Philadelphia City Officials Explain Ban on “merchant of Venice”

Repercussions of the ban by a city official here of a performance of “The Merchant of Venice” on a public square opposite City Hall were widespread, as newspapers and radio stations charged “censorship” against the official–Wayne Barr, head of the Philadelphia Bureau of Public Information. Mr. Barr and Charles B. Cranford, Deputy Commissioner of Recreation, explained that they feared injury to the feelings of a minority in a performance of the play in downtown Philadelphia, although it had been produced on city property in Pastorius Park earlier.

One immediate consequence of the ban was the broadcast of a recorded British Broadcasting Corporation version of the Shakespeare play by KYW, Philadelphia’s Westinghouse station. The broadcast was widely publicized and KYW’s program chief, Gordon Davis, said: “We realize that the play may be in part distasteful to a minority group. At the same time we know that the majority of people, including this group, are sensitive to the dangers of censorship, KYW feels it is its obligation to present the play so that no one may be denied the privilege of hearing it.” Daily newspapers here also criticized the action of the city official.

John Raleigh, KYW reporter, quoted the city public relations director as saying: “I cannot condone any performance, which quite likely would be considered objectionable by a sizeable proportion of the population.” At the same time, however, Mr. Raleigh quoted Fred Grossman, of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation League, as stating that the A. D. L. has “never censored, or objected, to the performing of ‘The Merchant of Venice.'” Mr. Grossman went on to say: “We believe in the idea of freedom of speech, and, therefore, believe in the freedom of performing a play. We cherish a general opposition to censorship as such, including the censoring of literature.”