Staging the people : community and identity in the Federal Theatre Project / Elizabeth A. Osborne.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Osborne, Elizabeth A., 1977-

Series:

Palgrave studies in theatre and performance history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)--History.

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.).

Theater and society--United States--History--20th century.

Theater and society.

National characteristics, American--History--20th century.

National characteristics, American.

History.

United States.

Physical Description:

xiii, 240 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

Summary:

"The Federal Theatre Project stands alone as the only national theatre in the history of the United States. This study re-imagines this vital moment in American history, considering the Federal Theatre Project on its own terms - as a "federation of theatres" designed to stimulate new audiences and create locally-relevant theatre during the turbulent 1930s. It integrates a wealth of previously undiscovered archival materials with cultural history, delving into regional activities in Chicago, Boston, Portland, Atlanta, and Birmingham, as well as tours of refugee camps and Civilian Conservation Corps Divisions. For a brief, exhilarating moment, the Federal Theatre Project created a democratic theatre that staged the American people"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Danger, Disease, and Despotism: Balancing on the Tightrope of Chicago 15

2 Demythologizing America: Past and Present Collide in Boston 49

3 "The Great American Theatrical Desert": Federal Theatre in the South 85

4 The Fading Frontier: Excavating the Portland Federal Theatre Project 121

5 Theatre "In the Wilderness": The Federal Theatre Project Tours America 151.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [189]-230) and index.

ISBN:

9780230113312

0230113311

OCLC:

682891264