Overview

The Federal Theatre Project, a 1930s relief project of the Roosevelt administration, brought more theater to more people in every corner of America than at any time in U.S. history. The project had units in every region of the country, including groundbreaking African American troupes, and staged productions ranging from daring dramas like The Voodoo Macbeth, Waiting for Lefty, and Cradle Will Rock to musicals, vaudeville, and puppet shows. It was canceled in a firestorm of controversy that gave birth to the damning question: """"Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?"""" This book documents that vibrant, colorful, politically explosive time, which gave rise to bitter debates about the role of government in American art and culture. It includes interviews with such Federal Theatre actors, playwrights, directors, designers, producers, and dancers as Arthur Miller, Studs Terkel, Jules Dassin, Katherine Dunham, Rosetta Lenoire, John Houseman, and many others.

Full Product Details

9780299183240

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Reviews

The miracle of the Federal Theatre lies precisely in this - that from a drab and painful relief project there sprang the liveliest, most innovative, and most original theatre of its era. - John Houseman

The miracle of the Federal Theatre lies precisely in this - that from a drab and painful relief project there sprang the liveliest, most innovative, and most original theatre of its era. - John Houseman

Author Information

Bonnie Nelson Schwartz is a producer for the Broadway stage, film, and television. She has worked on more than a hundred plays, films, television programs, and concert specials worldwide.

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