The Federal Theatre Project, 1935–1939 : Engagement and Experimentation

Investigates the explosive phenomenon of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) from a transatlantic perspectiveOffers 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 playsDraws 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modernism and its European counterparts (Meyerhold, Brecht, European avant-garde)Concentrates on close reading of unpublished plays (excerpts from scripts included), on the actual performance events but also on archival material collected by the writer and not previously published in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 mannerOffers both a historical survey and theoretical analysis based on performance theoriesEngaging 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.