Prohibition Abolition Party Tickets

The Prohibition Abolition Party was a political movement that sought to repeal the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in the United States. While their primary goal was focused on alcohol policy, the party's members also had broader social and cultural interests, including reforming the American theater.

In the early 20th century, American theater was undergoing significant changes as the country became more urbanized and industrialized. The rise of naturalistic drama, influenced by European playwrights such as Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, and George Bernard Shaw, challenged traditional theatrical conventions and explored taboo topics like sexuality, mental illness, and social inequality.

For many members of the Prohibition Abolition Party, this new style of theater was seen as subversive and immoral. They believed that plays should serve a moral purpose, whether by educating audiences about social problems or promoting wholesome values. Many party members also felt that naturalistic drama was indecent, with some productions featuring nudity, profanity, and depictions of drug use.

In response, the Prohibition Abolition Party called for censorship and regulation of the American theater. They argued that theaters should be required to obtain licenses from local authorities and submit scripts to be approved before production. Plays deemed obscene or inappropriate would not receive a license and could face fines or other punishments.

This position put the Prohibition Abolition Party at odds with many in the cultural and artistic communities, who saw censorship as a violation of freedom of expression and an attack on creativity. Some playwrights even used their work to satirize the party's positions, such as the play "The Adding Machine" by Elmer Rice, which lampooned the anti-modernist views of groups like the Prohibition Abolition Party.

Despite their efforts, the Prohibition Abolition Party was ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts to regulate the American theater. The Supreme Court's decision in the case of Near v. Minnesota (1931) established stronger protections for free speech and press, limiting the ability of government bodies to censor or prohibit works of art.

Today, the debate over censorship and artistic expression continues, with questions about what topics should be considered taboo and who has the authority to decide what art is appropriate for public consumption. The legacy of the Prohibition Abolition Party serves as a reminder of the ongoing tension between social conservatism and artistic freedom, and the balance that must be struck to protect both.