Download or read book Voices from the Federal Theatre written by Bonnie Nelson Schwartz and published by Terrace Books. This book was released on 2003 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Accompanying DVD contains the chapters: Who killed the Federal Theatre? -- Innovations: a selection of interviews -- Art and politics: a selection of interviews -- Selection of Federal Theatre posters -- Selection of Federal Theatre photographs.
Download or read book The Federal Theatre Project written by Barry Witham and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-09-25 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2003 book provides a detailed examination of the operations of the US Federal Theatre Project in the decade of the 1930s.
Download or read book Six Plays for Young People from the Federal Theatre Project 1936 1939 written by Federal Theatre Project (U.S.) and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 1986-03-18 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The subject of Swortzell's book is a selection of plays created by the Children's Theatre units of the Federal Theatre Project. . . . Most of the six plays in Swortzell's anthology resonate with political messages integral to the post-Depression, post-World War I era. . . . Though some of the scripts, like Chorpenning's A Letter to Santa Clause, which is an indictment of war, and Yasha Frank's Pinocchio, which celebrates the rewards of a virtuous life, hammer away at theme to the point of becoming tedious, the plays written and performed during this brief heydey in the history of children's theatre reveal just how far the genre could move beyond the narrow focus and prescribed subjects which once defined its boundaries. Children's Literature Association Quarterly The plays published here were originally commissioned by the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) of the Works Progress Administration. Editor Lowell Swortzell has selected six plays representative of the reportory of the children's theatre productions of the FTP and reprinted them in their entirety. The plays, whether original scripts or adaptations of fairy tales and folklore, emphasized both educational and entertainment value. The plays are preceded by an extensive introduction detailing the history and goals of the children's theatre unit. The plays are: Horse Play by Dorothy Hailparn, a comedy from the Negro Unit of New York City; Flight by Oscar Saul and Louis Lantz, a documentary play in the style of the Living Newspaper; The Boiled Eggs by Rught Fenisong, a comedy form the Marionette Unit of New York City; The Revolt of the Beavers by Oscar Saul and Louis Lantz, a controversial fable from Broadway; A Letter to Santa Claus by Charlotte Chorpenning, an anti-war Christmas pantomine produced as a gift to the children of Chicago; and Pinocchio, a popular adaptation first produced in Los Angeles, then transferred to Broadway.
Download or read book The Federal Theatre Project in the American South written by Cecelia Moore and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Federal Theatre Project in the American South introduces the people and projects that shaped the regional identity of the Federal Theatre Project. When college theatre director Hallie Flanagan became head of this New Deal era jobs program in 1935, she envisioned a national theatre comprised of a network of theatres across the country. A regional approach was more than organizational; it was a conceptual model for a national art. Flanagan was part of the little theatre movement that had already developed a new American drama drawn from the distinctive heritage of each region and which they believed would, collectively, illustrate a national identity. The Federal Theatre plan relied on a successful regional model – the folk drama program at the University of North Carolina, led by Frederick Koch and Paul Green. Through a unique partnership of public university, private philanthropy and community participation, Koch had developed a successful playwriting program and extension service that built community theatres throughout the state. North Carolina, along with the rest of the Southern region, seemed an unpromising place for government theatre. Racial segregation and conservative politics limited the Federal Theatre’s ability to experiment with new ideas in the region. Yet in North Carolina, the Project thrived. Amateur drama units became vibrant community theatres where whites and African Americans worked together. Project personnel launched The Lost Colony, one of the first so-called outdoor historical dramas that would become its own movement. The Federal Theatre sent unemployed dramatists, including future novelist Betty Smith, to the university to work with Koch and Green. They joined other playwrights, including African American writer Zora Neale Hurston, who came to North Carolina because of their own interest in folk drama. Their experience, told in this book, is a backdrop for each successive generation’s debates over government, cultural expression, art and identity in the American nation.
Download or read book Blueprints for a Black Federal Theatre written by Rena Fraden and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1996-06-28 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1930s, the Work Progress Administration funded a massive Federal Theatre Project in America's major urban centres, presenting hundreds of productions, some of the most popular and memorable of which were produced in the highly controversial and avant garde 'Negro Units'. This experiment in government-supported culture brought to the forefront one of the central problems in American democratic culture - the representation of racial difference. Those in the profession quickly discovered inescapable ideological responsibilities attending any sort of show, whether apparently entertaining or political in nature. Exploring the liberal idealism of the thirties and the critical debates in black journals over the role of an African American theatre, Fraden also looks at the obstacles facing black playwrights, audiences, and actors in a changing milieu.
Download or read book Federal Theatre 1935 1939 written by Jane DeHart Mathews and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-08 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Federal Theatre Project Collection written by Library of Congress. Manuscript Division and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Staging the People written by Elizabeth A. Osborne and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-06-20 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Federal Theatre Project, a New Deal plan to fund theatre and other live artistic performances during the Great Depression, had the primary goal of employing out-of-work artists, writers, and directors, with the secondary aim of entertaining poor families and creating relevant art. These case studies explore the ties between the Federal Theatre Project and regional communities throughout the United States.
Download or read book Furious Improvisation How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art out of Desperate Times written by Susan Quinn and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2021-06-07 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Under the direction of Hallie Flanagan, a daring 5-foot dynamo, the Federal Theater Project managed to turn a WPA relief program into a platform for some of the most cutting-edge theater of its time. This unique experiment by the US government in support of the arts electrified audiences with exciting, controversial productions, created by some of the greatest figures in 20th century American arts — including Orson Welles, John Houseman and Sinclair Lewis. Plays like Voodoo Macbeth and The Cradle Will Rock stirred up politicians by defying segregation and putting the spotlight on the inequities that led to the Great Depression. Furious Improvisation brings to life the challenges of this desperate era when Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt and the tough-talking idealist Harry Hopkins furiously improvised programs to get millions of hungry, unemployed people back to work. Quinn’s compelling story of politics and creativity reaches a dramatic climax with the entrance of Martin Dies and his newly formed House Un-American Activities Committee, which turned the Federal Theatre Project into the first victim of a Red scare that would roil the nation for decades to come. “Insightful, judiciously selective history of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), the most controversial branch of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration (WPA)... With careful attention to the underlying political and cultural issues, Quinn cogently retells this sad story of ‘a brief time in our history [when] Americans had a vibrant national theatre almost by accident.’“ — Kirkus “[A] fascinating new book that describes a rare happy marriage between art and government.” — Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, National Public Radio “Quinn does a superb job of recounting the rise and fall of the Federal Theatre Project, a wing of FDR’s WPA meant to employ playwrights and actors while providing diversion and inspiration for Depression-ravaged Americans... Quinn describes eloquently and artfully... a not-so-distant time when a nation bled and great artists rushed as healers into the countryside.” — Publishers Weekly “Quinn skillfully weaves together the cultural, political, personal and theatrical events that shaped the course of the [Federal Theatre Project]... Quinn enriches the prevalent narrative of FTP history... with her thorough analysis of key events outside the theatres.” — Theatre Survey “An energetic and adeptly detailed account of the remarkable achievements of the Federal Theatre Project... Much more than the sum of its fascinating parts.” — Booklist “[A]n excellent book, a model of narrative history...” — Scott Eyman, The Observer “Quinn’s well-written narrative is both fascinating and frightening as politics and idealism come to metaphorical blows with the rise of Martin Dies.” — Library Journal “Susan Quinn has gifted us with a key moment in the history of F.D.R’s New Deal. Especially thrilling and revelatory is the work of the Arts Project of the WPA. Not only were there rakes and shovels, jobs and food for family, there was exhilarating and hopeful theatre, music, and painting, lifting our spirits. They gave us all hope.” — Studs Terkel “This fine book combines elements of political history, theater lore, and a saga of social justice. In showing us a rare triumph of bold artists in league with brave public servants, Quinn rescues the idea that the imagination and government can be friends instead of strangers. Our times are desperate, too, and Furious Improvisation comes at just the right moment.” — James Carroll, author of House of War and Constantine’s Sword “Susan Quinn’s Furious Improvisation is a fascinating account of a fleeting moment in American history when the US government felt some obligation to provide work for its more indigent citizens, including artists. Hallie Flanagan, the heroine of this book, emerges as a true saint of the theatre — passionate, visionary, and inspired. Well written and thoroughly engrossing.” — Robert Brustein, Founder, Yale Repertory Theatre and American Repertory Theatre “With a cast of period icons ranging from Harry Hopkins to Orson Welles, Quinn’s fast-paced, highly readable narrative exposes the myriad ‘isms’ — racism, sexism, communism, fascism — defying the birthright of a young democracy whose survival was still very much in question. A provocative reminder of how consistent national conflicts remain.” — Diane McWhorther, author of Carry Me Home “Anyone interested in how theatre can make a difference in the world should read this book. Susan Quinn inspires us with the courage of Hallie Flanagan and her fellow artists, showing how theatre can be both life sustaining and dangerous — and have a huge impact on the political landscape.” — Tina Packer, Founder of Shakespeare & Company
Download or read book Identity Culture and the Science Performance Volume 2 written by Vivian Appler and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-05 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume 2 of Identity, Culture, and the Science Performance investigates performances that illuminate the hidden recesses and inscrutable mysteries of the natural and human-made worlds. While the first volume of this series prioritizes public, outward-facing, and activist work at the intersections of art and science, this volume considers performances of localized, concealed, inexplicable, or intimate phenomena, from the closed-door procedures of biomedical trials to the impacts of climate change. Interdisciplinary science dialogues have long been shaped by the cultures and identity communities in which they arise and circulate. The essays, interviews, and creative works included here not only expose the historical and contemporary harms created by exclusive and prejudicial processes in art and science, they also contemplate how a diverse, inclusive body of science performers might help deepen how we see the unseen forces of our universe, contribute to novel scientific understandings, and disrupt disciplinary hierarchies long dominated by white men of privilege. This collection expands upon extant scholarship on theatre and science by foregrounding identity as a crucial thematic and representational element within past and present performances of science. Featuring interviews with science-integrative artists such as Lauren Gundersen (The Half-Life of Marie Curie) and Kim TallBear (Native American DNA) as well as creative works by playwrights Chantal Bilodeau and Claudia Barnett, among others, Identity, Culture, and the Science Performance, Volume 2: From the Curious to the Quantum proposes shifts in perspective and procedure necessary to establish and maintain sustainable cultures of science and art.
Download or read book Broadway and the Blacklist written by K. Kevyne Baar and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2019-01-21 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the era often commonly known as McCarthyism, many motion picture and television creators were blacklisted for supposed communist ties. There remained, however, a creative outlet that still welcomed these artists--theatre. This book explores the role theatre played during this turbulent period, covering the formation of the Theatre Guild (which birthed the Group Theatre), the short-lived Federal Theatre Project, and the investigations of the motion picture and television industries, and Broadway, by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Appendices discuss McCarthy's role and present the memos of investigator Dolores Faconti Scotti, along with a list of prominent witnesses in HUAC's Broadway hearings, and reactions by artists' unions in the decades following the blacklist.
Download or read book The Great Depression in Literature for Youth written by Rebecca L. Berg and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No area of the United States was untouched by the Great Depression, but the severity in which people experienced those significant years depended in large part on where in the nation they lived. While dust choked the life out of Americans in the plains, apples grew in abundance in the Northwest. Unemployment-driven poverty robbed urban dwellers of hearth and home, while Upper-plains farm women traded eggs and chickens like money. This bibliography describes the youth literature and relevant resources written about the Great Depression, all categorized by geographical location. Students, educators, historians, and writers can use this book to find literature specific to their state or region, gaining a greater understanding of what the Great Depression was like in their locale. The Great Depression was a pivotal period in our nation's history. This annotated bibliography guides readers to biographies; oral histories, memoirs, and recollections; photograph collections; fiction and nonfiction books; picture books; international resources; and other reference sources. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) state guides are included, as well as literature about the federal theater, arts, and music projects. A comprehensive listing of museums and state historical societies complement this reference. For readers interested in learning about the Great Depression, this is a must-have resource.
Download or read book Federal Theatre Plays written by Federal Theatre Project (U.S.) and published by Da Capo Press, Incorporated. This book was released on 1973-01-21 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Dangerous Theatre written by George Kazacoff and published by Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 1989 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dangerous Theatre records the activities of the various organizations of the Federal Theatre Project involved with fostering the writing and production of new plays during the FTP's existence (1935-39). It presents a comprehensive and thorough picture of how playwrights actually worked and how their work was received by general audiences and critics. A critical perspective is established explaining how, why, and to what extent the aims of the FTP with regard to promoting new plays were, or were not achieved.
Download or read book Staging the People written by Elizabeth A. Osborne and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-06-20 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Federal Theatre Project, a New Deal plan to fund theatre and other live artistic performances during the Great Depression, had the primary goal of employing out-of-work artists, writers, and directors, with the secondary aim of entertaining poor families and creating relevant art. These case studies explore the ties between the Federal Theatre Project and regional communities throughout the United States.
Download or read book Dictionary of Midwestern Literature Volume Two written by Philip A. Greasley and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2016-08-08 with total page 1074 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Midwest has produced a robust literary heritage. Its authors have won half of the nation's Nobel Prizes for Literature plus a significant number of Pulitzer Prizes. This volume explores the rich racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the region. It also contains entries on 35 pivotal Midwestern literary works, literary genres, literary, cultural, historical, and social movements, state and city literatures, literary journals and magazines, as well as entries on science fiction, film, comic strips, graphic novels, and environmental writing. Prepared by a team of scholars, this second volume of the Dictionary of Midwestern Literature is a comprehensive resource that demonstrates the Midwest's continuing cultural vitality and the stature and distinctiveness of its literature.
Download or read book Liberty Deferred and Other Living Newspapers of the 1930s Federal Theatre Project written by Lorraine Brown and published by University Press of America. This book was released on 1989 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Living Newspaper is invariably associated in the United States with the progressive aspects of New Deal culture, and particularly with the innovative work of the Federal Theatre Project (1935-39). The Living Newspapers in this volume treat the history of labor in the courts (Injunction Granted), medical treatment (Medicine Show), blacks in America (Liberty Deferred), and provide documentation of the Highlights of 1935. Liberty Deferred and Other Living Newspapers is a bold, penetrating investigation of a revolutionary form of theatre.
