring new life on this stage. I have promised this to the public. Powerful Man (Dubinsky): You are speaking for yourself,’Mr. Manager. Don’t forget you owe wus something, too, and we’ will not let you get off so easily, we have no ‘farm to go to. Managér (Sigman) ‘(With his head bent low, ‘hooking * esos at the emptiness of the apéd, wie’ a! BitteP2o and ‘poignant ‘anit® a¥ ReOsiikég hiss) weary head): ~ Very’ ‘well, I'll obey’ your order, © The Sport (Ninfo) (Repeating the last few words of the manager)‘ “I'll obey your order’—but for how long will it last? I told you once that noth- ing will help—not even those girls the Savior of the Land has brot here to make the appearance that they are the real critics. Of course, those girls pass favorable judgment upon our play, but: listen! Whom do we fool? No one but ourselves, and if we fool ourselves, how long will it last and how far can we go with it? Yes—just how far? (CURTAIN FALLS) capitalist. laws. would ‘result. in the working class ‘having possession of the machinery of production and dis- tribution. The capitalist possession of this machinery is no illusion, Dut is ex with emphatig reality thru the capitalist state. While it is true that the Commun- ists are not bloodthirsty persons whose desires are expressed in a yearning to kill—and while it is true that the Communist aim is to esta. blish a society without brutality, with- out killing, and without oppression,— nevertheless the advanced revolution- ary workers know that the revolution intervenes between the present and the attainment of their ideals. Com- rade Saklatvala does not say the con- trary, and it should be hoped that the total effect of his article will not be one of pacifism touched with the ideology of non-co-operation as a suf- ficient, or nearly sufficient, means of attaining the aims of Communism, The lessons of history do not permit revolutionary workers any indulg- engea in vain speculations, Comrade Saklatvala’s hearty spirit of comradeship is highly valued, Especially the spirit of brotherhood between the colonial suppressed peo- ples and the industrial working class of all countries, The DAILY WORK: ER should like for Comrade Saklat- vala to visit this country in spite of Mr, Kellogg, and we are sure that ho would learn that the American work- ers are not “endowed with freedom in a manner unknown to — his- tory,” —R, M, teeta ieeeetereanan nae ee TET i (ee nen emcee i Agate es aa es Rianne Arai ~