The Federal Theatre Project was a New Deal plan, administered by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), during the Great Depression. The FTP came about during the height of the Great Depression, 1935, only four years before the Depression came to an end. The Great Depression has been referred to as the greatest economic disaster in the United States and lasted from 1929-1939 (history.com). During this time, nearly 13 million Americans were unemployed (history.com). The FTP was administered by the WPA in hopes to send many unemployed theatre professionals back to work. The enaction of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) provided many theatre professionals with new, much-needed jobs during the Great Depression, but its impact didn’t stop there. …show more content…
Flanagan was a theater professor at Vassar College and received the Guggenheim Fellowship award which she used to study modern theatre in Europe (Vassar). In October of 1935, Hallie wrote her instructions for the FTP and said, “The primary aim of the Federal Theatre Project is the reemployment of theatre workers now on public relief rolls: actors, directors, playwrights, designers, vaudeville artists, stage technicians, and other workers in the theatre field. The far reaching purpose is the establishment of theatres so vital to community life that they will continue to function after the program of this Federal Project is completed (LOC).” 10,000 men and women were hired on average each year by the FTP (NOVA). During the beginning they were only paid 23.86 each week …show more content…
These theaters consisted of schools, churches, factories, and closed off streets (Ross) . This may have been one influence to the off-off-broadway theatre movement, later in the 1960’s. They did not produce shows in every state because many lacked the proper theatre professionals (Flanagan). However, 40 states did have shows running and before this many people did not have access to such a luxury. Theatre was very expensive in the 1930’s. Out the approximate 1,200 shows they produced, 65 percent of the FTP’s shows were free (Flanagan) . The goal of the FTP was not to make a profit but to employ people in the theatre industry (Flanagan). Making so many of the shows free to the public allowed a barrier to be broken. Before, when tickets prices were sky-high that segregated the classes. Only the wealthy people who could afford the theatre
During the 1920’s, society as allowed to have freedom in their lives. With shorter, looser clothes, fun parties, and money to spend, many young people became accustomed to this easy, simple lifestyle. In October of 1929, the stock market crashed; in addition, many citizens panicked, pulling their money out of savings, causing the banks to run out of money and close. Many were left jobless, poor, and even homeless, living in small communities called shantytowns or Hoovervilles. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was inaugurated, he was obligated to solve many of these problems and re-instill hope into the heart of American citizens.
The Federal Theatre Project was a project that began in 1935 which was sponsored and supported by the United States government as a function of the Works Progress Administration. The Federal Theatre Project was known to be the first federally supported theatre in the history of the United States. The director of this project was the famous playwright and educator, Hallie Flanagan. The FTP (Federal Theatre Project) served as a purpose to create and rebuild the jobs for the unemployed individuals during the Great Depression.
In the 1930’s a group of government programs and policies were established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, they were created with the intention to help the American people during The Great Depression. The Great Depression was a time were many banks failed, many businesses and factories went bankrupt, and millions of Americans are out of work, homeless, and hungry. Most New Deal programs gave American citizens economic relief, chances for employment and helped for the general good. The New Deal’s intention was to help Americans during these troubling times filled with economic uncertainty, and in that aspect, it was a success. After the New Deal was implemented, unemployment rates were gradually lowered.
The 1920s, known as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of economic distinction for the United States. An average of 95% of the population had jobs, giving them the freedom to own homes and cars with enough money leftover to enjoy a ballgame or a movie. Factories were in full swing, using the assembly line to produce goods at an all time high for a price lower than ever. However, the economic boom came to a halt. Factories began producing more than people were buying, creating an overproduction of goods.
After suffering economic instability with Herbert Hoover as the president from 1928 until 1932, the American public was searching for a solution to the economic slump they were engulfed in after the highs of the Roaring Twenties. Because of this, the majority of the public voted against Hoover in the 1932 election and democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt was chosen to take his place. Roosevelt instituted a plan in order to solve the economic problems created by the Great Depression of the 1930s. Although FDR’s New Deal did not achieve its goal of ending the Great Depression, it did have many benefits regarding the economy, and the feelings and goals of the citizens, so it was successful in a sense. These benefits were made possible
The 1930’s not only brought the discovery of pluto to the US, but also the horror and fear of the great depression. The Great Depression was the worst depression in american history and still today people fear it may happen again. The 1930’s was a very hectic time for the United States. In the beginning of the depression Herbert Hoover was president. Although president Hoover was not necessarily a bad president, his time in office was plagued with the idea that he could not solve the great depression.
The Great Depression was a time period in the United States from the late 1920s to early 1940s, marked by severe unemployment rates nationwide. It had many origins, most notably of which was the Stock Market Crash of October 29th, 1929, also known as “Black Tuesday.” The administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the crippling unemployment and poverty rates of the Depression by establishing federal work programs to provide much-needed jobs to millions of Americans. Overall, however, this response was only marginally effective, because there was still rampant unemployment and discrimination throughout the duration of these programs. Through the establishment of these programs, the role of the federal government changed from a capitalist
Savannah Live was a musical preformance held in one of the oldest continuing theater halls in the nation. The theater, appropiately named the Historic Savannah Theater, origionally opened in 1818, yet do to years of wear and tear and several fires, the modern theater was retrofitted to look like its 1940s, art-deco self. Although the stage was in the traditional Proscienim style, the play was anything but traditional. The stage hall itself seemed like something right out of the hay day of Broadway, with lights surrounding the procienian arch, red velvet chairs and carpet, the hall was like a time caplse bringing me back into the 20th centry. Mimicing the transformations of the hall throughout the years, the musical took the audience on a journey through musical, and theatrical history.
At the beginning of the 1930s the era known as the "Roaring Twenties" died and from it emerged one of the hardest times known to Americans. The 1930s were centered on the Great Depression and how to alleviate the millions of Americans who were affected by it. During this era, the American government, led by Franklin D. Roosevelt, attempted to reform the American economy and the lives of the American people. FDR's New Deal policies implemented in response to the Great Depression, were generally ineffective as they were unable to bring the lasting stability that Roosevelt originally called for. His New Deal policies raised controversy over the government's role in the economy and what some critics labeled socialist ideas.
Paul Whiteman, a "jazz-king" said that Jazz was "a genuine musical force.4 " The 1920s were also Broadway's prime years. There were over 50 musicals opening in just one season. People who went to see the musicals on Broadway paid up to $3.50 a seat. Broadway advertized their musicals and the ads lit up the streets of New York at night.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, millions of Americans lost their jobs and were dumped into deep poverty. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president by the biggest landslide in history as he was seen as a "new hope" after millions blamed the previous president, Hoover, for the economic downturn. In Roosevelt 's first one hundred days in office, he initiated The New Deal in order to relive, recover and reform the nation. Despite facing criticism from businesses, division among political parties and creating a deficit for the nation the workings of the New Deal were exponentially beneficial short-term and long-term. The constructive effects included providing jobs with better conditions for numerous people, the addition of
What other events combined with the economic crash to make the Depression so harsh? Urban centers had turned into uninhabited areas. Grim shantytowns, bitterly dubbed "Hoovervilles," were made from crates and cartons. Meanwhile, a drought withered crops and made the Great Plains into badlands.
“They say I say” Chapter 1 summary Chapter one of “They say I say” is all about introducing a topic, with a counter point of view. It informs us that you are entering a conversation and need to start with “What others are saying” and then introduce your own ideas as a response. The sooner you summarize what “They say” the more likely the reader is to understand the topic. Graff and Birkenstein say, “The point is to give your readers a quick preview of what is motivating your argument, not to drown them in details right way.” You could also start your topic with an illustrative quotation, a revealing statistic or fact, or a relevant anecdote.(Nehring)
During the “Roaring 20s”, everything seemed to just keep getting better and better-stocks kept rising, people could buy more things with installment buying-but little did they know, the Great Depression would soon be upon them. In 1929, the stock market crashed which caused millions of people to go in debt. Before anyone knew it, banks were closing, people were losing their jobs and men and teens were forced to roam the country in search for work. People began to turn against the current president, President Herbert Hoover, and to a new person, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt came up with a plan to help aid America called the New Deal.
To add on, some people might say “theater is not a necessity in life”. So what? Theater just gets taken away, which is too heartbreaking to understand when it’s not within people’s grasps. Theater might not be an essential for survival, but the importance of this argument is that it can improve in the educational system. And isn’t that what it is all about?