Theatre Magick: Aleister Crowley and the Rites of Eleusis
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THEATRE MAGICK: ALEISTER CROWLEY AND THE RITES OF ELEUSIS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University by Tracy W. Tupman, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2003 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Dr. Joy H. Reilly, Advisor Dr. Alan Woods ________________________________ Advisor Dr. Lesley Ferris Theatre Graduate Program ABSTRACT In October and November of 1910 seven one-act plays were produced at Caxton Hall, Westminster, London, under the collective title The Rites of Eleusis. These public productions were as much an experiment in audience and performer psychology as they were an exotic entertainment. Written, produced and directed by leading cast member, Aleister Crowley, The Rites of Eleusis attempted to present a contemporary interpretation of an ancient myth in order to reignite the role and importance of mysticism in modern society. Through exposing the audience to a variety of sensory stimuli such as incense, rhythmic music, dance, and poetry, it attempted to create within the audience itself an altered state of consciousness which would make them co-celebrants within the performance/ritual. As Crowley stated in the original broadsheet advertisements for the productions, the Rites were intended “to illustrate the magical methods followed by a mystical society which seeks for illumination by ecstasy.” But Crowley intended much more: he hoped the audience would not merely view an “illustration,” but experience an actual state of “ecstasy.” for “self-development” not only to the performers onstage, but also to the spectators. This experiment to recreate not only the “performer-priests” of antiquity but to include the audience as a part of the production foreshadowed the later work of theatre anthropologists and theorists such as Richard Schechner, and serves to illustrate one of the first attempts in the twentieth century to consciously create a ii psychological connection between theatrical and religious practice within the western hegemonic society. A close reading of the first Rite demonstrates that there are specific occult motivations for every artistic decision reflected in the actual productions. Thus, the position in which performers are discovered at the opening of a rite is not merely an aesthetic choice, but is also reflective of specific criteria established by qabalistic, astrological, or other occult requirements. The costumes and properties used within the Rites are also dictated by deeper symbolism. The appearance of performativity in a religious or worshipful context is repetitive throughout history, and time after time it is spirituality that gives birth to the drama, rather than spirituality evolving from a performative context. iii DEDICATION To the memory of my Father, who taught by example, To my Mother, who teaches by words, And to my Daughter, Caitlin, who taught the most important lesson of all. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members as a group for their seemingly limitless support and flexibility during the protracted production of this document. Specifically, my thanks goes to Dr. Alan Woods for his probing questions during our conversations and his willingness to reign me in and keep me focused on the topic at hand. Dr. Lesley Ferris gave me much food for thought in our discussions and lead me to ways of interpreting connections which had not occurred to me previously. Finally, my advisor, Dr. Joy Reilly must be commended for keeping faith in me and for her willingness to go out of her way, even to coffee shops on Saturday mornings, to get me feedback and enormously instructive criticism. I would also like to thank Dr. W. F. Ryan and the staff of the Warburg Institute in London for their patience and cheerfulness during my research there. Several of their days were spent carrying boxes of materials back and forth for my examination, and this was always done with a friendly and helpful demeanor which was most reassuring to a researcher not certain he would find anything of value. Personal friends also played a large role in the successful completion of this project. Megan Mateer was of invaluable assistance in the technical creation of this document and in goading me to kept my nose to the grindstone. Lord Shadow of The Shadow Realm in Columbus, Ohio was a font of information about Crowley and served as my initial contact with the local OTO. He was also the source of many rare Crowley works which he generously allowed me to examine. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Paul Daum who, so many years ago, got me excited enough about theatre history that it moved from a hobby to a passion. v VITA December 16, 1955………………….Born – Anderson, Indiana 1983…………………………………B.A. Education, University of Akron 1983-1985…………………………...Graduate Assistant, Theatre, University of Akron 1985…………………………………M.A. Theatre Arts, University of Akron 1988…………………………………Instructor, Speech and Communication, Charles County Community College, La Plata, Maryland 1994-1999…………………………..Graduate Administrative Assistant, The Ohio State University 1999-present………………………...Undergraduate Academic Advisor, The Ohio State University 2000-present Instructor, Theatre, Business Presentation, Ohio Dominican University FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Theatre vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Dedication.......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments................................................................................................................v Vita..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures......................................................................................................................x Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 Chapters 1. The Theatre of Spirituality.....................................................................................41 1.1 Introduction....................................................................................................41 1.2 The Beginnings of Myth ................................................................................42 1.3 Mythic Performances.....................................................................................53 1.4 The Idea of Symbolism..................................................................................66 1.5 Symbolist Poetry............................................................................................69 1.6 Symbolist Music ............................................................................................73 1.7 Richard Wagner .............................................................................................75 1.8 Symbolist Theatre ..........................................................................................76 1.9 Symbolism and Psychology...........................................................................80 1.10 Conclusion.....................................................................................................87 2. The Theatre of the Golden Dawn...........................................................................88 2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................88 2.2 The Occult World of the Nineteenth Century................................................89 2.3 The Masonic Connection...............................................................................96 2.4 The Golden Dawn........................................................................................100 2.5 Samuel Liddell Mathers and the Rites of Isis ..............................................114 2.6 William Butler Yeats ...................................................................................122 2.7 Annie Horniman and the Abbey Theatre.....................................................126 2.8 Florence Farr and the Egyptian Plays..........................................................132 vii 2.9 Conclusion ...................................................................................................139 3. The Theatre of Aleister Crowley .........................................................................141 3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................141 3.2 Biographical Background ............................................................................142 3.3 Crowley’s Magick........................................................................................163 3.4 Crowley in Fiction .......................................................................................165 3.5 Crowley and Film ........................................................................................167 3.6 Crowley’s Essays on Theatre.......................................................................170 3.7 Crowley’s Other Works for the Stage..........................................................171 3.8 Film Scripts..................................................................................................193 3.9 The Ragged Rag-Time Girls........................................................................195 3.10 Doctor Faustus ...........................................................................................197