 That's the theme from the Sears radio theater tonight a program of love and hate with Sicily Tyson as your hostess Here's a preview. Do you really think they'll March? There must be a dozen posters in the law school quad along saying they will Did you see that notice saying that a committee is meeting to stop them? Yeah? Think I should join if you want to Are you? No The Sears radio theater will begin after this message from your local station Sicily Tyson I'm here in the history wing of the world-renowned burden University There's a window in the door of this office, and I can see Jill Graham inside Jill is 25 and very bright Her PhD thesis is entitled correlations between literature of the Carolingian Renaissance and that of the French 12th century Renaissance It's a safe scholarly topic One that makes the ebb and flow of historical events and human passions seem far away However, history doesn't always wait to be read about in books Soon something will happen right in Jill's town that will change her life forever and That cultural force will in turn be only a phrase in a history book to another scholar But now Jill isn't interested in history in the making She's interested in the history of ancient civilizations That's the course that her tutoring pupil Donna Mardisian is trying to pass Gives a fuzzle about the Peloponnesian war. I don't know any Peloponnesians I don't even know how to spell it. We study the Peloponnesian war because I don't care Why bother to learn it so you can pass the course. That's what you're paying me for isn't it? And that's only the beginning of our story There's radio theater a new adventure in radio listening Five nights of exceptional entertainment every week brought to you in Elliott Lewis production of the Sears Radio Theater our story the Great March by Patricia Joyce our stars Miss Joyce as Jill Graham and Shepard Minkin The Sears Radio Theater is brought to you by Sears Robot and Company Sears for America shops for value Jill Graham is having trouble with her pupil Donna Mardisian It seems that Donna has a short attention span and a short temper She's also short-sighted She thinks it's easier to blame her frustrations on Jill than it is to buckle down and overcome her own mental blocks That's so lame What did you think this junk matters? It has its purpose in the curriculum. That's really pathetic. You're so pedantic That's all you think life's about isn't it being holed up on the fifth floor of the library stacks Getting pasty skin and bags under your eyes going cross-eyed reading fine print That's not the issue here. Do you even have any friends? Come on Donna cut it out What about men? Have you ever met a man who thinks Peloponnesians are a real turn on? Donna lay off it that has nothing to do with the purpose of this meeting Which is to get you to pass your class Now either you want to work or you don't I don't I already told you that then save your money. I'm leaving Some tutor you turned out to be don't blame me if you don't want to work I don't know why you let Donna upset you so much I don't either Ellen look Jill it's obvious as she's a bad student She's taking out her frustrations on you Is it sure it is makes me so mad to think of you taking this jerky girl seriously, but in a sense. She's right. I Mean I do get carried away with my work, but that's good. I do the same thing Help me get where I am and help you get where you are. That's the problem with that drivdana She's not willing to get into her work. Ellen. We've known each other for what seven years. Yeah In seven years, I've had two successful relationships One has been my friendship with you. The other has been my relationship with my history books I've never had a successful romance. So I feel that's something I should have Should have or want to have both Well, I don't know how true all that is Society says woman can't be fulfilled without romance, but your life is gonna be fulfilled without that You've got the beginning of a very important career in history. You've got both law school and Roger. Well, yeah I just think life is really precious and I want to know as much of it as I can I Don't know how much I'm learning about people up in the history library. I'll tell you one thing Joe You know a lot more about people than Donna Mardisian does you know not to try to hurt someone else just because you can't cope It's wrong Joe you look like you just found a cockroach in your soup. Did you see those posters in the quad? Unfortunately, Gary reminds me of Donna Mardisian Why you think Donna Mardisian is a member of the American fascist party? You think as soon as you're finished tutoring her she sneaks off to a party meeting throws on her sexy tight fitting stormtroopers uniform and writes racist slogans on ladies room walls Very logical things like something Donna Mardisian might do. Oh, I'm serious. It's the same psychological problem Donna was frustrated about her own problem, but rather than deal with them. She focused her anger into attacking me Now a lot of these American fascist party guys are frustrated and lonely their racial slurs come out of their own and happiness I think you're right. I Don't want to see the American fascist party marching through burdenville We shouldn't have to deal with their hate any more than I should have to deal with Donna Mardisian insulting me Well, do you really think they'll march? There must be a dozen posters in the law school quad alone saying they will Did you see that notice saying that a committee is meeting to stop them? Yeah You think I should join if you want to are you? No But you're Jewish Look, I don't like what they stand for obviously, but legally they have a right to march Isn't it a question of humanity not legality? The purpose of law is to help society function in an equitable humane way Don't you think that's a really pompous statement probably I Don't know I'm going to that committee and go help you get out of the library I'm not doing it for social reasons, but you said you want to be around people more look I happen to think it's the right thing to do the right thing to do is to protect their right to free speech My favorite Oliver Wendell Holmes quote what the Constitution must protect is not free thought for those who agree with us But freedom for the thought we hate I had American history 239. I know what the guy said There's a meeting going on in the burdenville community center Its purpose is to stop the American fascist party from marching through town So far it's been a passionate meeting people were screaming and carrying on about all the different issues Now they've finally decided on a plan of action The cheer woman rear Arnold stands at the podium She breathes sigh of relief as she raises her gap That concludes today's meeting. Thank you friends for coming Excuse me, I said excuse me. I need to get by your books are blocking my way. Oh Thank you. Thank you aren't you coming. Oh, I I guess I should Are you all right? I think so. I think I am Are you ill? Do you need some help getting out? No, no, I'm fine The meeting just affected me a lot. That's all. Yes. Yes. It's very unpleasant The idea of the American fascist party marching here in burdenville I don't understand why people have to be so hateful to each other neither do I it's all through history people killing other people Pretending it's ideological conflict. All it really is is hate It's instant replays of the slaughter of the Albigensian heretics. That's what it is. Perhaps Perhaps although the slaughter of the Albigensians had as much to do with greed and lust for power as it did with hatred It was the same in Europe during the Second World War What did you say? It was the same in Europe before that That the Albigensian crusade was caused by greed and lust for power the Albigensian crusade in the 13th century the same I'm a medieval historian. Are you? No, no, no by profession. I'm a doctor. How did you know about the Albigensian heretics? I'd like to know things me too It's not too late. Would you like to have some pie and coffee together? Ah, I'd like to talk with you I I think that gentleman over there would like to close the hole. Oh, oh, I'm sorry. Um, yes Let that would be nice My name is Jill Graham young Kamarovitz Should I call you doctor Kamarovitz? Only if you want me to look at your x-rays Sometimes I Think I spend too much time learning and not enough with people But they say things all work out. Mmm. That's what I was told too as I got older I wondered if indeed it all works out How's your pie? It's good once some if you'll try mine What is it? You have a tattoo on your arm Yes You were in the concentration camp for five years. Oh Yes No wonder you feel cynical. Oh, I'm not the only one in this town. There are there are many survivors here I was just angered at the American fascist party was marching I didn't even think about what it would be like to remember the real fascist to have gone through that. I'm Jewish. Oh Yes Does it bother you to talk about the camp sometimes not now I Think that now it is a bit of a release. I felt very angry during the meetings Yet it is easier to say that I've been in the camps when I am sitting in a warm coffee shop and seeing a sympathetic face looking at me over a piece of cherry pie It makes those five years seem very far away, but they are far away An experience like that is Never very far from one Especially with this little reminder that the American fascist party has planned How did you do it? Survive I mean. Oh, I almost didn't know what else in my family did. I'm sorry. I Remember the day that we knew we were free. What was it like? For everybody it was different Some cried other people ran around kissing everything for me I Remember noticing How good everything smelled suddenly you can't imagine how wonderful life is When you've come so close to losing it I I am where you going How about you? Oh, I've been working on my thesis until my brain cells are all short circuiting now I'm taking a break. I'm going over to the committee to stop the American fascist party march She how many won the grandiose title going to a committee with a name like that'll probably fry your brain even more I figure that a change of pace will spark me up. What are you gonna do? We're campaigning door-to-door to get people to support certain town ordinances that will ban the march what ordinances Oh, let's see. I was talking about this one a lot last night They want to ban slogans or symbols like the Schwastika that would defame a group. I think it makes sense Did you know that there are a lot of survivors of concentration camps here in Burdenville? I mean, what do you think it would do to the other ordinance? Let's see no marching in paramilitary uniforms like the stormtroopers uniform, but it's almost the same as the first. Oh What's the other one? Let me think. Oh It's um They want the American fascist party to post an insurance bond for any damages that might result from the march It'll never hold up under the First Amendment. How can you say that because it won't shouldn't you don't know confidence? Well, you know me, you know, I always come off more confident than I am I really don't know what'll happen, but I tell you Jill I could bore you with long legal arguments and precedents But to me the basic issue is are we gonna have freedom of speech or not if we are it's a costly freedom I guess sometimes some people have to pay a higher price for that freedom than others. We're not talking about textbook cases We're talking about people. I met this doctor for coffee after the meeting and if you had a doctor, you know It's nothing like that He's a lot older than me and he's married. He also has a teenage daughter. He's just a nice man who wanted to talk Anyway, he was in the concentration camps for five years. Oh, and he's been through so much pain Why should he have to be insulted by those fascist idiots? Isn't there such a thing as protection for mental cruelty? Why should he have those old wounds opened up again? You know, it just doesn't seem fair Well, it doesn't seem fair to deny people the right to speak does it? No Oh, well, and I don't know. It's also confusing. All I know is it right now. I need to get over to my committee meeting I'll see you tomorrow. Hey, have a good time with your doctor. Ellen Easy to turn off the TV news and ignore events that are happening halfway around the world Not so easy when those events are happening in your home town For weeks the town's people of Burdenville could talk of nothing But the upcoming March by the American fascist party I've been thinking about all that you've been through in the camps and everything It makes my intellectual agonizing seem pretty foolish. You mustn't say that we each have our own struggles And I must tell you I have been so disappointed with myself When I was in the camps, I said that people don't appreciate life. They don't see how precious it is They don't realize how fully it must be used And yet I don't know that I have used these 30 years since the war so well But we all fall short of our aspirations. I think that makes life more exciting Even when I reach one of my goals, I set up a new one. Don't you? Yes. Yes, that's true. Yes, I Hope I won't upset you if I ask you this but Do you think that the American fascist party could ever be as powerful as the German fascist party anything is possible There is one important difference between the American fascists and the Germans. It saddens me very much Many Germans claim they knew nothing of the Holocaust until the war was over. I think it is true that they did not know However, the American fascist party is aware of all the atrocities that some of the Germans committed and yet They still persist in wanting to be like those killers. It's really ugly That's why even with your first amendment freedom of speech. I think what they do is illegal. Why? Because the party openly advocates racism to me Just the act of wearing the swastika is an act of identifying oneself with the Holocaust But this this only saddens me perhaps it's better if we talk about it things then things Became so very different between truly and me Right around the time that she was pregnant with the Lana why I Would be lying if I told you that I understood the reasons. Oh Well, what happened? I Think the word Arid arid best explains what my marriage is like And yes, it's it's it's like your southwestern deserts my marriage Well, it's strong. It's a very real force in my life And I believe it is a force and truly and the Lana's life yet if there's no passion Nothing grows there. Then why did you get married? Oh? Oh It's not always that way I First met through the after the war during my burst of idealism when I really thought that the world could change and be better Things were so good with us then so fresh Now we've lived together like brother and sister for almost 20 years Yet at least I have the memory of that first tenderness to console me You're like me. You're too hard on yourself. Hmm perhaps really How are you hard on yourself? Oh, I'm a perfectionist, you know So I take it really hard when something like a relationship doesn't work out. This is not just a relationship It is it's my marriage Yeah, I'm sorry Yeah, I don't I don't complain about my marriage. This is rare for me. Oh, it's my fault My disappointments and expectations are so intense. I Think I overemphasize What of you? What of you? Have you a nice friendship? Do you mean do I have a boyfriend? No, I can't believe this I get along well with women, especially my best friend Ellen and I usually have excellent Relationships with my professors and the undergrads I tutor except for this one girl Donna Mardigian But I don't know with men either. They aren't smart enough or they're too wishy-washy or if they are guys I like they don't like me. Why is that? I don't know, but you're so lovely. I think I mean secure You should be very confident to success for young woman like yourself. Oh knock it off. You sound like my mom I should be this I should be that well and some things. I'm a failure, you know I mean some things may not go the way I'd like them to that's just the brakes for me You're very young 25 isn't so young Time enough. I don't care anyone. Yes, you do not that much It's getting dark. I better go I Will walk you home. You don't have to It's getting dark The problem is it's the doctor. I told you about Ellen. What doctor? Oh, well, and you remember Jan Camaro, it's the one who's on the committee to stop the March the one with the wife, right? Terrific. Oh, I know it's not smart, but I've been spending a lot of time with him You know after we finish our volunteer work and everything just his friends only I've Started thinking about him in a romantic way. I Guess in some way it's healthy for me. He's the first man. I've known that I felt compatible with What do you mean by that? It's like being with you. Oh, yeah You know only it's different because you're different people of course and there's the whole man woman undercurrent with Jan Anyway, I can be relaxed and be myself around him and he's sensitive and intelligent enough to know what I'm saying Sometimes I think he understands what I'm trying to get across better than I do myself Sounds good Jill. Yeah good. Do I think about it? That's just I don't know if there's anything to do for all I know he might think I'm just another mousey-haired graduate student Oh, I can't imagine anyone calling your hair mousey Anymore than I can imagine someone thinking of you is just another graduate student. See that's another thing He's real supportive just like you are. He's also married. Yeah with a teenage daughter Well, maybe my romantic feelings will all kind of blow over maybe What's new with you enough about me? Well, Roger's in the tax law class this quarter, so I never see him What's happening on your committee now that the town ordinances have passed or do you spend all your time day dreaming about your doctor friends? No, we have to go to court The American fascist party says we're denying their freedom of speech. We're trying to raise the money to hire a really good lawyer I knew they would I hope they uphold the freedom of speech. Well, that's encouraging Jill I'm a bleeding heart liberal law student Wait until I get out in the cold cruel world and someone from your committee offers me the case in favor of the town ordinances I'd change my colors soon enough. Would you argue the case with all the ordinances? Not me But I'd be tempted Fascinating issue this free speech gives someone the right to be offensive does it Well, the danger is that if the court decides that offenses speech is illegal Then somebody has to decide what is offensive and what isn't that's not healthy Having someone dictate what's morally right and what's morally wrong too much censorship power and see what you mean You do sure then heck. I'm you're trying to stop the March. Well, my gut tells me to stop them Even if my head knows that they probably should be allowed to mark You know what really worries me What if there's a riot or something couldn't the American fascist party be arrested then I? Don't think so. Not unless they incite the riot. Why there's this case board in Ella versus the city of Philadelphia a Priest was giving a ridiculously bigoted speech and the crowd rioted He was arrested on breach of peace then acquitted because he didn't urge or incite the riot It's been used as a precedent to protect civil rights workers and stuff. Oh boy. What a confusing mess Don't knock it we lawyers need those messes to make a living Alan kidding How's your scampi fine so quiet It's really nice of you to take me out to dinner Generous, but you're the one who is generous Your friendship has given me back some of my old zest for life. Thank you. Please don't be offended But what my affection for you I Didn't know no meaning Affection I I thought it was written on me. I thought you must you must see it. I didn't see it You're angry do I look angry? No, I really feel Affection for you too. I Know you're married, but a man may be married and be attracted to another woman But he has responsibilities to that woman as well as his wife If the marriage is a strong one the other woman could perhaps be hurt if not the wife. I know I Thought about that too. You did Yes, I don't know what to say Yon. I only know that I've been a lot less lonely since we've been friends And here's the concluding act of the Great March The court of Marie de Champagne was the most fascinating thing about the 12th century Renaissance. Oh, why is that? It seems to me that was the first time women as a group were considered as a real social force Did you know that during the Middle Ages one of the church councils actually debated whether or not women had soul No, I didn't they decided that we did We're here Yes, I Love talking with you. Yes, and I do I Can always tell when you're feeling vulnerable You say yes, and then your eyes get all misty. I do Yes, I must I find myself wanting to say yes right now. Yes I Can't ask you to come in Yon. I can't it's not just a question of whether I care for you or not. It's There's too much else involved, you know Yes Good man Jill what whatever it is you decide I Trust you Do what is right for you and it will be right for me To some serious students allowed all who dare enter must keep a valve silence Otherwise stay out. Are you studying that and cooking split pea soup on my illegal hot plate? I hope you're not the local sheriff. Oh, well, come on. Can you spare the time? Oh If I read one more contract my eyes are gonna grow fur I think I'm a masochist to study this much. What do you think? I think I need to borrow your brilliant legal mind to help me solve a problem. Oh, no Not that I can't take that Sacrifice me to the biology lab for dissection purposes devour my split pea soup leave me to starve But please don't make me use my legal mind anymore Ellen I'm sorry. I'm just punchy from cracking the books all day. I'll say Really, what's up on some soup? No, thanks. It's about Yon. Oh I don't know what to do a week ago Yon took me out to dinner and told me that he loved me the week ago. Why didn't you tell me? I still thought it might blow over I guess or maybe I wanted to be sure of what was happening before I said anything So what's happening? I don't know what love means really I I think that word is used to describe so many different kinds of feelings even you know feelings that are ugly like Forcing another person to act a certain way because you love them or fighting wars for love of country or some ideal Joining the American fascist party for the love of your own ethnic group at the expense of the rest of humanity, right? Anyway, my my feelings for Yon are different from anything. I've ever felt for a man before I Can talk to him on an equal level. We're interested in the same things But but it's more than that weird Aware of each other's needs and and what we can do to make things better for each other. I know what you mean I feel that way about Roger There are these things in the way I don't know if I have the strength to deal with them and I don't even know if I should deal with them I don't like that word should you know that? To me it seems like you're worried about what society says you should do Not making up your own mind from your own personal values. I want to make up my own mind. What's the problem? well He's a lot older than I am but I think I can handle that you do it's a more clear-cut thing all I have to ask myself is Do I care enough about him to want to be with him when I'm middle-aged and he's an old man? The answer is yes What else? Well The big problem is his marriage. He's been married for 25 years to a woman named Trudy He has a daughter Ilana who just turned 19 He and Trudy really haven't been husband and wife since their daughter was born. You really you believe that? Yes Anyway, I don't think sex is the most important thing in a marriage. Yon and Trudy have other things. Oh Ellen it's awful if I get involved with him I'll hurt a woman and girl that I don't even know people who mean a lot to Yon But if he doesn't leave Trudy, it'll be just terrible for me. I couldn't love someone and be second Don't do that Joe. Remember how I felt when I found out Barry Simpson was seeing me and Lisa Kelly Destried my self-esteem. Yeah And then there's Yon He must be quite a man He is But I don't know if he could handle the confusion of having a relationship with two women. He really respects Trudy I don't know what would do to him to hurt her or me. I just don't know My brilliant legal mind is hearing all these great reasons against getting involved What are the reasons for doing it? That was the first thing I told you I love him. Oh, right I don't know Seems to me Jilly That your feelings about this man are the same as your feelings about the March that brought you together in the first place The American Fascist Party March? No the March of History. Of course the American Fascist Party March You think of that as No, wait It's more than that There's a conflict between your gut reaction and your mind your heart in your head your heart says I Hate what the American Fascist Party stands for I don't want them to March your head says But if I stop them from marching I may set a precedent that'll restrict freedom of speech. Am I right? Yeah Something like that. You're okay. Your heart says I love Yon Kamarowitz But your head says if I get involved with this man, there will probably be painful repercussions for everybody concerned Listen to me. I sound so logical and you're over there tearing yourself to bits. No, no, I see what you mean It's a good point So may I knew which voice to listen to both? Look if I get corny for a second promise not to tell anybody promise I Think the mind and the heart or emotions or whatever you want to call it are very precious gifts It is almost be going against the life force not to use them to their fullest advantage They're both like guides to me anyway. I Listen to my heart then I listen to my head and eventually I know inside what I have to do What should I do about yon? I don't know Jill. That's your decision After all your heart and head give you different messages Then mine give me yon. How are you? Very good very good What is it you wanted to tell me a? lot first of all, I'm Leaving the committee to stop the march Why is this? I still don't like what the American fascist party stands for But I guess I finally realize that this free speech thing is important to me, too Well, it's important to all of us. Yes, but Rhea Arnold and I have been talking We think that we have found a solution that will satisfy most of the committee members. What's that? Since the town ordinances were declared Unconstitutional under the First Amendment We must allow the American fascist party to march really we have to yes. Yes legally we must however We think that the most effective way to protest them Would be to pay them no attention to ignore them this overgrown bullies do not even merit a counter demonstration They'll give a march and nobody will come That's great. So you can still be with the committee and satisfy your conscience No, yon. It's more than that Can't stay with the committee because I Can't see you anymore at least for a while Oh What of our friendship? I Feel like I've done something awful letting my emotions get carried away with me I should have known it would be bad to get so attached to you. How can you say that? I don't know. I I know I can't get involved with you in a physical way It would hurt just hurt you and me and your family too much. I should have seen that I should have known what I was getting into I should have stayed in the library where I belong. Yes What's that supposed to mean? Yes. Yes. Yes, you do belong in the library. You are a brilliant scholar But you also belong with people you are one of the most sensitive and caring people I have ever met. Oh sure. I understand That it would be hard if we became more deeply involved. I Believe it is a wise decision you have made But please don't say that our friendship should not have been you have helped to bring back my passion for life Something that I thought had died forever, but it's painful. What? Getting close and breaking off. Perhaps there is some pain mixed with the joy. Joy Has it not been a joyous friendship? Will you be angry if I tell you something? How do I know until you tell me? I Hope that I can take this passion for life that I have rediscovered with you and Bring it back to my family Why? So I can keep alive what you have brought out in me that way I can feel your presence even if I don't see you Then I hope you stay happy and what of me what of me have I given you nothing? Confidence Caring for a man whom I admire. I never thought that was going to happen for me You will use this for me. How by using the library for studying not for hiding By believing that there are other men who will care for you as I have Men you will lie. Oh try don't try do it. Okay? It is ironic, you know What? That this March which I hate so much has helped to bring back the joy of life that I lost When the real fascists first came to my home My happiness after the war was a false happiness a reaction to intense sadness That happiness I have felt knowing you Something I have not felt since I was very little It is a happiness that is best appreciated by people. They have once felt very disillusioned an Innocent happiness I I hope you can understand a little Then that is enough Here's radio theater has been brought to you by Sears Roboc and company where our policy is Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back Sears where America shops for value The Great March was written by Patricia Joyce Produced and directed by Elliot Lewis your hostess was Sicily Tyson Our stars were Patricia Joyce and Shepherd Minkin Featured in the cast were Mary Jane Croft and Janet Waldo The music for Sears radio theater was composed and conducted by Nelson Riddle. This is Art Gilmore speaking The Elliot Lewis production of Sears radio theater is a presentation of CVI