Routledge Revivals: Theatres of the Left 1880-1935 (1985): Workers' Theatre Movements in Britain and America / Edition 1

by Raphael Samuel, Ewan MacColl, Stuart Cosgrove

Overview

First published in 1985, this book examines how workers theatre movements intended their performances to be activist — perceiving art as a weapon of struggle and enlightenment — and an emancipatory act. An introductory study relates left-wing theatre groupings to the cultural narratives of contemporary British socialism. The progress of the Workers’ Theatre Movement (1928-1935) is traced from simple realism to the most brilliant phase of its Russian and German development alongside which the parallel movements in the United States are also examined. A number of crucial texts are reprints as well as stage notes and glimpses of the dramaturgical controversies which accompanied them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138214378
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/18/2016
Series:	Routledge Revivals: History Workshop Series
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Raphael Samuel, Ewan MacColl, Stuart Cosgrove

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: theatre and politics; Part 1 Theatre and socialism in Britain (1880-1935) Part 2 The Workers’ Theatre Movement (1926-1935) Part 3 The Yiddish-speaking WTM Part 4 The debate on naturalism Part 5 Proletkult: a view from the Plebs League Part 6 Some origins of Theatre Workshop Part 7 The political stage in the United States; Index