The Federal Theatre Project, 1935–1939
Engagement and Experimentation
- Offers the first comparative study of the history, performances and politics of the FTP in a book form
- Contributes significantly to the study of Hallie Flanagan as the bridge between the FTP and the European avant-garde; it will also contribute to the study of Flanagan’s own plays
- Draws and exposes further links between American modernism and its European counterparts (Meyerhold, Brecht, European avant-garde)
- Concentrates on close reading of unpublished plays (excerpts from scripts included), on the actual performance events but also on archival material collected by the writer and not previously published in a consistent manner
- Offers both a historical survey and theoretical analysis based on performance theories
Engaging and informative, 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. It concentrates predominantly on the New York division and its following units: the Living Newspaper, the Negro unit, the Children’s unit and the Dance unit. Exploring a range of performances, it suggests that the FTP is responsible for an array of theatrical and dramatic experimentations but that it is also indebted to and carries on from the tradition of the European avant-garde and the contemporary modernist theatrical explorations.
List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction - What was the Federal Theatre project?
1. A Theatre is Born2. The Living Newspaper Part 1: 1935-1937 – The revolution begins3. The Living Newspaper Part 2: 1937-1939 – How not to sing for your supper4. The Negro Unit: Electrifying Harlem, electrifying the nation5. The Children’s Theatre: Playing with Pinocchio and the beavers6. The Federal Dance Project: Dance, Race, Greek tragedy and Helen Tamiris7. The legacies of the Federal Theatre Project
Epilogue: Was it all worth it? The legacy of the FTP in contemporary performance.Archival MaterialBibliographyIndex
Rania Karoula's study of the Federal Theatre Project is a landmark piece of research. Reading this path-breaking contribution to theatre history one gets the sense both of the FTP's political fervour and its innovative aesthetic approach. Anyone interested in the way art and politics intersected in the twentieth century – and might still intersect now – will be fascinated by this compelling volume.
