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Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Plays for Labor Day. In praise of theater about unions, workers and workplaces.
New York Theater: It was while attending the current revival of Lillian Hellman’s 1936 play “Days to Come,” which is set during a strike at a brush factory in Ohio, that I suddenly wondered: Where are the American plays about unions, or workers, or even just workplaces?
2 comments:
Sidney R.
said...
Activism is often present in the form of art because it is a way to resonate with a variety of audiences. Yet as the theatre industry continues to focus on the commercial aspect, not every issue is noticed. Big, flashy musicals dominate the Broadway stages, while more serious dramas close shortly after opening. This article focuses on the voices that are not always heard in our society: the lower/middle class laborer. Labor Day just passed, but few took it as an opportunity to recognize the union workers of history and the modern day. It is essential that we do, especially as members of the theatre industry continue to be a part of organizations such as Actors’ Equity, IATSE, SDC, and more. The concerns of the American worker need to be heard and understood, especially as elections are coming up and the country is choosing new leaders. The graphic in this piece shows the strategic tour the Public Theatre Mobile Unit National of Lynn Nottage’s activism piece, specifically before November. I appreciate how this article caused me to pause and think about issues I don’t always notice, and what I could do to pay more attention.
I recently read a news article about United States Steel Workers planning to go on strike in case contract renegotiations go awry, and I found that I had a lot of knowledge about these issues, that I hadn't had before coming here to CMU. We have a great amount of education about unions, especially in Production Personnel Management, which I am taking right now, which allows me to have a deeper understanding not only of why unions do what they do, but the procedures that are in place that try to keep unions and employers on fair grounds with each other. It was very interesting reading the discussion of the steelworkers article, because there was an extreme amount of vehemence towards so-called "scabs" or replacement workers, some people even going so far as to say they would be in danger of being stabbed in bars because of their "selfish greediness". I'm really glad I'm taking PPM, because it allowed me to see the other side of that coin, where many "scabs" can simply be people who are living below the poverty line and just can't afford not to have a job, and have to take what they can get, even if it's going through a picket line.
2 comments:
Activism is often present in the form of art because it is a way to resonate with a variety of audiences. Yet as the theatre industry continues to focus on the commercial aspect, not every issue is noticed. Big, flashy musicals dominate the Broadway stages, while more serious dramas close shortly after opening. This article focuses on the voices that are not always heard in our society: the lower/middle class laborer. Labor Day just passed, but few took it as an opportunity to recognize the union workers of history and the modern day. It is essential that we do, especially as members of the theatre industry continue to be a part of organizations such as Actors’ Equity, IATSE, SDC, and more. The concerns of the American worker need to be heard and understood, especially as elections are coming up and the country is choosing new leaders. The graphic in this piece shows the strategic tour the Public Theatre Mobile Unit National of Lynn Nottage’s activism piece, specifically before November. I appreciate how this article caused me to pause and think about issues I don’t always notice, and what I could do to pay more attention.
I recently read a news article about United States Steel Workers planning to go on strike in case contract renegotiations go awry, and I found that I had a lot of knowledge about these issues, that I hadn't had before coming here to CMU. We have a great amount of education about unions, especially in Production Personnel Management, which I am taking right now, which allows me to have a deeper understanding not only of why unions do what they do, but the procedures that are in place that try to keep unions and employers on fair grounds with each other. It was very interesting reading the discussion of the steelworkers article, because there was an extreme amount of vehemence towards so-called "scabs" or replacement workers, some people even going so far as to say they would be in danger of being stabbed in bars because of their "selfish greediness". I'm really glad I'm taking PPM, because it allowed me to see the other side of that coin, where many "scabs" can simply be people who are living below the poverty line and just can't afford not to have a job, and have to take what they can get, even if it's going through a picket line.
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