As to his immediate proposals, I think the Artist has made himself
quite clear. But he opened up an interesting vista of possibilities
when he spoke of being Minister of Public Education. He said he
couldn’t do certain things because he wasn’t Minister of Public
Education. What we would like very much to know is what he would do if
he were!--Do you mind telling us?
THE ARTIST. “In the first place I would set fire to--But you are sure I
am not taking up your time unduly?”
No, no! Go on!
THE ARTIST. “I would set fire to the coat-tails of all the present
boards of education who are now running our educational system in
complete indifference to the interests of the child. I would institute
democratic control: turn the school system over to the National
Guild of Young Artists. My career as an educational autocrat would
necessarily stop right there, so far as the internal revolutionizing
of education is concerned--for what I have been telling you is simply
what I think the children themselves would do with the schools if they
were allowed to run them.
“But Education, as I understand it, does not stop short with the
school--it extends throughout all life. It is what I would call the
civilizing process. And there is much to be done to many departments of
life before they can become part of a real civilizing process. I will
describe only one, but not the least fundamental of these changes--the
democratizing of the Theatre. Or rather, as I should say, turning it
into a school.
“A school of what? you will ask. A school of life, of aspiration, of
progress, of civilization. It can be all these things if it becomes the
People’s Theatre. Therefore, as Minister of Public Education, I propose
to confiscate the Theatres and turn them over to the People.
“But again, when I speak of ‘The Theatre,’ I do not mean merely the
buildings in which plays are given. I mean all those arts which are
part of communal creativity. I propose to unite them all in communal
festivals of human progress. I do not propose that we shall begin by
holding classes in the Hippodrome--though that will come. I propose to
begin with solemn and magnificent national holiday pageants similar to
those which were so frequently and gorgeously celebrated during the
days of the great French Revolution--”
At this moment a policeman approaches the stage.
“I wish to warn the speaker that everything he says is being taken down
in shorthand by one of our men, and if he wants to finish his speech
the less he says about Revolution the better. That’s all.”
THE ARTIST. “Thank you! I should have said, during the days of a
certain great political and social upheaval which laid the foundations
of modern life in general, and of our gallant ally, the French
Republic, in particular. The historic festivals of which I speak were
in charge of the great artists and composers of the nation, and their
art and music were used to express the common emotion and purpose of
the People. So it will be with ours. Our artists will unite to express
the new ideals of mankind, and together with each other and with the
People, will lay the foundations of a new and democratic art.
“It is here that the theatres, which will already be in charge of the
guilds of artists, will come into play. For the new art must have a
solid basis in popular emotions such as only the theatre can give. They
will therefore present plays which criticize the old slave-system,
satirize its manners, its traditional heroes, its ideals; plays which
invest with tragic dignity the age-long struggle of the People against
oppressive institutions and customs; plays which creatively foreshadow
a new popular culture and morality; and plays which celebrate the final
victory of the People in their revolutionary strug--”
Another policeman:
“Are ye making an address on education, or trying to incite to riot?
L’ave that word Revolution alone.--This is the second time we’re
warning ye.”
THE ARTIST. “I’m sorry. I had hoped to show the influence of the
national aspirations of a great Celtic people upon their artistic life,
and the final flowering of their dreams in a certain political and
social upheaval--”
THE POLICEMAN. “Oh, ye mean the Irish Revolution? That’s different!
Ye’re all right. Go on!”
THE ARTIST. “My time, however, is short. I shall leave to your
imagination the means to be used in furthering these aims by the
democratization of technical artistic culture. I shall speak only of
its spiritual aspects. The Theatre, as I have said, will take the lead
in preparing for the new day by presenting plays which will teach the
People courage and confidence in their destiny, teach them to scorn the
ideals of the traditional past, deepen their sense of community with
the People in all lands in their world-wide struggle for freedom, and
make them face the future with a clear and unshakable resolution, an
indomitable will to victory.
“If I had time, I should like to tell you how this educational program
is already being carried out, in spite of the greatest difficulties, by
a certain Slavic nation--”
Another interruption!--by a red-faced, dictatorial, imperatorial
personage who has been sitting there all this time, swelling with rage
and awaiting his opportunity. He speaks:
“Officer! I am a member of the Board of Education, and I demand that
you arrest that man as a Bolshevik agitator!”
(Tumultuous scenes.)