The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 9 - Masonic and Anti-Masonic Literature
German August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue: "Als Schrifsteller [...] hat er
zahllose recht oberflächliche und seichte Theaterstücke verfaßt [...]. K. schrieb
auch ein seichtes Lustspiel "Der Freimaurer" [...]. Bei dessen Erstaufführung
kam es in Graz 1818 zu einem großen Theaterskandal. [...] Die Folge war, daß
[...] die Theaterzensur von nun an der Polizei übertragen wurde." 1747
Coil argues that there is no indication whether any of the early Masonic plays
or operas, except for Mozart's Magic Flute which has some Masonic overtones,
were ever remarkably successful, but he refers to Claudy's plays of the 20 th
century as being quite en vogue among the American Masonic audience. These
will therefore will be the topic of a more detailed analysis in the following
sections.
[...] [I]t must not be assumed that the production of Masonic plays has
ceased, at least, of those designed for presentation to the Craft alone or
to androgynous gatherings. Of these, Carl H. Claudy of the Masonic
Service Association, Washington, D.C., produced no less than a dozen
playlets of a kind which can be performed in a lodge room and which in
recent years have delighted innumerable Masonic groups. 1748
9.1.1 Carl Claudy's Masonic Plays (1934 -
1945): Trespassing "Masonic Law" in
Isolated American Country Lodge
Carl Claudy (1879-1957) was a Masonic author and playwright, and
Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service Association from 1930-1957. He
edited The Master Mason from 1924-31, the Short Talks Bulletin (a monthly,
beginning in 1920), the 20 volume Little Masonic Library, and several novels,
e.g. The Lion's Paw, Old Tiler Talks, Foreign Countries, A Master's Wages, etc.
Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia characterizes him as follows:
1747 IFL, p. 867.
1748 CME, p. 217.
1749 Ibid, p. 134.
It is especially noteworthy that Bro. Claudy, though having a lively
imagination, never exercised poetic license in Masonic matters intended
to be factual. On the contrary he belonged to the realistic school of
writers believing that Freemasonry had enough to teach without
distorting the truth. This was a valuable feature of the great mass of
informal material sent out to lodges by Masonic Service Association. To
him stories were stories and facts were facts. 1749