The Cradle Will Rock, Marc Blitzstein's agit-prop 1938 musical, is being revived Feb. 13-22 by Equity Showcase Theatre at duMaurier Theatre Centre in Toronto.

The play, a blistering attack on capitalism as personified by the ruthless boss of a steel plant, aroused controversy in its original 1938 New York production, directed by John Houseman. After it was dropped by the WPA, Houseman and Orson Welles tried to book it into a commercial run. When a court injunction was brought against the production, and the musician's union refused to defy it, the actors performed the play from seats among the audience while Blitzstein played piano to an empty stage.

Following the Feb. 19 Toronto performance, Jason Sherman, an author who is writing about the period, will give a lecture on the play and its controvery.

The theatre operates on a pay-what-you-can basis, but $10 per ticket is suggested. To book a seat, call (416) 961-0900; payment is at the door.

-- By Ray Ellicock
Theatre News Canada