Dear Editor
I recently borrowed from Maidstone Library "Fists Upon A Star,” a memoir of love, theatre and escape from McCarthyism, according to the blurb on the jacket. It wasn't because I wanted to know more about the evils of McCarthyism, the ignorance of it, but because I wanted to read about the lady about whom the book was written, Florence James.
I knew her slightly; she was going to cast me as the leading lady in a production of Peg O'My Heart. That was quite a number of years ago. She was called away due to illness in the family and everything ground to a halt.
Florence James and her husband Burton were hugely successful in the theatre arts in the United States.
Then, in 1948, the Un-American Activities Committee had been formed and the witch hunt was on.
Artistic communities were under threat. Florence and her husband were taken into custody as suspected Communists, with fabricated accusations against them such as plans to blow up the Seattle waterworks. When Florence tried to speak, the judge shouted that there would be no Communist speeches. She was ordered out, but not allowed to walk out. She was dragged out by two policemen. When the lawyer rose to speak, he was thrown out.
And so it went. As we know, the evil tentacles of McCarthyism oozed into Saskatchewan, because its adherents insisted socialism was communism. It's doubtful if they understood either.
The Burtons began to teach at Banff School of Fine Arts and then moved to Saskatchewan to become Canadians. What the United States threw out became a gift to us. The latter part of the book awoke memories. Under Tommy Douglas's CCF, there rose the Saskatchewan Arts Board, "designed to help the people enjoy a fuller, more satisfying community life." This was before such a thing as the Canada Council.
The James team conducted drama workshops all over Saskatchewan.
And that was in the days of the wonderful Dominion Drama Festival, held annually back in the days when Canada was proud to use the title of Dominion.
Those were also the days when one-roomed country school houses joyfully entered elocution and oratory competitions every year. This was before Ontario had its Stratford Theatre.
(Just a little side note: after being in Saskatchewan, Florence James spent some time in Ottawa and classified it as "dull.')
Woodrow Lloyd of the CCF cabinet stated that the arts were not a frill, but an education advantage. The present government of Saskatchewan got rid of part of the arts scene in this province, no more production of such shows as Corner Gas. I did not write this letter for political reasons. I just state facts.
I feel we are, in many ways, throwing away the arts in our communities, in many schools, in general. People seem more interested in the Mad Hatter, at present gleefully causing havoc in the United States, a man as dangerous in his own way as was Senator McCarthy. What a waste of money, huge sums of money the late Florence James would have been thrilled to use, as would those like her today.
Christine Pike
Waseca
