Federal Theatre Project During the Great Depression
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Dec 14, 2021
"Melodies on Parade" — a Federal Theatre Project production, Great Depression era.
The 2nd topic in "History in Historical Novels" that I discussed in my 1st zoom event was the innovative Federal Theatre Project, funded by Congress through the WPA.
Like many people during the Great Depression, unemployment was rampant in the arts. Theater companies had closed, vaudeville was dying, and thousands of performers, directors, designers, and stagehands were out of work.
The Federal Theatre Project, established in 1935 under the Works Progress Administration, was the first and only federally funded national theatre program in American history. At its peak, it employed over 10,000 people and produced hundreds of productions seen by millions of Americans — many of whom had never seen live theatre before.
Under the leadership of Hallie Flanagan, the FTP was remarkably innovative. It produced the "Living Newspaper" — a form of documentary theatre that dramatized current events. It staged classical plays, children's theatre, circus performances, and experimental works.
The FTP was shut down by Congress in 1939, a victim of the Red Scare and political opposition. Hallie Flanagan was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee and accused of communist sympathies — charges she vigorously denied.
In Becoming a Woman of Substance, my protagonist Miriam works for the Federal Theatre Project, giving me the opportunity to bring this remarkable chapter of American history to life.