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ABSTRACT a Director's Approach to Arthur Arent's One Third of a Nation

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ABSTRACT a Director's Approach to Arthur Arent's One Third of a Nation ABSTRACT A Director’s Approach to Arthur Arent’s One Third of a Nation. Adam Flores, M.F.A. Thesis Chairperson: Marion Castleberry, Ph.D. The Federal Theatre Project, under director Hallie Flanagan, had many projects throughout its short existence from 1935-1939; however, few were as innovative and impactful as the Living Newspaper. The most successful Living Newspaper was One Third of a Nation by Arthur Arent. This thesis examines the history of the Living Newspaper as a form of theatre, the production history of One Third of a Nation, the process of adapting the script, the application of directorial analysis to concept, and the collaborative process by which the production was staged at Baylor Theatre in November of 2014. A Director's Approach to Arthur Arent's One Third of a Nation by Adam Flores B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Theatre Stan C. Denman, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee Marion D. Castleberry, Ph.D., Chairperson DeAnna M. Toten Beard, M.F.A., Ph.D. David J. Jortner, Ph.D. Paul E. Larson, Ph.D. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2015 J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2015 by Adam Flores All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures vi Chapter One: The Federal Theatre Project, Living Newspaper, And The Play 1 Introduction 1 The Federal Theatre Project 1 Living Newspapers 11 One Third Of A Nation 18 Dramatic Form 19 Audience Reception 22 Original Set 23 Regional Productions 25 Propaganda 31 Opposition To The Show 34 The End Of The Living Newspaper 42 Contemporary Revival 44 Conclusion 46 Chapter Two: Analysis 49 Introduction 49 Synopsis 50 Idea And Theme 55 Given Circumstances 56 Style And Form 57 Foreign Influences 58 Adaptation 61 Ensemble 64 Little Man And Mrs. Andrews 65 Loudspeaker 69 Language 71 Conclusion 72 Chapter Three: Design Process 73 Introduction 73 Posters/Woodcut 74 Individual Artists 74 Adaptation 81 Scenic Design 83 Costumes 87 Lighting Design 91 Sound 92 Rehearsals 94 iv Conclusion 99 Chapter Four: Rehearsal Process 101 Introduction 101 Auditions 101 First Rehearsal 104 Blocking 107 Working Rehearsal 108 Technical Rehearsals 119 Chapter Five: Production Reaction 125 Introduction 125 Goals/Spirit 125 Adaptation 126 Casting 128 Rehearsal 129 Scope/Outreach 129 Design 133 Final Product 136 Leadership 138 Conclusion 139 Appendix 141 Bibliography 149 v LIST OF FIGURES Fig 1.1. Picture of the Original Production. 26 Fig 1.2. Picture of the set and live orchestra from the Detroit production. 29 Fig 1.3. The set of the Philadelphia production. 30 Fig 3.1. Poster for Yiddish “Awake and Sing” by Clifford Odets 75 Fig 3.2. “The Emperor’s New Clothes” with Federal Theatre for Youth 75 Fig 3.3. God’s Man, 76 Fig 3.4. Parks, the Circus, the Klan, the Press” By Thomas Hart Benton. 77 Fig 3.5. Door of the Missouri House Lounge by Thomas Hart Benton 79 Fig 3.6. “Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity 80 Fig 3.7. Photo of opening set during the opening fire scene. 84 Fig 3.8. The Loudspeaker in her tower. 86 Fig 3.9. Photo of the designer’s model for the set. 88 Fig 3.10. Hallie Flanagan at a microphone. 90 Fig 3.11. The Loudspeaker of the Baylor production. 90 Fig 3.12. The final tableau of the Baylor production 99 Fig 4.1. The senators freeze after another round of objections. 113 Fig 5.1. Original woodcut print by Maggie Holland. 131 Fig 5.2. The Landlord shows the Man that he can’t sit on the plot of land 134 Fig A.1. The residents of the tenement realize there is a fire. 142 Fig A.2. The Police arrive on the scene of the fire. 142 Fig A.3. Trinity Church gives “land” to some wealthy citizens. 143 Fig A.4. More and more tenants crowd onto the land. 143 Fig A.5. The Landlord and his descendants look on from the steps as the tenants 144 crowd together. Fig A.6. Cholera strikes the tenement building. 144 Fig A.7. Busker women clean out the tenement after cholera. 145 Fig A.8. Act 2 Scene 2b. A young couple discuss the option of having children. 145 Fig A.9. The Andrews from their seats interrupt the show. 146 Fig A.10. The vaudevillian performers explain to the Andrews how hard it is to for 146 landlords to build affordable housing. Fig A.11. The Andrews look on to see the final tableau of the show. 147 Fig A.12. The Landlord leaves the stage. “You’ve got to have a place to live.” 147 Fig A.13. The phone wires and working period speakers hanging over audience. 148 Fig A.14. One of Hallie Flanagan’s bookplates, featuring the “Swing Mikado.” 148 vi CHAPTER ONE The Federal Theatre Project, Living Newspaper, and the Play Introduction The history of the formation of the Federal Theatre Project’s special brand of living newspapers can help bolster any subsequent production of a Living Newspaper for those artists who are interested in embracing the larger influence of the Federal Theatre Project as an organization. It was the connection between the larger formation and goals of the Federal Theatre Project, exemplified in the Living Newspapers, that makes these plays still intriguing. There is no better example in American history of theatre artists with such organization and support looking to connect with the masses and address the concerns of the people than the Federal Theatre Project. Any artist looking to explore how to use theatre for social outreach can find many development opportunities in these often neglected plays. The Federal Theatre Project Unlike many other developed nation-states the United States of America does not have a history of a National Theatre. The relationship between the government and theatre had a rocky start as the First Continental Congress felt it prudent to list in the Eighth Article of Association that the Colonies should, “discourage every species of extravagance and dissipation, especially all horse-racing, and all kinds of games, cock fighting, exhibitions of shows, plays, and other expensive diversions and 1 entertainments.”1 In the late 18th century theatre was seen in the same negative vein as gambling and animal abuse by our Founding Fathers. Though this level of political disdain in America receded, there was often an underlying conservative belief that the theatre was a dangerous cultural exercise. Government’s stance on the arts to changed as the country was thrust into the Great Depression causing a far more progressive stance. Amongst much conservative protest in 1935, an act of Congress started the Federal Theatre as part of Federal Project One in order to get theatre artists off of unemployment. The Federal Theatre Project, hereafter referred to simply as FTP, was only destined to last from 1935 to 1939. The project would garner much criticism and scrutiny from members of Congress who would eventually terminate the project’s funding after a hearing from a Special Committee on Un-American Propaganda Activities in the United States. The beginnings of the project reflect an escalating national awareness that government employment relief should include the thousands of artists out of work. Harry Hopkins began establishing small federally funded theatre projects early on under the Civil Works Administration.2 When, in April of 1935, the Works Progress Administration was given its initial allocation of $4.9 billion, Hopkins expanded his approach to white collar and arts employment. Hopkins believed that there was a great majority of “white collar men” who needed relief and that this justifiably included artists. 1 “Journals of the Continental Congress-The Articles of Association; October 20,1774,” Yale Law School, accessed July 20, 2014, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/contcong_10-20-74.asp. 2 Hopkins was a former social worker in New York City originally from Iowa. Later appointed to be head of the Temporary Emergency Relief Administration and then the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)by President Roosevelt. He then switched strategies, believing that employment not just relief was the right exit from the Great Depression. He was then appointed the director and financial allocator for the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and eventually the Works Progress Administration (WPA). George McJimsey, "Hopkins, Harry Lloyd," American National Biography Online, Feb. 2000, accessed Nov 05, 2014 http://www.anb.org/articles/06/06-00288.html. 2 In a speech at a WPA luncheon Hopkins outlines his belief in the importance of Government funding for the arts and other white-collar endeavors saying, “We decided to take the skills of these people wherever we found them and put them to work to save their skills when the public wanted them.”3 Hopkins fundamentally combatted the notion that if a person were in such financial need that they had to turn to the Federal Government for aid then they should be put to work on the most menial of jobs. To Hopkins, the Federal Government need not suggest that they only have room to employ ditch diggers. He added, “Sure we put musicians into orchestras. Sure we let artists paint. It was all right for the great foundations to give fellowships to artists, but when the United States Government did it because these fellows were busted and broke, then it becomes boondoggling, a waste of money.”4 Hopkins belief that the Federal Government should give relief to workers from all fields manifested itself in joint resolution H.
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