The Federal Theatre Project

During the 1930’s, at the height of the depression-era, many Americans found themselves out of work and desperate for a paycheck. With the nation’s economy still in the recovery stages from the 1929 Stock Market crash, the government was forced to create a number of public works projects. Those projects were outlined in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, in which the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was established on May 6, 1935 through Executive Order NO. 7034. The WPA gave citizens the chance to re-enter the workforce, but more specifically catered to the demand of unemployed professional artists. One of the five arts projects implemented by the Federal government was the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), which organized and produced theater events. The history of the FTP was filled with employment opportunities, artistic creativity, and controversy which eventually led to the projects incineration.
The FTP was clear in its intentions to produce American Theater during a time of crisis for the American people. Not only would the theater professionals benefit from work, but the country would be strengthen by national art, showing that the American spirit was not defeated by the depr

A third sub-project within the FTP system was Marionettes and Vaudeville Theatre’s. Marionette Theatre’s developed free programs that gave live professional performances to public organizations, like schools and hospitals. Vaudeville Theater’s(also included Children Theater’s)provided a different form of entertainment, it included acts like, opera singers, jugglers, hand puppets, ventriloquism, and slapstick comedy. A well known play which later came to controversy over its political views, was called The Revolt of the Beavers. In the play, “two small children are transported to "Beaverland," where society is run by a cruel beaver chief. "The Chief" forces the other beavers to work endlessly on the "busy wheel," turning bark into food and clothing, then hoards everything for himself and his friends. With the help of the children, a beaver named Oakleaf organizes his brethren, overthrows The Chief, and establishes a society where everything is shared.”(Trumball 2001).

Another sub-project was the Negro Theatre, which had many units across the nation, sixteen to be exact(most notorious in New York City). The Negro Units were headed by Rose McClendon, a well known black actress, and John Houseman, a theatre producer who got Orson Welles to direct and act with the unit. The most important theatre production that came out of this unit was Voodoo Macbeth. The Voodoo Macbeth, this all-black version set in 19th century Haiti became important for two reasons. First, it launched the directing career of Orson Welles and secondly it gave t