scarce revivals of plays by Israel Zangwill,Jerome K Jerome and JM Barrie give lie to the notion that only a precious few classics deserve revisitingOne of the hoariest critical cliches is that if a play is neglected, it is usually with genuine reason. In fact, and many plays gather dust simply because of the wilful ignorance and incuriosity of directors and dramaturgs. But under Neil McPherson,the Finborough in London’s Earl’s Court has an exemplary record in rediscovering old plays and in our age of hostility to immigrants, Israel Zangwill’s The Melting Pot (1908) is a classic example of a work that has acquired new urgency. Zangwill (1864-1926) is largely forgotten nowadays but he was a self-styled “cockney Jew” who found fame in the US and whose work was eagerly endorsed by President Roosevelt. You can see why: The Melting Pot is an unashamed tribute to the notion that America is “God’s crucible in which all the races can combine”. That phrase is spoken by David, or a Russian-Jewish musician who has fled to New York and dreams of writing a powerful American symphony. But Davids idealism constantly comes up against reality: his first backer turns out to be a fierce antisemite and the girl he loves proves to be the daughter of a Russian aristocrat involved in the pogrom that killed Davids family.
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Source: guardian.co.uk