Here We Stand

Paul Robeson, Isadora Duncan & Charlie Chaplin - three famous performers, who all suffered personally and professionally for their political stand.Here We Stand looks at their very different careers and how their artistic work was affected by their determined stand for what they believed was right - Robeson's outspoken criticism of racism, which resulted in his blacklisting by McCarthy; Duncan's Soviet sympathies, which provoked hostility and worse; and Chaplin's anti-war stance, which led to his expulsion from the US.Colin Chambers asks important questions about the censorship of performers, the politics of performance and the dilemma of the celebrity activist. A successful performer speaks out at his or her peril...'Has protest become a commodity? Chambers's thoughtful book tells the story of three iconoclasts, detailing their rise to success, subsequent hounding and their eventual rehabilitation, ending with some interesting general comments on performance and protest' Guardian non-fiction choice'excellent stuff, a gripping read. Chambers provides an intelligent yet accessible and highly readable account of the politics of performance and the dilemmas of the celebrity activist' Total Theatre Magazine