The Federal Theatre Project, 1935-1939 : engagement and experimentation / Rania Karoula.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Karoula, Rania, author.

Series:

Edinburgh Critical Studies in Modernism, Drama and Performance

Edinburgh Critical Studies in Modernism, Drama and Performance : ECSMDP

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.).

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

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

Theater.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 242 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2021]

Summary:

An exciting and engaging investigation 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 formContributes 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modernism and its European counterparts (Meyerhold, Brecht, European avant-garde)Concentrates on close reading of unpublished plays (excerpts from scripts included), on the actual performance events but also on archival material collected by the writer and not previously published in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.

Contents:

List of Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction

What was the Federal Theatre project?; 1. A Theatre is Born; 2. The Living Newspaper Part 1: 1935-1937 - The revolution begins; 3. The Living Newspaper Part 2: 1937-1939 - How not to sing for your supper; 4. The Negro Unit: Electrifying Harlem, electrifying the nation; 5. The Children's Theatre: Playing with Pinocchio and the beavers; 6. The Federal Dance Project: Dance, Race, Greek tragedy and Helen Tamiris; 7.The legacies of the Federal Theatre Project; Epilogue: Was it all worth it? The legacy of the FTP in contemporary performance; Archival Material; Bibliography; Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781474495974

1474495974

9781474445535

1474445535

OCLC:

1312726063