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A Transatlantic Dialogue on the Aesthetics of Commitment Within Modernist Political Theatre

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A Transatlantic Dialogue on the Aesthetics of Commitment Within Modernist Political Theatre A Thorn in the Body Politic: A transatlantic dialogue on the aesthetics of commitment within modernist political theatre. Ourania Karoula PhD English Literature The University of Edinburgh 2009 Declaration I, Ourania Karoula, declare, that except for all citations referenced in the text, the work contained herein is my own. 2 Abstract of Thesis This thesis investigates the transatlantic manifestation of the debate regarding the aesthetics of commitment in the modernist literary and theatrical tradition. Within the debate theatre occupies a privileged position since (because of its two-fold roles both as theory and performance) it allows a critique both of performative conventions and methods and also a dialectical consideration of the audience’s socio-political consciousness. The debate, often referred to as form versus content – schematically re-written as ‘autonomy’ versus ‘commitment’ – and its transatlantic evaluation are central to modernist aesthetics, as they bring into question the established modes of perceiving and discussing the issue. A parallel close reading will reveal the closely related development of the European and the American traditions and evaluate their critical strengths and shortcomings. The first part of the thesis discusses the positions of Georg Lukács and Bertolt Brecht, Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin in tandem with those of the New York Intellectuals, especially as expressed in the latters’ writings in the Partisan Review. The second part extends this transatlantic dialogue through a consideration of the theatrical works of the New York Living Newspaper unit of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) in the USA and Bertolt Brecht’s vision of and relationship with ‘Americana’ as revealed through such plays as In the Jungle of Cities, Man Equals Man, St Joan of the Stockyards and the 1947 version of Galileo. The Federal Theatre and Brecht’s respective dramaturgies demonstrate differences in the articulation and application of the aesthetics of commitment and politics of engagement. A close reading of four plays by the Living Newspaper unit will not only reveal the influence of the Russian Blue Blouse groups and Meyerhold’s theatrical experimentations, but also how the unit’s playwrights and administration attempted to re-write this aesthetic. Hallie Flanagan (the director of FTP), recognising the limitations of Broadway and having sensed the audience’s need for a new kind of theatre, realised early on the importance of ‘translating’ the European aesthetics of commitment to conform with the American New Deal discourse. Brecht’s plays manifest not only the differences with respect to the European aesthetics of commitment, but also its highly complicated development. His American experiences revealed that the failings of the FTP’s attempt to establish a viable national theatre with a social agenda prohibited a more powerfully theatrical connection (theoretical and performative) between the two traditions. Both the European and the American modernist aesthetics are informed by Marxist cultural and literary theory, particularly by the writings centred on the political efficacy of a work of art with respect to its reception and its modes of production. The politico-aesthetic encounter of the Marxist tradition of engagement with a commitment to aesthetic formalism (often associated with the autonomy position) led to a confrontational and polemical rather than dialectical argumentation. However, this thesis maintains that the arguments were not simply articulated by theorists at opposing ends of the political spectrum. At the same time, Brecht and the Federal Theatre Project’s interest in the advancements of the European avant-garde and fascination with the notion of ‘Americana’ demonstrate the necessity to examine the issue of commitment in a more dialectical manner. While their notion of the aesthetics of commitment differed, this thesis argues for the necessity, not only of revisiting some of the fundamental premises regarding the role and function of this aesthetics in modernist political theatre, but also of reading the two traditions in conjunction. 3 Contents Illustrations 5 Abbreviations 6 Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 8 Chapter One Reconsidering the aesthetics of commitment within the European and American modernist literary theory. 22 Chapter Two ‘The myth and the powerhouse’: Liberalism, cold war and the Partisan Review. 56 Chapter Three ‘The Living Newspaper is as American as Walt Disney, the March of Time, and the Congressional Record’. National theatrical representation and political radicalism in the Federal Theatre Project. 122 Chapter Four ‘Nothing is more important than learning to think crudely. Crude thinking is the thinking of great men’. Ugliness, knowledge and commitment in Brecht’s materialistic aesthetic dramaturgy. 196 Conclusion 266 Bibliography 273 4 Illustrations Figure 1: Triple-A Plowed Under. page 148 Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University, Fairfax – Virginia. Figure 2: Injunction Granted. page 151 Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University, Fairfax – Virginia. Figure 3: Injunction Granted. page 154 Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University, Fairfax – Virginia. Figure 4: One-Third of a Nation. page 175 Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University, Fairfax – Virginia. Figure 5: One-Third of a Nation. page 178 Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University, Fairfax – Virginia. Figure 6: Man Equals Man. page 222 Source: Brigid Doherty, ‘Test and Gestus in Brecht and Benjamin’. MLN, 115.3 (2000): 442-481. Figure 7: Man Equals Man. page 224 Source: Brigid Doherty, ‘Test and Gestus in Brecht and Benjamin’. MLN, 115.3 (2000): 442-481. Figure 8: Man Equals Man. page 228 Source: Brigid Doherty, ‘Test and Gestus in Brecht and Benjamin’. MLN, 115.3 (2000): 442-481. Figure 9: The Mother (Theatre Union production, New York 1935). page 237 Source: John Willett, Brecht on Theatre: the development of an aesthetic. London: Eyre Methuen, 1973 Figure 10: The Life of Galileo. page 251 Source: James K. Lyon, Bertolt Brecht in America. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1980. Figure 11: Brecht testifying in front of the HUAC. page 261 Source: Bertolt Brecht's 100th Birthday Anniversary Exhibit. Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, University of Southern California. 5 Abbreviations AAA Agricultural Adjustment Act FTP Federal Theatre Project HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee MGM Metro-Goldwyn Mayer SDP Social Democratic Party WPA Works Progress Administration 6 Acknowledgements This thesis is the outcome of several years of research and writing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people whose help and guidance have been so valuable and whose support made the completion of this work possible. I am extremely grateful to my first supervisor Dr. Olga Taxidou for her constant encouragement throughout this project. Her guidance at all stages of my research and writing process has been invaluable. Her insightful comments and constructive criticism allowed me to develop my original idea into a more mature and challenging piece of writing. Lastly, her personal interest in my well-being and friendship during all these years has made all the difference. Special thanks go to my second supervisor, Dr. Andrew Taylor for his assistance particularly during my second year. His comments on several aspects of my thesis have helped me enrich my understanding of the theoretical issues involved in my thesis. I am also grateful to the George Scott Travelling Scholarship that funded my research trip to the United States and thus helped considerably towards the completion of this work. My thanks also extend to the staff of the Special Collections and Archives in George Mason University (Virginia-USA) who welcomed me to their department and generously assisted my research. I am also extremely thankful to Dr. Maria Margaroni who has been a great source of inspiration during my undergraduate years. Without her encouragement and belief in me I would not have ventured my life-changing trip to Edinburgh. I am also grateful to my closest friend, Charis Xinari, for all her support and friendship during all these years. Our timeless conversations over coffee, discussing our projects or the latest fashion trends, were always anticipated. My thanks also extend to Alexia Kouveli, Kleri Kidonaki and to Vassiliki Karali, for their patience, support and for always being there for me. My deepest thanks go to George Maistros whose patience, love and support got me through many difficult moments. His unfailing commitment and understanding inspired me to continue this project even when in moments of crisis. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Georgios and Vasileia Karoula, and my sister Chrissa, for believing in me. Their love and support, both emotional and financial, throughout my life and particularly during the last few years has been immense. To my mother, I owe my love of reading; she would always buy me a new, exciting and diverse book that would challenge and expand my worldview. To my father, I owe my desire for strong argumentation. Our long hours of discussing politics (quite forcefully) made me realise that only through reading and extending your thinking could one construct a proper and strong argument. And lastly, my sister has taught me that things in life come to those who dare and work extra hard. Without their understanding and dedication this project
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