Federal Theatre 1935 1939

The WPA Theatre Project-conceived as a relief measure, a work program, and an artistic experiment-enjoyed a brief but lively existence. With skill and sensitivity Mrs. Mathews explores its turbulent history from its ambiguous origins in 1935 to its tragic demise in 1939. The book recreate: the atmosphere of the era, and conveys a vivid sense of the Joys, frustrations, and personal sacrifices undergone by those dedicated few who recognized the need for an American People's Theatre.. Mrs. Mathews also provides a detailed account of the Congressional hearings which occasioned the disbanding of the. Project, and a fascinating portrait of Hallie Flanagan, the Projects colorful National Director. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The WPA Theatre Project-conceived as a relief measure, a work program, and an artistic experiment-enjoyed a brief but lively existence. With skill and sensitivity Mrs. Mathews explores its turbulent history from its ambiguous origins in 1935 to its tragic demise in 1939. The book recreate: the atmosphere of the era, and conveys a vivid sense of the Joys, frustrations, and personal sacrifices undergone by those dedicated few who recognized the need for an American People's Theatre.. Mrs. Mathews also provides a detailed account of the Congressional hearings which occasioned the disbanding of the. Project, and a fascinating portrait of Hallie Flanagan, the Projects colorful National Director. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This book presents a comparative study of the history, performances and politics of the FTP by drawing and exposing further links between American modernism and its European counterparts.

During the 1930s the Work Progress Administration funded the Federal Theater Project to sustain unemployed theatrical workers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other major urban centers, employing over 12,000 people and presenting countless productions. Some of the most popular and memorable of these works, such as the "voodoo" Macbeth and the "swing" Mikado, were produced in the so-called Negro Units, whose story is narrated in this book. Particular focus is given to problems of representation in a community and in an era trying to define what was African American, what was Negro, what was American, what was peculiar, and what was universal in the arts.