Zabala Gabriela Sylvia Arts and Media Phd English the Politics of Drama
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PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Zabala First name: Gabriela Other name/s: Sylvia Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: Arts and Media Faculty: English Title: The politics of drama Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) One of the longest running theatre companies in Australia, New Theatre began life as the Workers' Art Club in Sydney in 1932 as a Communist Party of Australia initiative. It was one of the first theatres in Australia with an orientation to working class audiences. By 1936 it had become the New Theatre and by the 1950s there were, in addition to Sydney, New Theatres in Adelaide, Melbourne, Western Australia, Newcastle and Brisbane. The New Theatre movement's social mission was inextricably linked to the political perspectives of the Communist Party of Australia which were influenced by ideas and theories of socialist realism and proletarian culture that had been decreed by Zhdanov in 1934 in the Soviet Union. Of particular interest to New Theatre were the innovations in theatre such as agit-prop and dramatic reportage typical of workers' theatre in the Soviet Union and the United States. This thesis demonstrates how the party's prescriptive views on art and literature often found expression in the plays of New Theatre writers Oriel Gray, Betty Roland and Mona Brand. It will demonstrate that in order to prevent ideological heterodoxy within New Theatre, management and production committees were comprised solely of Communist Party members, whose work for New Theatre constituted their work for the Communist Party of Australia. This thesis also draws attention to a gap in the literature about the contribution of New Theatre writers, and the scholarly analysis of some of their unpublished material. Three authors whose work has been underplayed are analysed, and critical responses to them which have escaped examination are brought to light. Through the use of original, previously unpublished documents, this thesis will demonstrate the way in which the Communist Party of Australia intervened to censor or exclude plays and writers to ensure ideological orthodoxy. It will also explore in detail previously unpublished work by neglected writers, as well as addressing criticism of these writers by internal committees of New Theatre, but mining the New Theatre archives, and Communist Party and ASIO files, enabling a richness of reference to original material not previously studied. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). 25/07/2012 …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… ……….……………………...…….… Signature Witness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………….............. 25/07/2012 Date …………………………………………….............. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ……………………………………………........................... 25/07/2012 Date ……………………………………………........................... AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... 25/07/2012 Date ……………………………………………........................... % '#"&$')"'#!!("&' %'*#(&'% ")'% %'%&.20/+.21-& i One of the longest running theatre companies in Australia, New Theatre was an initiative of Jean Devanny, a writer and member of the Communist Party of Australia. Beginning life as the Workers’ Art Club in Sydney in 1932, it was one of the first theatres in Australia with an orientation to working class audiences. By 1936 it had become the New Theatre and by the 1950s there were, in addition to Sydney, New Theatres in Adelaide, Melbourne, Western Australia, Newcastle and Brisbane. The New Theatre movement’s social mission was inextricably linked to the political perspectives of the Communist Party of Australia which were influenced by ideas and theories of socialist realism and proletarian culture that had been decreed by Zhdanov in 1934 in the former Soviet Union. Of particular interest to New Theatre were the innovations in theatre such as agit-prop and dramatic reportage typical of workers’ theatre in the Soviet Union and the United States. This thesis will show how the party’s prescriptive views on art and literature often found expression in the plays of New Theatre writers Oriel Gray, Betty Roland and Mona Brand. It will demonstrate that in order to prevent ideological heterodoxy within New Theatre, management and production committees were comprised solely of Communist Party members, whose work for New Theatre was considered part of their work for the Communist Party of Australia. This thesis also draws attention to a gap in the literature about the contribution of NT writers, and the scholarly analysis of some of their unpublished material. Three authors whose work has been underplayed are analysed, and critical responses to them which have escaped examination are brought to light. I am the first researcher to access ii Mona Brand’s personal papers, I was given access to a private collection of Oriel Gray material by her son, and I have brought to light important material in New Theatre and CPA archives. Aspects of the well known relationship between the Communist Party of Australia and New Theatre writers will also be examined, building on and giving substance to what is known of the influence of the CPA on New Theatre. Through the use of original, previously unpublished documents, this thesis will demonstrate the way in which the Communist Party of Australia intervened to censor or exclude plays and writers to ensure ideological orthodoxy. It will also explore in detail previously unpublished work by neglected writers, as well as addressing criticism of these writers by internal committees of New Theatre, but mining the NT archives, and CPA files and ASIO files, enabling a richness of reference to original material not previously studied. New Theatre is approaching its eightieth birthday at its location in Newtown in Sydney, and it is perhaps the only theatre in Australia that has enjoyed almost eight decades of uninterrupted production. Examining its history as part of a theatre of protest and reviewing its links with the Communist Party of Australia will not only fill some of the gaps in the literature, but will enrich our understanding about Australian theatre’s radical past. iii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................v Introduction .................................................................................................................. vi Chapter One: Literature