The Federal Theatre Project Analysis

The United States encountered many ordeals during the Great Depression (1929-1939). Poverty, unemployment and despair clouded the “American Dream” and intensified the urgency for solutions to address and control the nationwide damage. President Franklin Roosevelt proposed the New Deal to detoxify the nation of its suffering. It can be argued that the New Deal was ineffective due to the inability to end the Great Depression with its short-term solutions and created more problems, however; it was successful in regards to providing direct relief for the needy, economic recovery and some structural reform for the majority of the general public in the severity of the Great Depression.

The set used for Vernon God Little was highly symbolic and simplistic; when we walked into the theatre we could visually see that there were flowers, cards and memorable items attached on the audiences seats above our heads, which already created a sombre atmosphere around the theatre.

Throughout the late 1920's an important theatrical movement developed: The Workers' Theatre Movement. In the end, it diminished around the middle of the 1930's, and one of the developments aiding the decline of the Workers' Theatre Movement, was the creation of the Federal Theatre Project. The Federal Theatre Project was the largest and most motivated effort mounted by the Federal Government to organize and produce theater events. Once the government took on the duty of putting people to work, it was able to consider the movement. The Federal Theatre Project’s purpose was “to provide relief work for theatrical artists that utilized their talents and to

For our critiquing assignment in our Introduction to Stagecraft 1, I ventured to downtown Toronto, to a small indie theatre called, The Unit 102 Theatre. There I saw the production of MISS; written by Dora Award-nominated playwright Michael Ross Albert who wrote such works as Tough Jews, The Spadina Avenue Gang with the Storefront Theatre. The set takes place in the aftermath of a shocking accident in a boarding school classroom, the story explores the tenuous connection between a high school teacher, her fiance, and a troubled student whose lives have been irrevocably changed by tragedy caused by a miscarriage, an affair, and the fear of the consequences that are not yet revealed, and finally, murder. This is a one act showdown between three

The Great Depression lasted ten long years, and at its lowest point some fifteen million Americans were unemployed. The president at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, established the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to give jobs to the unemployed in their areas of skill. One component of the WPA was the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), which was introduced to employ theater workers and provide sponsored performances to the public. However, overall the Federal Theatre Project was unsuccessful in accomplishing its goals.

Although the project was formally canceled, it had a broad impact on the careers of many of these professionals and shed light on the educational and community purposes to which theatre could be put. While the Federal Theatre Project created a Depression-era platform for established playwrights like Eugene O’Neill, it also provided a starting point for the careers of new ones like Arthur Miller. Its programs opened the way for predecessor organizations like the American Negro Theatre, which grew out of the disbanded Negro Theatre Project. This group would train a new generation of actors like Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, and Ruby Dee, who would become fixtures on American stage and screen in later decades and would be known particularly for their investment in exploring race and inequality. The tensions between FTP theatre professionals and Congress around social issues in art foreshadowed the intrusions of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings into the lives and works of playwrights and other artists in the 1950s.

arts theatre that had a Board of Directors more concerned about artistic values than how they would

The Great Depression in the 1930s was a devastating blow to the American economy and peoples. In fact, it left 15 million people, more than twenty percent of the population, unemployed and without a source of income. Jobs were few and far between for everyone, but some of those whom the unemployment hit hardest were those involved in theater and the arts. That was where the Federal Theater Project (FTP) was intended to come into the picture; however, it did not do so successfully.

The early 1930s was home to one of the most devastating times in American history. Many Americans were unemployed, making little money, and struggled getting by everyday. One thing that brought people together were the theatrical arts. The Federal Theatre Project (FTP) helped to bring jobs and entertainment to people during the Great Depression. The FTP did many things to bring theatrical works across the country, but the short span of four years questions its effectiveness.

In New York City, 1931 The Great Depression began to overwhelm families throughout the United States. As the Depression worsened more and more jobs were lost. The government tried to create jobs and employ as many people as they could, but the unions became unable to provide for their own members. In result Harry Hopkins came up with the idea of the Federal Theatre Project.

In my ELA class we are learning about history of Biddeford so I chose to do history of city theater because I personally love theater, and every time I drive by the city theater, it catches my eye. So, sit back and relax cause here we go. It all started in the 1840’s on the corner of Adams and Main street, the city government wanted a space to work. So they built a space, then someone with a dream came in and turned it into the “Biddeford City Theater”. After a successful year of theater. It burned to the ground. They decided to rebuild it but bigger and better. It re-opened on January 20th, 1896. The theater immediately roared and became the one of the most visited theaters in Maine There’s even folklore about a ghost named Eva who died on

The season of the 1930’s sparked the strike of the Great Depression. To the surprise of many, theaters everywhere began to shut down. People around the nation lost jobs and struggled to provide for themselves. However, there was a breakthrough: Franklin Roosevelt created the New Deal. Funded by the government, the New Deal created jobs in a variety areas. Even with these changes the theaters and arts still had difficulties. Thus, the Federal Theater Project was established. The projected presented over 1,000 performances each month and life was pumped back into theaters.

Graphic- My graphic is meant to be reminiscent of CNU’s sail symbol without simply copying it with the letters “TheaterCNU” beside it. They represent sails in motion, more curved than the edgy and sharp CNU sails. Theater is fluid and constantly moving, and that should be represented within the graphic. These sails are also facing the opposite direction of CNU’s sails, showing that theater is moving in a creative new direction that is complimentary to CNU’s core beliefs. TheaterCNU is meant to be expressive of these values in ways that are particular to this art form, and that should be seen in any symbol of the department. Looking at the mission statement, this brings in “artistically stimulating,” “expression,” and “appreciation of the art of theater as central to the liberal arts.” The three sails also represent “theater’s role in the past & present, & its future purpose in the world.” While it retains its professionalism, this graphic has a new dimension that the old graphic could not represent. The selling point is

As I speak into the microphone the speakers remain silent. I set the mic to the side unsure if none of the mics work or if the transmitter is broken. I pick up the mic to test and almost hope it doesn’t work. If this final one fails then there is still hope the mics work and the transmitter is broken. I connect the mic, take a deep breath as I slide the fader up. I speak, nothing, no sound. I sigh in relief. I put the transmitter to the side in slight hope someone could fix it. I grab the next transmitter and mic. While connecting the two together I thought, “What if nothing works? We can’t afford the purchase new sound equipment. I really hope this works.” Once again, I take a deep breath and grit my teeth. As I slide up the fader I say, “check one.” I hear it! I can

I started off with reading pages 276-279 in my Theatre: Collaborative Acts textbook. When reading in the textbook I liked how they were define terms such as, what a Kabuki was and what onnagata means. I liked having a background information on what I was about to watch. When I watched the video I was about to relate the terms they used back to the reading and was able to understand what they were talking about. I found it interesting how men took on female roles and stayed in character the how time. I was not focusing on how the men were crossing dressing, but focusing more on their movement and character he was playing. He is able to make the transformation by having the stage assistants help switch his outfit. With these switches the actor