For four years in the thirties, the U.S. government invested in theater to an extent that seems impossible, even shocking, today. The Federal Theatre Project, one of a slew of New Deal programs designed to alleviate poverty during the Great Depression, created about 12,000 jobs and launched the careers of such greats as Arthur Miller, Orson Welles, and Paul Green (author of the Texas outdoor musical, performed to this day in Palo Duro Canyon). Some 30 million Americans watched the project’s free or very affordable plays—more than a thousand productions across 29 states. The majority of those in attendance had never been to the theater before, including immigrants who enjoyed shows staged in their native languages, such as Spanish and Yiddish. In Texas, Federal Theatre…
The post A Texas Congressman Wrote the Culture War Playbook When He Killed a 1930s Theater Program appeared first on Texas Monthly.
Read: Read More