ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: STAGING THE
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ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: STAGING THE PEOPLE: REVISING AND REENVISIONING COMMUNITY IN THE FEDERAL THEATRE PROJECT Elizabeth Ann Osborne, Doctor of Philosophy, 2007 Directed By: Dr. Heather S. Nathans Department of Theatre The Federal Theatre Project (FTP, 1935-1939) stands alone as the only real attempt to create a national theatre in the United States. In the midst of one of the greatest economic and social disasters the country has experienced, and between two devastating wars, the FTP emerged from the ashes of adversity. One of the frequently lampooned Arts Projects created under the aegis of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, the FTP lived for four short, turbulent, and exhilarating years. Under the leadership of National Director Hallie Flanagan, the FTP employed more than 13,000 unemployed theatre professionals, brought some much needed emotional support to an audience of more than 30 million, and fought to provide locally relevant theatre for the people of the United States. Yet, how does a national organization create locally relevant theatre in cities and towns throughout this diverse country? Each chapter addresses the same overarching question: How did the FTP develop a relationship with its surrounding communities, and what were the dynamics of that relationship? The regions all dealt with the question in a manner that was unique to their experiences, and which was dependent upon the political, social, cultural, and economic issues that made the communities themselves distinct. Recognizing these differences is vital in understanding both the FTP and the concept of a national theatre in America. This dissertation considers the perceived successes and failures of specific case studies in both urban and rural locations in four of the five major regions, the Midwest, South, East, and West. The integration of a wide breadth of material, from scripts and playbills to inquiries into the government structure, institutional power formations, and dominant discourse, shape this study into a rich cultural history. Points of entry include the Chicago FTP’s productions of O Say Can You Sing? and Spirochete, Boston’s Created Equal and Lucy Stone, Atlanta’s Altars of Steel and “Georgia Experiment,” and the pageants developed in Portland, Oregon. This collection of case studies suggests that the FTP served to both continue and inspire a “people’s theatre,” ultimately becoming one of the most successful failures of American theatre history. STAGING THE PEOPLE: REVISING AND REENVISIONING COMMUNITY IN THE FEDERAL THEATRE PROJECT By Elizabeth Ann Osborne Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2007 Advisory Committee: Dr. Heather S. Nathans, Chair Dr. Jackson R. Bryer Dr. Franklin J. Hildy Dr. Brian Richardson Dr. Barry Witham © Copyright by Elizabeth Ann Osborne 2007 To My parents, Jack and Mary Ann, My son, Connor and Hallie Flanagan and all those who fought for the Federal Theatre Project ii Acknowledgements Like all large projects, this dissertation would not have been possible without the help of numerous individuals. My thanks to all, and my apologies to anyone I inadvertently leave out. I am grateful for the friendship, advice and support of many people – Meg Coyle, Sandy Jackson, Lindsey Snyder, Wendy Clupper, Rick Tharpe, Kristen Williams, Nadja Masura, Korey Rothman, and Stacey Stewart. Tim Osborne copied many, many things for me, carried books, attacked the microfilm at the library, and provided support during my Masters and Doctoral processes. Mary Karen Dahl, Cameron Jackson and Lynn Hogan held back the tide so that I could finish. Special thanks to Natalya Baldyga for her ever-present cheerleading, support, and help with titles – even when she was as exhausted and busy as I was. Many archivists generously gave of their time and wisdom at the National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, George Mason University’s Special Collections & Archives, and the many other archives, universities, public libraries, and historical societies throughout the country that became a part of this study. Their knowledge and willingness to share it repeatedly astounded me. Susan Kattwinkel edited the volume in which my article appeared, Theatre Symposium: Tours of the South; her advice helped me to step up my scholarship for the real world. I also presented many parts of this dissertation in various forms at Theatre Symposium, the International Federation for Theatre Research, the International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and the American Comparative iii Literature Association; thank you to all who asked great questions and talked to me about the Federal Theatre Project. John Bush Jones, my thesis advisor, allowed me to change my topic at the last minute so I could look into a national theatre and get hooked on the Federal Theatre Project. I am grateful for the challenges and training provided by my graduate mentors. I wrote my first paper on the Federal Theatre Project in one of Catherine Schuler’s classes; her comments have stayed with me and helped to make this coherent. Jackson Bryer’s love of American Theatre helped sustain me when it seemed everyone else wanted to work on the Europeans. Susan Haedicke’s patience is also greatly appreciated. Frank Hildy’s enthusiasm for history inspired me to question and continue in my quest. Barry Witham’s research on the Federal Theatre Project inspired much of my own interest and provided a model for my own work. Brian Richardson stepped in at the last moment, generously giving his time and energy. And special thanks to Heather Nathans, who seemed to sense when I needed to be pushed, left alone, or sent out into the world. Her energy, love of the archives, and unflagging confidence drove my project forward; without her, I doubt I would have made it this far. Special thanks to my parents, Jack and Mary Ann Stees. My father earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology, worked for twenty-five years and retired, only to become my research assistant. My mother picked up where I could not, caring for my son when I attended conferences, dashed off to the archives, or was in the depths of writing. Finally, my son Connor consistently asked how “mommy’s thing” was going and made me take time out to laugh and experience life. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................v List of Figures .........................................................................................................vii List of Abbreviations................................................................................................ix Introduction...............................................................................................................1 A National Theatre?...............................................................................................1 Review of the Literature ........................................................................................6 Methods...............................................................................................................10 Chapter Breakdown .............................................................................................14 Chapter 1: Darkness in the White City – Unearthing Shadows in Chicago ..............20 The Federal Theatre Project in Chicago ...............................................................23 Unstable Leadership.........................................................................................23 Federal Theatre Project Audiences in Chicago .................................................28 Setting the Scene for the Chicago FTP.................................................................32 “I can stop anything in this town I want to . ”...............................................32 Stage Directions: Cultural Context for O Say Can You Sing ............................39 ‘O Say Can You Sing:’ Magic, Mayhem, and a Dash of Nudity...........................47 “A Revue With Snap:” O Say Can You Sing....................................................50 Spirochete: Whispering Out Loud.......................................................................65 Forgiving the Sins of the Father .......................................................................67 Responding to the Plague.................................................................................76 Shadow to Microscope . to the Stage: Locating Spirochete..........................84 Conclusions .......................................................................................................105 Chapter 2: Demythologizing American Ideology – Collisions of Past and Present in the East..................................................................................................................108 The Federal Theatre Project in Boston, Massachusetts .......................................110 Prologue: Censorship ....................................................................................110 “Not One Thing to Show . :” Troubled Beginnings in Boston.....................114 All men are ‘Created Equal:’ Spotlight on Equality...........................................124 The Preamble.................................................................................................126