Pogue's Daily Words of Theatrical Wisdom

(David Horovitch in Seven Jewish Children at the Royal Court. Photograph: Tristram Kenton)

More from England: (Ed's note: In case you are wondering why we are all England this week, Mr. Pogue and I have been following the England People Very Nice controversy and I thought it interesting to focus on the difference in cultures between England and America. We do such a terrible job in this country of having these conversations, Attorney General Eric Holder called us a "nation of cowards" yesterday when giving a speech about race in this country, it is interesting to me to see how the English theatre is treating similar issues and the reaction the stage provokes)

"I'm torn between being pleased that at least people care enough about theatre to make a fuss about it -- and depressed about a culture in which these kind of arguments become filled with unreasoned fury."

--Charlotte Higgins, the Guardians chief arts writer, on the latest accusations of racism being levelled at a play -- This time it is Caryl Churchill's eight-minute play, SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN, at the Royal Court. More than sixty prominent British Jews, including theatricals Ronald Harwood and Maureen Lipman, have signed a letter claiming the production is anti-Semitic. And, of course, ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE stills stirs controversy over at the National.--Here is a link to a Guardian interview with Churchill. You can also download a PDF version of the play...

(Editor's Note: The Churchill controversy seems somewhat similar to the My Name is Rachel Corrie (another play originated at the Royal Court in London)controversy that found its way to New York several years ago. It is interesting to me that two major theatres in England could have these types of controversies happening at the same time. I once again say it is only possible because these theatres receive subsidies. Would a major American theatre be able to produce these plays, relying only on sponsorship? Which corporate partner would want to run the risk of alienating their customers and risk a boycott? I'm sure the National and Royal Court would both claim they are not subsidized enough, but the fact remains, they are far more so than their American counterparts. Is this a good thing? I happen to think so...Plays and productions need points of view. Points of view, by their very definition, are not "balanced". This is art, not journalism...and not everybody is going to agree on a play or production. The philistine says, "I don't want my tax dollars going to subsidize that kind of garbage!" Our response should be, "I don't care, I don't want MY tax dollars going to build more nuclear submarines, but I don't have much of a say in it and FAR MORE of my tax dollars are going to that damn submarine than your tax dollars are going to my theatre...Kindly shut the hell up!" But no one in the arts ever says that...Craig Raine: "The task of the artist at any time is uncompromisingly simple: to discover what has not yet been done and to do it."