The Federal Theatre Project
The Federal Theatre Project
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Drawing upon archival resources, official correspondence and personal interviews, this book provides a detailed examination of the U.S. Federal Theatre Project in the decade of the 1930s. It recreates the often chaotic but frequently exhilarating story of "Uncle Sam" as producer. Special attention is given to the controversial Negro unit; the prize-winning production of See How They Run; and the mass spectacles which attempted to incorporate Hallie Flanagan's vision of a truly national project rooted in local culture.
- The first major study of Federal Theatre in regions outside New York
- Evaluates the national project from this perspective
- Based on original documents from the National Archives, Library of Congress, Hyde Park Roosevelt Library and first-person interviews
Reviews & endorsements
"...backed by 15 years of research that the author mines to create several lively narratives about the project's various elements. By the end of this meticulous study, the theater enthusiast feels as though he's been transported to Seattle in the late 1930s." Seattle Times
"This valuable case study considers what is arguably the single most significant government arts initiative in US history.... Essential." Choice
Product details
- Published: January 2009
- Format: Paperback
- ISBN: 9780521100120
- Length: 212 pages
- Dimensions: 229 × 152 × 12 mm
- Weight: 0.31kg
- Contains: 11 b/w illus.
- Availability: Available
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgement
- List of illustrations
- Introduction
- 1. A showboat for the people
- 2. Glenn's plan
- 3. Hoofers, mystics and a singing bird
- 4. Typists and models
- 5. A Negro theatre
- 6. Power and control
- 7. Dunbar and the children
- 8. Slums and syphilis
- 9. See How They Run
- 10. Flotilla of Faith
- Conclusion
- Appendix A. Production calendar
- Appendix B. Glossary of names
- Bibliography.
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