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The Federal theatre in the Los Angeles area

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The Federal theatre in the Los Angeles area

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Content THE FEDERAL THEATRE IH THE LOS AHGELES AREA
A T h e s is
P re se n ted t o
th e F a c u lty o f th e Departm ent o f H is to r y
U n iv e r s it y o f S ou th ern C a lif o r n ia
In P a r t i a l F u l f il l m e n t
o f the R equirem ents for th e D egree
M aster o f A rts
by
R obert E . Holcomb
June 1956
UMI Number: EP59682
All rights reserved
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DIssôiËtation Pubi stxng
UMI EP59682
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789 East Eisenhower Parkway
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Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
UNIVERSITY O F SO U TH ERN CALIFORNIA
GR ADUATE SC H O O L
U N IV ER SITY PARK
LO S A N G E L E S 7
This thesis, written by
R o b ert E . E q l G ...........................................
under the guidance of h..i,s--P^culty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been pre
sented to and accepted by the Faculty of the
Graduate School, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
................
.......................................S t a n le y ,
As S i s t a n t Dean
D ate...................J u n e , 1 9 5 6 ..........................
Faculty Committee
ciia Chairman
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I . THE FEDERAL THEATRE IS B U IL T ................................................ 1
I I I . LOS ANGELES REHEARSALS: 1935 18
i l l l . THE CURTAIN RISES: 1936 ......................................................... 31
t
I IV. THE PLAY IS THE THING: 1 9 3 7 -1 9 3 8 43
V. THE LAST ACTS: 1939 ....................................................... 56
jBIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 70
'[APPENDIX I ............................................................. 76
■APPENDIX I I ................................... 91
APPENDIX I I I .................................................................. 99
Î
ÎAPPENDIX T V .......................................................................................................... 109
CHAPTER I !
I
THE FEDERAL THEATRE IS BUILT |
"Our g r e a t e s t prim ary t a s k i s t o put p eo p le t o i
I
w ork." T hese w ere th e words o f F r a n k lin D. R o o s e v e lt In :
!
h i s f i r s t in a u g u r a l a d d re ss on March 4 , 1933. To m i l l i o n s |
o f unem ployed Am ericans d is c o u r a g e d hy months o f d e p r e s - i
s i o n , g l i t t e r i n g g e n e r a l i t i e s , and l o c a l c h a r i t y , t h i s
sta tem en t prom ised a new approach t o t h e i r problem s and
new hope fo r the fu t u r e , |
But i t to o k tim e and e x p e r im e n ta tio n b e fo r e a tr u e j
work program was d e v e lo p e d by th e F ed er a l governm ent. The j
e a r l y F ed er a l Emergency R e l i e f A d m in is tr a tio n , p r im a r ily a |
S t a t e program; th e P u b lic Works A d m in is tr a tio n , w hich had j
moved s lo w ly ; and th e C i v i l Works A d m in is tr a tio n , c r e a te d j
a s an em ergency o p e r a tio n , a l l se r v e d as a p a r t o f th e |
ground work fo r th e Works P ro g r ess A d m in is tr a tio n w hich |
was c r e a te d in th e S p rin g o f 1 9 3 5 , a f t e r th e 1934 e l e c t i o n s
in d ic a t e d th at the American v o t e r s fa v o r e d th e c o n tin u a tio n
and e x t e n s io n o f a n a t i o n a l work program. |
When the W. P. A. f i r s t was announced. P r e s id e n t '
R o o s e v e lt o u t lin e d the p h ilo s o p h y w hich was to embrace i t
when he s t a t e d : "The F e d e r a l Government must • . . q u it ’
t h i s b u s in e s s o f r e l i e f . . . We must p r e se r v e not o n ly ;
th e b o d ie s o f th e unem ployed from d e s t r u c t io n .b u t a l s o !
t h e ir s e l f - r e s p e c t , t h e ir s e l f - r e l i a n c e and courage and
d e te r m in a tio n .
R o o se v e lt *s c h o ic e to a d m in is te r t h e new a g en cy was
Harry Hopkins who had b egu n a s s i s t i n g the unem ployed in
New York C ity in 1 9 1 4 , a f t e r b e in g gra d u a ted from C r in n e lli
C o lle g e i n Iowa. Hopkins had headed th e F ed era l E m ergency'
R e l i e f A d m in is tr a tio n and th e C i v i l Works A d m in is tr a tio n .
As r e l i e f a d m in is tr a to r f o r th e s e a g e n c ie s he had ad vo
c a te d th e n eed f o r s u b s t i t u t i n g a work program fo r th e
d o le system and t h e need fo r p r e s e r v in g the w o r k e r 's s k i l l
! and s e l f - r e s p e c t . ^ I
i ' i
i The id e a t h a t p r o f e s s i o n a l p e o p le , in c lu d in g a r - !
i . , I
j t i s t s , a l s o had a s k i l l to p r o t e c t was n o t b orn in th e |
I W. P. A. Under the C i v i l Works A d m in is tr a tio n many i
) ■ I
I te a c h e r s had been employed and some th r e e thousand w r i t e r s j
‘ _ J
I and a r t i s t s had worked under th a t program .^ In some |
j c i t i e s , in c lu d in g Los A n g e le s , work fo r unemployed a r t i s t s !
and a c to r s had been p r o v id e d fo r s e v e r a l y e a r s .^ But ;
I I
t h e s e program s w ere l i m i t e d in b o th sco p e and d i r e c t i o n .
1 !
R obert L. Sherwood, R o o s e v e lt and H o p k in s, An j
In tim a te H is t o r y (New Y ork, 1§48 ), p . 6 6 .
I
2 H a ll i e F la n a g a n , Arena (New Y ork , 194 0 ) , p . 16.
I
^ Sherwood, R o o s e v e lt and H o p k in s, p . 5 7 . I
^ Grace Overmyer, Government and th e A r ts (New York,
1939 ), p . 1 33. I
Harry Hopkins com plained th a t th e C a lif o r n ia t h e a t r e p r o
j e c t s w hich were o p e r a tin g i n 1934 were "Just r e l i e f ,
n o th in g e l s e . Does i t have to he?"^ He was d eterm in ed
th a t i t d id n o t , and he b egan se a r c h in g fo r th e a d m in i
s t r a t i v e p e r so n n e l whom h e hoped w ould o u t l i n e th e s p e c i
f i c p la n s fo r m eetin g the n e e d s o f th e n a t i o n ' s unemployed
a r t i s t s .
P r e sid e n t R o o se v e lt had serv ed as a t r u s t e e o f
V assar C o lle g e and u n d ou b ted ly was f a m ilia r w ith the work
o f lâ?s. Hal l i e F la n a g a n , who fo r ten y e a r s had se r v e d as
!
th e d ir e c t o r o f th a t c o l l e g e ' s E xp erim en tal T h e a tr e . In :
February o f 1934 Hopkins c o n fe r r e d w ith Mrs. F lan agan |
about t h e f e a s i b i l i t y o f e s t a b l i s h i n g a n a tio n -w id e p r o - |
I
gram to p ro v id e work i n t h e i r own p r o f e s s io n fo r unem- j
i
p lo y e d t h e a t r e p e o p le . On A ugust 2 7 , 1 9 3 5 , e ig h t e e n |
months a f t e r f i r s t b e in g approached ab ou t th e p la n , îÆrs. j
F lan agan took the oath o f o f f i c e a s th e N a tio n a l D ir e c to r |
o f the F ed eral T h eatre P r o j e c t , one o f fo u r a r t i s t p r o - |
J e c t s e s t a b l i s h e d w it h in the Works P ro g r e ss A d m in istr a
t i o n .
The Job fa c e d by th e F ed era l T h eatre D ir e c to r was
a monumental one. T h eatre p e o p le had s u f f e r e d not o n ly
th e "norm al" unemployment o f th e e a r ly t h i r t i e s , b u t had
been hard h i t by th e a d v en t o f t a lk in g m otion p i c t u r e s .
,_ Arena , p . 9 .
1 th e m ec h a n iz a tio n o f m usic by r a d io and r e c o r d c o in I
I m achines and th e r i s i n g c o s t s in v o lv e d in p r e s e n t l e g i t i - \
I mate drama. The answer w hich th e government had come up |
I w ith to meet t h e s e p eo p le *s n eed s was th a t a governm ent j
I t h e a t r e be c r e a t e d - - t h e o b j e c t i v e s and d e t a i l s t o be I
I worked out l a t e r . |
I E a r ly in the program th e broad o b j e c t i v e s o f The j
I i
; F ed era l T h eatre were o u t lin e d . These in c lu d e d th e b e l i e f '
; th a t th e unem ployed t h e a t r e p e o p le wanted t o work and t h a t |
I ‘
I t h e y p r e fe r r e d t o work in t h e i r own p r o f e s s io n ; t h a t t h e s e |
I a r t i s t i c p e o p le must be r e h a b i l i t a t e d and t h e i r s k i l l s !
I ^
p r e se r v e d ; th a t th e ta x p a y e r s sh ou ld have a r e a l r e tu r n • ;
: I
fo r the money sp en t; th a t th e p r e s e n t a t io n s o f F e d e r a l «
j T h eatre be n e it h e r cheap nor v u lg a r ; th a t th e govern m en t’s !
I t h e a t r e s t im u la t e i n t e r e s t in l e g i t i m a t e drama; and th a t j
I t h i s th e a tr e sh ould be f r e e and u n cen sored .® |
I f
I P rev io u s a tte m p ts by l o c a l and s t a t e governm ents t o |
a s s i s t t h e a tr e p e o p le had f a i l e d b e c a u se o f th e ty p e and |
I
the method o f t h e a tr e p r e se n ta tio n s.* ^ Mrs. F la n a g a n 's own,
p h ilo s o p h y was t h a t i f the n a t io n a l t h e a t r e were to be |
s u c c e s s f u l , i t must be c r e a t i v e ; i t sh ou ld n o t be m erely a '
carbon copy o f com m ercial t h e a t r e . She urged h er r e g io n a l '
-g-------------
New York T im es, May 1 7 , 1 9 3 6 , P art IX, p . 2 4 .
7
F la n a g a n , A ren a, p . 16.
d i r e c t o r s to th in k i n term s o r e x p e r im e n ta tio n and change.
She b e l ie v e d th a t the t i c k e t p u rch a ser w ish e d t o le a v e th e
t h e a t r e not m erely s a t i s f i e d , he w anted t o be e m o t io n a lly
s t i r r e d up.^
These were th e broad p h ilo s o p h ic a l "planks" from
w hich th e F ed era l T h eatre s t a g e was to be b u i l t . The
f i r s t m eetin g of th e s t a g e d e s i g n e r s , th e S t a t e and r e
g io n a l d i r e c t o r s , was h e ld under Mrs. F la n a g a n 's d i r e c t i o n
in W ash ington, D .C ., on O ctober 8 and 9 , 1935, o n ly s i x
weeks a f t e r Mrs. F la n a g a n 's ap p o in tm en t. In clu d e d in t h i s
group were the f o l lo w in g : Eddie D ow lin g, fo r v a u d e v i l l e
and v a r ie t y ty p e ^ o w j C h arles Coburn, f o r New E ngland; j
Elmer R ic e , fo r New York; E. C. M abie, fo r th e M idwest; I
F r e d e r ic k Nock, f o r th e S ou th; and G ilm or Brown, f o r th e j
W est.® I
M u ltitu d in o u s problem s were d is c u s s e d a t t h i a tw o- I
I
day c o n fe r e n c e . A d m in is tr a tiv e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y had t o be i
o u t lin e d and h e r e i t was e x p la in e d th a t th e p r o j e c t a r e a s ,j
a lth o u ÿ a r e s p o n s ib le t o the N a tio n a l D i r e c t o r , w ould o p e r - !
a t e th rou gh o f f i c e s o f the S ta t e and d i s t r i c t Works P rog- |
r e s s A d m in is tr a tio n . T h is d e c i s i o n l a t e r was t o r e s u l t in
a g r e a t many d i f f i c u l t i e s . Mrs. F lan agan o u t lin e d th e
p o l i c y o f a f e d e r a t i o n o f t h e a t e r s . She b e l i e v e d t h a t th e
® F lan agan , A ren a, p . 4 5 , p . 2 4 3 .
I b i d . , pp. 4 2 -4 3
G
n a tio n sh ould he d iv id e d i n t o r e g io n s a c c o r d in g to " n atu - j
r a l" a r e a s — New E ngland, E a s t , M idwest, South and W est— j
and th a t each area have a p r o d u c tio n , t r a in in g and r e - |
se a r c h c e n te r . She f e l t t h a t no one sh ou ld d i c t a t e th e
c h o ic e o f p la y s or p o l i c i e s , but r a th e r t h a t th e f u n c t io n s j
I
o f the N a tio n a l D ir e c to r should be th o s e o f making su g g e s -j
t i o n s and c o o r d in a tin g a c t i v i t i e s . She p o in te d out th a t |
th e r e had been a s u g g e s t io n from W ashington t h a t th e r e be ;
an em phasis on new Am erican p la y s , c l a s s i c a l p r o d u c t io n s ,
c h i l d r e n ' s p la y s and Negro d r a m a . TO
The r e g io n a l a r e a s o f F ed er a l T h eatre as l i s t e d j
above were to change but s l i g h t l y in th e n e x t fo u r y e a r s , j
By January o f 1 9 3 9 , th e New England Area had become a p a r t j
!
of th e E a ste rn R egion ; a new Sou th ern C a lif o r n ia D i v i s i o n 1
had been added; and New York C ity had become a se p a r a te j
d i v i s i o n .T 1 j
F ed era l T h eatre d id n o t o p e r a te in a l l s t a t e s b e
cau se some a r e a s had to o few p r o f e s s i o n a l s on r e l i e f to
e s t a b l i s h u n i t s , ard in oth er a r e a s where F e d e r a l T heatre
p r o j e c t s were in tr o d u c e d , th e p u b lic d id n o t su p p ort them
H a ll le F la n a g a n , "T h eater and G eography," in
American Magazine o f A r t , XXXI (A u gu st, 1938 ), 4 6 5 . ;
11 i
F ed eral T h e a tr e , O cto b er, 1 9 5 5 , t o Jan u ary, 1 9 3 9 '
(New Y ork, u n dated ÿ ï r ca P ebrm ry, 19393 ), p . 9 . In
' F e d e r a l T h eatre f i l e s of T h eatre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s it y
o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s .
s u f f i c i e n t l y to w arrant t h e ir c o n tin u a n c e . As th e program|
I
g o t under w ay, some 1 2 ,7 0 0 p e o p le were em ployed in t w e n t y -|
n in e s t a t e s . I
!
Of the a r e a s . New York had th e most F ed er a l T h ea trej
em p lo y ees; New York se r v e d a s th e h e a d q u a r te r s fo r the
I
E a ste r n Area and as th e P la y Bureau H ead q u arters fo r the |
w h ole c o u n tr y . In the words o f L5rs. F la n a g a n , "New York I
was the b e s t and th e v/orst o f F e d e r a l T h e a tr e . I t p r e
se n te d the w id e s t r a n g e o f p r o d u c tio n , t a l e n t s , t a s t e s ,
a t t i t u d e s , r a c e s , r e l i g i o u s and p o l i t i c a l f a i t h s ." T 3 As
one m ight e x p e c t . New Y ork, as th e l e g i t i m a t e drama c e n te r |
I
o f the U n ited S t a t e s , le d the oth er a r e a s when th e program j
got s t a r t e d in p r e s e n t in g e x p e r im e n ta l drama, s o p h i s t i c a t e d
1
ty p e p la y s and in the v a r i e t y o f ty p e s o f e n te r ta in m e n t |
o f f e r e d . I t was i n New York th a t the L iv in g Newspaper |
drama was " in v e n te d " ; i t was New York th a t was most s u e - j
c e s s f u l w ith i t s c a r a v a n -ty p e summer p r o d u c tio n s in th e i
c i t y ’s p a rk s; and i t was New York t h a t form ed the storm |
I
c e n te r when C o n g r e ssio n a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f F ed er a l j
I
T h eatre were c o n d u cted . i
W ith in a few sc o r e m ile s o f New York C it y , h ow ever,I
th e drama c lim a te fo r F e d e r a l T heatre proved t o be q u ite ,
^ H a llie F la n a g a n , " F ed era l T h ea tre," B r ita n n ic a !
Book o f the Y ear, 1 9 5 8 , p . 259. |
I
A rena, p . 5 1 . '
8
d i f f e r e n t . New England wanted no e x tr a v a g a n z a s and no |
e x p e r im e n ta tio n . N othing c o n t r o v e r s ia l was a c c e p ta b le in |
!
s t a i d B o sto n , and c r i t i c i s m o f F ed er a l T h eatre was s tr o n g |
i
enough to r e s u l t in n e a r -c e n so r sh ip t h e r e . Not u n t i l |
p la y s c l o s e l y i d e n t i f i e d w ith l o c a l d e s i r e s were p resen ted !
d id the a u d ie n c e s become v ery l a r g e . |
I
The Midwest had a v a r y in g r e s p o n s e to F e d e r a l
T h e a tr e 's w a r es. In many a r e a s l o c a l p o l i t i c s k ep t Fed
e r a l T h eatre a c t i v i t i e s q u ite l i m i t e d and e x c e p t fo r
C h ica g o , the com panies o f t h i s r e g io n had v e ry l i t t l e op - |
i p o r t u n ity t o prove t h e i r w o r th . C h ic a g o 's problem s were i
Î ?
o f oth er v a r i e t i e s ; l o c a l c e n s o r s h ip and l o c a l p r e s s a t - \
» i
i t a c k s - - t h e l a t t e r in the news a r t i c l e s and e d i t o r i a l s o f I
: )
i the C hicago Trib u n e were d e s c r ib e d by ¥æs» F lan agan a s |
! " v i c i o u s . C h icago, h ow ever, d id produce one o u ts ta n d - I
I ' I
! i n g l i v i n g newspaper p r o d u c tio n . S p ir o c h e t e , and th e !
I " '
I m u s ic a l, the Swing Mikado, th a t became n a t i o n a l l y fam ous.
I P erhaps th e area w hich b e s t a c h ie v e d th e hop es o f |
, some th a t F e d e r a l T heatre w ould be r e l a t e d p r im a r ily w ith |
I j
community drama was t h e S o u th . From Oklahoma to N orth j
' C arolin a r a n th e em phasis o f r u r a l , l o c a l drama. The '
I
! S ou th s t a r t e d i t s F e d e r a l T h eatre work s lo w ly , and ap p ar- i
I I
e n t l y th e l o c a l c i t i z e n s d id n o t fa v o r any major in n o v a - i
I t i o n s . A p r e s s , w hich a t f i r s t had b een somewhat c r i t i c a l ,
A rena, p . 1 4 0 .
r e f l e c t e d by 1938 a grow ing p u b lic a p p ro v a l o f th e program.-
A lt a r s o f S t e e l , a p la y about the S o u th , was t h a t a r e a 's |
most s u c c e s s f u l p r o d u ctio n .T b |
In a d d it io n to p ro d u cin g p la y s in t h e s e v a r io u s j
!
a r e a s , the F e d e r a l T h eatre o r g a n iz e d a N a tio n a l S e r v ic e |
Bureau which had th e f u n c t io n o f r e a d in g p l a y s , p r e p a r in g <
m a t e r ia ls and k e e p in g r e c o r d s o f th e F ed er a l T h eatre p r o - j
d u c t io n s th ro u g h o u t th e n a t io n . T h is Bureau had i t s head
q u a r te r s in New Y ork, b u t some a r e a s had t h e ir own r e g io n a l
s e r v i c e b u r e a u s . Another F e d e r a l T h eatre a c t i v i t y was i t s !
r a d io p r o j e c t ; many r e g io n s had t h e ir own r a d io d i v i s i o n s
and many a c t o r s , w r i t e r s , and t e c h n i c i a n s were a s s ig n e d \
from l e g i t im a t e drama a c t i v i t i e s t o t h i s u n i t . :
The F ed eral T h eatre made s p e c i a l e f f o r t s t o p r o v id e ;
fo r m in o r ity gro u p s. The Negro u n i t s , p a r t i c u l a r l y in New|
Y ork, Chicago and Los A n g eles made im p ortan t d ra m a tic c o n -|
tr ib u tio n s.T 3 P la y s a l s o were produced in most o f th e !
I
la r g e r c i t i e s t h a t had F e d e r a l T h eatre in f o r e i g n I a n - j
g u a g es; Y id d is h , F ren ch , German, I t a l i a n , and S p a n ish |
j
p r o d u c tio n s were p r e s e n te d in v a r io u s c i t i e s . ;
Y o u th fu l a u d ie n c e s were n o t f o r g o t t e n by the Fed- *
e r a l T h ea tre. In many a r ea s t r a v e l i n g com panies v i s i t e d |
" ■ - j " c " ' "
F la n a g a n , A ren a , pp. 8 1 -8 6 .
T6 F r e d e r ic k W. Bond, The Negro and th e Drama
(W ash in gton, D .C ., 1 9 4 0 ) , pp. 166-TV4; E d ith I s a a c s , The
Negro i n th e Amer lean T h eatre (New Y ork, 1947 ), p . 112.
10
c h i l d r e n ' s h o s p i t a l s . C i v i l i a n C o n se rv a tio n Corps camps, |
and s c h o o ls ; caravan to u r in g com panies p r e s e n te d summer i
p r o d u c tio n s a t parks in s e v e r a l o f th e la r g e r c i t i e s . |
P la y s d e sig n e d s p e c i f i c a l l y fo r c h ild r e n were a l s o p r o - j
duced in many c i t i e s ; som etim es t h e s e were puppet or =
m a r io n e tte p r e s e n t a tio n s and som etim es v e ry e la b o r a t e j
l e g i t i m a t e p r o d u c tio n s were g iv e n . |
The typ e o f play w h ich became th e F é d é r a l T h e a tr e 's |
tr a d e mark was th e l i v i n g n e w sp a p er --a r a p i d - f i r e d ram atic j
p r e s e n t a t io n of c u r re n t h i s to r y -- w h ic h was f i r s t d e v e lo p e d j
and most o f t e n p r e s e n te d i n New Y o r k . The a d v a n ta g e s o f i
i
th e l i v i n g newspaper fo r F e d e r a l T h eatre were th a t i t was j
e x p e r im e n ta l; i t n e c e s s i t a t e d u s in g a la r g e c a s t , th u s I
g iv in g employment to many; and the s t a g in g c o s t s were v e r y {
lo w . T his in n o v a tio n in d ram atic tec h n iq u e was done a t a i
p r i c e . B ecause the theme of th e l i v i n g newspaper was some |
i
a s p e c t of th e p a s s in g s c e n e , i t o f t e n in v o lv e d c o n tr o v e r - ;
s i a l s u b j e c t m atter o f a p o l i t i c a l or econom ic n a tu r e ; a s
a r e s u l t , t h e s e p r e s e n t a t io n s drew b i t t e r t ir a d e s from i n - |
d iv i d u a ls and i n t e r e s t s t h a t f e l t th e y were b e in g a tta c k e d j
I
Mrs. F lan agan l a t e r s t a t e d th a t she b e l i e v e d th a t th e o n e - !
I
m ies made by th e l i v i n g new spapers "were in s tr u m e n ta l in |
th e f i n a l c l o s i n g o f t h e p r o je c t." ^ ® S p ir o c h e t e , d e a lin g |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I
!
!
^ W ills o n Whitman, Bread and C ir c u se s (New Y ork, '
1937 ) , p . 4 9 . i
^ Q A ren a, p . 2 2 1 . _____ I
11
w ith a s o c ia l- m e d ic a l problem , was th e o n ly m ajor l i v i n g
newspaper p r o d u c tio n w h ich did n o t come under str o n g
c r i t i c i s m b e c a u se o f i t s a l l e g e d propaganda; Pow er, Qne-
Third o f a N a tio n , I n ju n c tio n G ran ted , E th io p ia (n o t p r o -
duced ), and T r ip le - à Plowed Under were a l l i n t h i s c r i t i
c iz e d c a te g o r y .
But n o t a l l o f F ed er a l T h eatre was in th e n o n -co n
ven t io n a l ty p e o f drama such as th e l i v i n g new spap er,
c h i ld r e n ' s drama or e x p e r im e n ta l t h e a t r e ; m ost of th e
p la y s p r e se r v e d by th e governm ent w ere o f th e c o n v e n tio n a l
ty p e s im ila r to th e m a jo r ity o f th e p la y s p r e s e n te d in Los
A n g e le s . These in c lu d e d c l a s s i c a l p r o d u c tio n s and a g r e a t
number o f modern p la y s ; more than one hundred o f th e l a t
t e r were new p la y s by A m erican a u th o r s .
D e s p ite the h op es o f i t s a d m in is tr a to r s th a t th e
F ed era l T h eatre w ould be " fr e e ," c e n s o r s h ip became a
problem e a r l y when Works P ro g ress A d m in is tr a tio n o f f i c i a l s
were inform ed by W ashington t h a t a p r o j e c t e d p la y ,
E t h i o p ia , sh o u ld n o t be p rodu ced. T h is a c t i o n b rou gh t th e
r e s i g n a t i o n o f Elmer R ice a s th e d i r e c t o r fo r New York;
t h i s r e s i g n a t i o n d id have i t s s a l u t a r y e f f e c t , h ow ever,
b eca u se i t fo c u se d p u b lic a t t e n t i o n upon th e n eed f o r
m a in ta in in g a f r e e F ed era l T h e a t r e . S e v e r a l o th e r
1^ H a llie F lan a gan , " F ed eral T h ea tr e," B r ita n n ic a
Book o f the Y e a r , 1 9 5 9 , p . 260 .
20 F e d e r a l T h eatre F la y s ( in t r o d u c t io n by H a ll i e
F lanagan,. 2..vo.ls,:,_New f o r k , 1938 I , v i i - v i i i . ___________ _
12
i n s t a n c e s o f c e n s o r s h ip occu rred th r o u g h a c t io n s o f l o c a l
o f f i c i a l s , bu t o n ly one oth er p la y . The C radle W ill R ock,
was h a l t e d by a c t i o n o f th e F e d e r a l governm ent.
But i f c e n s o r s h ip was n o t a c o n s ta n t problem ,
c r i t i c i s m w a s . Even b e fo r e the f i r s t F e d e r a l T h eatre
p la y s were p r e s e n t e d , th e a t t a c k s b eg a n . Much o f t h i s
c r i t i c i s m was p o l i t i c a l l y in s p ir e d and was e s p e c i a l l y
v i t u p e r a t i v e near e l e c t i o n m onths. Popular m agazines
w hich w ere s t r o n g ly an ti-N ew D eal were b i t t e r In t h e i r |
c r i t i c i s m o f F e d e r a l T h ea tre; L ib e r ty M agazine and The
i
Saturday E vening Post a r t i c l e s c r i t i c i z e d th e c o s t o f j
F ed er a l T h eatre and h in te d a t Communist c o n t r o l and im - !
PI !
m o r a lity on th e p r o j e c t s . H o w e v e r , new spapers a c r o s s ^
th e n a t io n g e n e r a l ly did n o t o p en ly a t t a c k th e F e d e r a l i
T h e a t r e F o r t u n e m agazine r e p o r t e d , "the r e a l wonder i s I
I
t h a t so much work o f v a r io u s s c r t s h as b e e n produced w ith I
so l i t t l e scream in g from e i t h e r end o f the p o l i t i c a l r a i n - !
bow."^^ ;
But n o t a l l c r i t i c i s m d i r e c t e d a g a in s t F e d e r a l
T h eatre was p o l i t i c a l l y i n s p ir e d . Some c r i t i c i z e d th e
a r t i s t r y o f th e p r e s e n t a t io n s ; o th e r s who saw w it h in th e
" ■ ' o i '
G aret G a r r e tt, " F ed eral T h eater for th e M asses,
i n The Saturday E v en in g P o s t , CCVII (June 2 0 , 1936 ), 8 .
po
^/hitman. Bread and C i r c u s e s , p . 6 0 .
168 "Unemployed A r ts ," in F o r tu n e , XV (May, 1 9 3 7 ),
13
F e d e r a l T h eatre th e germ o f a perm an en tly s u b s id iz e d ^
n a t io n a l t h e a t r e were d is tu r b e d by th e f a c t th a t when |
th e r e app eared to be a c o n f l i c t b etw een r e l i e f v a lu e s and |
d ram atic v a lu e s , th e former in most in s t a n c e s won o u t. |
Economic i n t e r e s t s , t o o , w ere in v o lv e d and were v o c a l. j
I
Mrs. F lanagan w rote th a t c e r t a i n e le m e n ts o f th e commer- ?
c i a l s ta g e and th e m otion p ic t u r e p r e s s were e x tr e m e ly |
I
c r i t i c a l d u rin g th e fo r m u la tiv e m o n t h s . B u t much o f I
t h i s c r i t i c i s m d ie d a s th e F e d e r a l T h eatre b eg a n o p e r a tio n
and p r iv a t e e n t e r p r i s e s d is c o v e r e d t h a t governm ent compe- :
t i t i o n , when i t e x i s t e d , was m i n o r . 25 |
The F ed era l T h eatre had i t s in t e r n a l d i f f i c u l t i e s (
t o o . Labor problem s were o f t e n in the new s. The m u ltip le !
problem of w ages, w orking c o n d i t i o n s , r e d u c tio n s in p e r - |
s o n n e l, and rum ors o f r e d u c t io n s , w ere c o n s t a n t ly p la g u in g j
th e p r o j e c t s . A d m in is tr a tiv e r e d ta p e d rove more than one
d i r e c t o r o u t o f F e d e r a l T h e a tr e , and th e N a tio n a l D ir e c to r
r e p o r te d th a t some o f h e r b e s t p e o p le w ere l o s t t h i s way.^^j
,26!
Another problem fa c e d by F ed er a l T h eatre was t h a t i
1
o f f i n a n c e s . When f i r s t o r g a n iz e d , no p r o v is io n was made
fo r money b e in g ta k e n in by the p r o j e c t , and i t was
A ren a, pp. 2 7 4 -2 7 6 .
E l ia s Sugarman, "Thru S u g a r ’ s Domino," in The !
B i ll b o a r d , XLIX, No. 5 ( January 3 0 , 1 9 3 7 ), 21; ibidTT"
XLIX, No. 19 (May 8 , 1 9 3 7 ), 2 4 . j
F la n a g a n , A rena, pp. 5 2 -5 3 , p , 2 4 8 ,________ ____ I
14
m îd-1936 b e fo r e an o r g a n iz e d p roced u re f o r h a n d lin g t h i s |
problem was p r o v id e d . A p o l i c y o f h a v in g a low a d m issio n |
p r ic e had b e e n a d o p ted p u r p o se ly t o a t t r a c t th e u n d er- !
p r i v i l e g e d ; p r i c e s u s u a lly ranged from te n c e n ts t o f i f t y I
c e n t s , and many o f the e a r l y p r o d u c tio n s were f r e e .
F in a n c ia l d i f f i c u l t i e s w ere n o t l i m i t e d to a d m is s io n s , j
h ow ever. O b ta in in g exp en d a b le p r o p e r t ie s f o r p la y s a lm o st I
c r e a te d chaos i n some W. P. A. o f f i c e s b eca u se many ad
m i n is t r a t o r s had l i t t l e u n d e rsta n d in g o f th e s p e c i a l need s
o f th e t h e a t r e . Another prob lem , t h a t o f d e c id in g what t o
do w ith th e g o v ern m en t's " h i t " p la y s w hich Broadway p r o
d u c e r s w ish ed to b u y, stum ped even th e F e d e r a l T h eatre
d ir e c t o r s
D e s p ite t h e s e p ro b lem s, and many m ore. F e d e r a l
T h eatre p r o d u c tio n s d id in c r e a s e i n q u a n t ity and in
q u a l i t y . N a tio n a l m agazin es w ro te in g lo w in g term s o f
th e accom p lish m en ts o f th e g overn m en t's t h e a t r e . 28 But
o p p o s it io n t o F ed er a l T h ea tre d id n o t d i e , and a d m in i
s t r a t o r s and p la y e r s a l i k e w a ite d a p p r e h e n s iv e ly as th e
v o t e r s l i n e d up t o c a s t t h e i r b a l l o t s in th e 1938 e l e c
t i o n s .
27
F lan agan , A ren a . p . 1 4 6 .
28
G ilb e r t S e l d e s , "Bing C rosby, M arcel P ro u st . . j
and O th ers," in S c r ib n e r 's M agazine, C (O cto b er , 1936 ), 78;
"Smart U ncle Sam ,% e P uts on T k e a t r lc a l H it s and Outdoes i
Broadway P ro d u cers," i n L it e r a r y D i g e s t , OXXI (May 9 , 1936))
15
The p e r so n a l v i c t o r y o f F r a n k lin D. R o o s e v e lt in
th e 1936 e l e c t i o n was n o t r e p e a t e d b y th e New D eal in th e
1938 c o n t e s t . For whatever r e a s o n s - - f e a r o f w ar, or th e
co n tin u a n c e of t h e s p e c t r e o f d e p r e s s io n , or th e ch a rg es
o f w a s te , c o r r u p tio n aid Communism which had b een made
a g a in s t the a d m in is t r a t io n - - t h e v o t e r s i n 1938 tu r n e d t o
ward more c o n s e r v a t iv e c a n d id a te s ; t h i s change in th e
p o l i t i c a l c lim a te was to have a profound e f f e c t upon the
F e d e r a l T h e a tr e .
As in d ic a t e d a b o v e , the F ed er a l T h eatre had had
many problem s and many c r i t i c s . The W. P. A ., i t s e l f , had
been lampooned and c r i t i c i z e d f o r y e a r s ,.b u t many Con-
gressm en in 1 9 3 8 , on b o th s id e s o f t h e p o l i t i c a l f e n c e , >
w ere c o n v in c ed th a t th e g overn m en t's work program sh o u ld !
be c o n tin u e d . How were th o se who fa v o r e d th e c o n tin u a n c e i
o f th e W. P. A. t o m eet the apparent demands o f th e v o t in g
p u b lic fo r l e s s F ed er a l sp en d in g and l e s s "waste'* o f th e
ta x p a y e r s ' money"? An e a sy sca p eg o a t app eared to be the
F ed era l T h ea tre; a f t e r a l l , th e r e were l e s s th a n e ig h t
thou san d w orkers c o n c e r n e d , a n d i t s major su p p o r te r s
app eared to be e it h e r q u i e t or n o t to o p o w e r fu l.
The d e a th th r o e s o f the F e d e r a l T h eatre l a s t e d from
the l a t t e r p a r t o f 1938 to the end o f June, 1 9 3 9 , when by
Q Q
H a l l i e F la n a g a n , " F ed eral T h ea tre," B r ita n n ic a
Book o f th e Y ear, 1 9 3 9 , p . 26 0.
16
C o n g r e ss io n a l a c t io n the F ed era l T h eatre was c l o s e d . The
a c c u s a t io n s v h ic h se e m in g ly were th e most e f f e c t i v e in en d -
I in g th e p r o j e c t were th o s e made b e fo r e s e v e r a l Congres -
I s i o n a l un-A m erican C om m ittees. Mrs. F lanagan p o in te d out
!
\ l a t e r t h a t the p e o p le who w ish e d to p r e s e n t d a ta f a v o r in g
j th e c o n t in u a t io n of th e F ed er a l T h e a tr e , or e v e n t o r e f u t e
' ch a rg es t h a t had been made a g a in s t i t , t o th e com m ittees
I
I were g iv e n l i t t l e o p p o r tu n ity t o do s o . A n a t io n which
I
r e t a in e d some o f i t s P u r it a n ic a l s u s p ic io n o f the t h e a t r e ,
p e r m itte d the F e d e r a l T h eatre to d ie w ith o u t p r o t e s t in g
i very much; p r a c t i c a l l y no a s s i s t a n c e came from upper e ch elcn
' s
, govern m ental o f f i c i a l s who m ight have saved I t ■
What w ere F e d e r a l T h eatre *s major accom p lish m en ts? *
I Even a t t h i s l a t e d a te i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o e v a lu a te a p ro -
I gram so v a s t in num bers, c o s t s and p u r p o se s, but some |
' g e n e r a l c o n c lu s io n s may be drawn. The F ed er a l T h eatre d id I
i
a c c o m p lish i t s major o b j e c t i v e o f p u t t in g show p e o p le to
work in t h e i r own p r o fe s s io n .® ^ I t was a b le to o p e r a te |
I a lm o st e n t i r e l y f r e e from F ed era l c e n s o r s h ip ; i t d id j
i s t im u la t e i n t e r e s t in the t h e a t r e by p r o v id in g l i v e i
A ren a , pp. 3 3 4 -3 6 7 . Heywood Broun, "Tip t o Unclej
Sam," in New R e p u b lic , XCIV ( & !ay 2 , 1938 ), 9 8 , urged th e i
, government to answer th e c r i t i c i s m w h ich had b e e n lau n ch ed !
a g a in s t t h i s p r o j e c t . j
I 31 Emmet L avery, "Who K il l e d F ed er a l T h ea tr e," in ;
1 Commonweal, XXX (August 4 , 1939 ), 3 5 1 -3 5 2 . j
I I
32 "Unemployed A r ts ," in F o rtu n e , XV (May, 1 9 3 7 ), j
109— 1 1 7 . — - - _ i
17
e n te r ta in m e n t f o r th o u sa n d s o f p e o p le who n ev er had w i t - !
n e s s e d l e g i t i m a t e drama. F ed er a l T h eatre a l s o c r e a te d r e a l I
a r t t h a t p rob ab ly w ould n o t have been produced under p r i - |
v a te t h e a t r e during th e d e p r e s s io n y e a r s . |
T h is ch ap ter h as d e s c r ib e d the broad p ic t u r e of t h e I
I !
I F ed era l T h eatre from i t s in c e p t io n to i t s c l o s i n g i n June I
; !
o f 193 9 , One a s p e c t o f t h i s h i s t o r y h a s b e e n o m itte d p u r- |
I
p o s e ly ; t h i s was the s t o r y of th e F e d e r a l T h eatre in th e |
I
Los A n g ele s a r e a . The l a t t e r fou r c h a p te r s o f t h i s paper j
I
r e l a t e th e h i s t o r y o f the Los A n g ele s * F e d e r a l T h e a tr e — i t s ;
I
o r g a n iz a t io n , p h y s ic a l p r o p e r t i e s , a d m in is t r a t io n , p r e s e n -
, t a t i o n s , s tr e n g th s and w e a k n e s s e s -- a s c o m p le te ly a s i t i
: I
; co u ld b e d eterm in ed from so u r c e s in th e v i c i n i t y . Many j
I i
\ o th e r a s p e c t s of t h i s h is t o r y w i l l be d e ter m in e d when th e |
I f i l e s o f th e F e d e r a l T h e a tr e , which a re now in th e N a tio n a l |
i • I
I A r c h iv e s , are u t i l i z e d . I
CHAPTER I I
LOS ANGELES REHEARSALS: 1935 I
I
; "There w i l l be la u n ch ed in Los A n g eles cou n ty com- I
, m encing n e x t Monday, one o f th e most e x t e n s iv e c u l t u r a l d e - !
: velopm ent programs e v er un d ertak en by a governm ental a g en cy ,
i in such an area as t h i s ." ^ On O ctober 3 0 , 1 9 3 5 , t h i s news I
j item brought th e a t t e n t i o n of th e c i t i z e n s o f Los A n g e le s |
t o th e f a c t th a t th e Works P ro g r ess A d m in is tr a tio n 's Art j
P r o j e c t s — in c lu d in g the F ed er a l T h eatre P r o j e c t- - w a s soon ;
t o i n i t i a t e i t s p la n of p r o v id in g employment fo r a r t i s t s in |
i 1
; th e l o c a l a r e a . On the p r e v io u s day o f f i c i a l s had commenced
: I
; in t e r v ie w in g job a p p lic a n t s fo r some e ig h t hundred g o v e r n - |
i ^ I
I ment th e a tr e p o s i t i o n s in L os A n g e le s C o u n t y .2 j
I I
I Gilraor Brown, d i r e c t o r o f th e Pasadena P la y h o u s e , |
; was s e l e c t e d by Mrs. F lan agan t o s e r v e a s R e g io n a l D ir e c t o r ;
i !
i :
I f o r th e W est. H is a s s i s t a n t , J . Howard M ille r , who had
fo r m e r ly se r v e d a s th e d i r e c t o r o f th e S t a t e Emergency R e- :
l i e f A d m in is t r a t io n 's drama a c t i v i t i e s i n Los A n g e le s , .
! I
h a n d led most o f th e v e ry e a r ly o r g a n iz a t io n a l p la n n in g fo r ;
Los A n g ele s ' F ed era l T h ea tre. In November, George Gerwing ;
^ Los Ang e l e s E ven in g H erald and E xp ress ( h e r e in a f t e r
c i t e d as "EEe Los A n g e le s H erald ), OcFober 3 0 , 1 9 3 5 , p . B -1 . j
^ I b i d . , O ctober 2 9 , 1 9 3 5 , p . A -7 . !
19
j was named County D i r e c t o r , a p o s i t i o n w h ich he was to h o ld
I f o r the n e x t two y e a r s . The Sou th ern C a lif o r n ia D i s t r i c t
' D ir e c to r o f t h e Works P ro g r ess A d m in is tr a tio n d u r in g t h i s
i
I same p e r io d was L ie u te n a n t-C o lo n e l Donald C o n n o lly ,
i By Decem ber, Mr. Gerwing had o r g a n iz e d h i s s t a f f ;
. t h i s in c lu d e d the f o llo w in g p r o d u c tio n U n its and p e r s o n n e l:
I drama, Maude F e a ly ; r e l i g i o u s , Gareth Hughes; m a r io n e tte ,
I
i B la n d in g S lo a n ; e x p e r im e n ta l, Edward G erin g; c l a s s i c a l ,
Jerome Coray; v a u d e v i l l e , Eda E dson. Most o f t h i s group
was t o rem ain w ith the Los A n g ele s P r o je c t fo r th e l i f e o f
3 I
, F ed era l Theatre. ;
! i
The o r ig i n a l s ta te m e n ts as to what w ere th ou gh t to ;
i
be the fu tu r e p o l i c i e s of F ed era l T h eatre d id n o t prove t o ;
be very p r o p h e t ic . Mr. M il l e r , in h i s e a r ly p r e s s i n t e r -
; I
i v ie w s in d ic a t e d th a t th e F e d e r a l T h eatre was t o o p era te
1
j through l o c a l s p o n s o r s h ip , and th a t groups form ed would
i I
i"be s e l f - s u p p o r t e d , a f t e r the f e d e r a l a id h a s b een w it h - |
I :
d r a w n . E x c e p t f o r p r iv a t e an d p u b lic s c h o o ls p r o v id in g |
I
t h e a t r e s , and l o c a l governm ental d i v i s i o n s p e r m ittin g th e
use o f p a r k s, t h i s sp o n so r sh ip p la n d id n o t m a t e r i a l i z e .
A lm ost a l l c o s t s , s a l a r i e s , c o stu m e s, s e t s , t h e a t r e r e n t a l s .
® In te r v ie w w ith R alph F reud, F ebruary 1 7 , 1956. i
Mr. Freud se r v e d as th e a s s i s t a n t p r o d u c tio n d i r e c t o r , Los !
A n g eles F ed era l T h e a tr e . He now h ead s th e T h eatre A rts ;
D epartm ent a t the U n iv e r s it y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s . |
4 ^
Los Angel es H e r a ld , O ctober 1 7 , 1 9 3 5 , p . A -1 7 . I
2 0
r o y a l t i e s , were p a id fo r by the F e d e r a l governm ent. One j
; p o r tio n o f Mr. M i l l e r ' s e a r l y p r e d i c t i o n s w hich d id come t o i
I p a ss was h i s s t a t e d b e l i e f t h a t th e Los A n g ele s F e d e r a l !
I I
I T h eatre would make use o f c l a s s i c p l a y s , e s p e c i a l l y fo r ;
I ;
! sc h o o l p r o d u c tio n s.®
I But ev en though t o t a l p la n s were n ot fo r m u la te d a t |
th e b e g in n in g o f the p r o j e c t , t h i s d id n ot d e t e r l o c a l ad
m i n is t r a t o r s and th o s e employed i n o th er c a p a c i t i e s from
! im m ed ia tely p lu n g in g in to p r o d u c tio n work. Mrs. F lan agan
j l a t e r was to w r ite about her s u r p r is e and p le a s u r e a t th e
I
j en th u sia sm and sp eed w ith iidiich th e Los A n g eles a rea g o t
! in t o p r o d u c tio n ,^ and Frank G lllm o r e , p r e s id e n t o f A c t o r s ’
: E q u ity A s s o c i a t i o n , e x p r e ss e d amazement a t the f a c t th a t
I th e a r ea was a b le "to c a s t p la y s and s t a r t r e h e a r s a ls w h ile
i ' „
I in New York th e y are s t i l l o n ly t a l k i n g about i t . " Mr*
I F reud, many y e a r s l a t e r , a t t r i b u t e d much o f t h i s sp eed t o
I th e pace s e t by George Gerwing and Jerome Coray, fo rm e rly
'd i r e c t o r o f the Padua H i l l s P la y e r s , who had been u sed t o
I
, this k in d o f tempo in t h e i r p r e v io u s a c t i v i t i e s in L i t t l e
I
' T h eatre p r o d u c tio n s.®
Rather in k eep in g w ith what h as b e e n d e s c r ib e d a s
® Los A n g ele s H e r a ld , O ctober 1 7 , 1 9 3 5 , p . A -1 7 .
® A ren a, p . 27 5 .
A n g ele s H e r a ld , January 3 1 , 1 9 3 6 , p . A -1 2 .
8 In t e r v i ew,__February X?.* 1956. _________________
21
I th e flam boyancy o f W estern drama, Los A n g e le s i n i t i a t e d i t s !
F ed eral T h eatre P r o je c t w ith a v a u d e v ille p r o d u c tio n a t the I
IW ilsh ir e E h e ll T h e a tr e , 4401 West 8 th S t r e e t , on December j
I 3 1 , 1 9 3 5 .^ This t e n - a c t perform ance was th e f i r s t F e d e r a l !
I i
. T h ea tre p r o d u c tio n in th e n a t io n f o r ^ i c h a d m iss io n was j
I ch arg ed . T h is p r e s e n t a t io n in a se n s e se r v e d a s a p r o - j
p h e t ic in t r o d u c t io n t o th e ty p e o f drama f o r w h ich Los
A n g e le s ' F ed era l T h eatre was to g a in n a t io n a l fam e, a com
b in a t io n o f m usic and drama # i i c h was n e i t h e r t r u e m u sic a l
nor tr u e v a u d e v i l l e .
Î F i r s t r e h e a r s a ls fo r th e Los A n g e le s p erfo rm an ces |
: I
■ were h e ld in th e form er S ta t e Emergency R e l i e f A d m in istr a - i
i t i o n ' s h e a d q u a r ter s a t 843 South Hope S t r e e t , a n d tern- |
! j
Ip orary a d m in is t r a t iv e h e a d q u a r ter s was f i r s t e s t a b l i s h e d J
I w it h in th e Works P r o g r e ss A d m in is tr a tio n o f f i c e s a t 1206 \
i !
; South S a n tee S t r e e t , but soon was moved t o 1050 Sou th '
!
S a n t e e . !
The old b u ild in g r e n te d by th e governm ent f o r th e ;
F ed er a l T h eatre fo r two hundred and f i f t y d o l l a r s a month |
a t 10 5 0 S an tee was sy m b o lic o f a g r e a t many o f th e p e o p le
who were to in h a b it i t ; i t had se e n b e t t e r days but now was
Los A ngele s E xam iner, December 3 1 , 1 9 3 5 , P a rt I ,
p . 1 5 .
Los A n g eles T im es, November 3 0 , 1935.
11 I b i d . , November 1 0 , 1935.
22
ribo have a new l e a s e on l i f e . I t was a f i v e s t o r y b u i ld in g ,
I "w ith an u n c e r ta in e l e v a t o r , grey cement w a l l s and new-
lumber k n o b le s s d o o r s . W i t h i n t h i s b u i ld in g th e a d m in i-
; s t r a t i o n was to be lo d g e d a lo n g w ith the F ed er a l T h e a tr e 's
I d e s ig n sh o p s , w ork sh op s, wardrobe departm ent and r e s e a r c h
I c e n t e r .
A lthou gh one a d m in is tr a to r had s a id th e p o l i c y o f
I th e government was not t o b e t h a t o f r e n t in g t h e a t r e s ,
I th e p la n o f u s in g such p la y h o u s e s as th e E b e ll T h eatre and
j Bovard A u ditoriu m was abandoned soon in f a v o r o f l e a s i n g
I c o m m ercia l-ty p e t h e a t r e s fo r perform ances where a d m issio n
‘ was ch a rg ed . Under t h i s p la n , t h e F e d e r a l T h eatre r e n te d
or l e a s e d , over the n e x t few y e a r s , th e f o l lo w in g Los
A n g e le s t h e a t r e s : Beaux A r t s , B e la s c o . E x p e r im e n ta l,
I F ig u er o a P la y h o u s e , G reek, Magic S t r i n g s , Mason, Mayan,
Musa r t and P la y h o u se (H ollyw ood ). The p la y s p r e s e n te d a t
each o f th e s e t h e a t r e s — a s c o m p le te ly a s l o c a l so u r c e
m a t e r ia ls i n d ic a t e d — are l i s t e d i n Appendix I I I .
The Beaux A r ts T h e a tr e , at 749 South Beacon S t r e e t ,
i was n o t u sed u n t i l the l a t t e r months o f 1936 and th e
j
j e a r l i e r months of 1937. Here were p r e s e n te d Y id d is h ,
i
F re n c h , and c h i l d r e n ' s program s.
Sanora Babb, “The Los A n g eles W. P. A. T h eatre
P r o j e c t ," in Hew T h e a t r e , I I I (J u n e, 1936 ), 2 2 .
13
Los Angel es Time s , November 1 0 , 1 9 3 5 .
23
The B e la s e o T h e a tr e , 10 5 0 South H i l l , was u sed p r i - j
i
m a r ily by th e Music P r o j e c t , and was commonly r e f e r r e d t o |
j d u rin g the l a t e t h i r t i e s as th e F ed er a l Music T h e a tr e . I
i !
I Late in 1938 the two p r o j e c t s com bined fo r s e v e r a l p e r fo r m - j
I I
I a n c e s a t th e B e la s e o , and t h i s p la y h o u se was used by the
i
F ed er a l T h ea tre a ls o i n 1939. T his t h e a t r e , b u i l t in 1 9 2 6 ,;
j '
I was s o ld i n 1 95 0 ,^ 4 a.nd s in c e h a s b e e n u sed a s a ch u rch . j
j i
I The E xp erim en tal T h e a tr e , 7512 San ta Monica B o u le
v a r d , was u sed f o r p r o j e c t e x p e r im e n ta tio n p r im a r ily , and
j
j o n ly a s i n g l e p la y was p r e se n te d t o the p u b lic a t t h i s j
t h e a t r e . j
' I
The Greek T h eatre in G r i f f i t h Park was u sed d u rin g ;
i I
th e summer o f 1936 fo r a w ide v a r i e t y o f F e d e r a l T h eatre ;
I !
I program s--N egro drama, v a u d e v i l l e , c h i l d r e n ' s drama, and |
I modern p l a y s . |
I The Magic S t r in g s T h e a tr e , 3834 W ils h ir e B o u le v a rd , j
I ^ !
I was u sed e n t i r e l y fo r p r e s e n t a t io n s o f m a r io n e tte and pup- i
i
' pet show s. R ecords o f p r o d u c tio n s p r e s e n te d a f t e r March o f I
; 1 9 3 7 , i f a n y , w ere n o t fou n d in any so u rc e m a t e r i a l s . i
I The g r e a t e s t number o f Los A n g e le s ' F e d e r a l T h eatre '
I ;
i p r o d u c tio n s were p r e s e n te d a t th e Mason T h e a tr e , 127 South ,
I
! Broadway. The p o l i c y o f th e F e d e r a l T h eatre a p p a r e n tly ,
i was to p r e s e n t th e more “p o p u la r type" dram a, s to c k company,'
! I
I v a u d e v i l l e , and modern, a t t h i s o l d , but th en s t i l l
14
Los A n geles Tim es, June 7 , 1950.
24
I e la b o r a t e , t h e a t r e . B u il t i n 1 9 0 3 , th e blason was in a lo w - |
I
I r e n t n eigh b orh ood by the 1 9 3 0 ' s , and was f i n a l l y d ism a n tle d
; i n March o f 195 5 . j
The F e d e r a l T h eatre p r e s e n te d i t s f i r s t p la y a t th e ;
! ‘
; Mayan T h e a tr e , 1044 Sou th H i l l S t r e e t , on February 2 8 , 1936>
land c o n tin u e d t o use t h i s t h e a t r e u n t i l the v e r y l a s t months
I
o f F ed er a l T h e a tr e 's e x i s t e n c e . The Mayan was used fo r some
o f the most famous o f th e Los A n g ele s p r o d u c t io n s — Chalk
'D u s t , I t C an 't Happen H er e , Green Grow th e L i l a c s , T r ip le -A
! Plow ed U nder, Sun R is e s i n th e W est, and Run L i t t l e C h il-
. l u n ' . The Mayan i s c u r r e n t ly u sed as a m otion p ic tu r e
, t h e a t r e .
The Musa r t T h e a tr e , 1320 South F ig u e r o a , was used
' f o r a w ide v a r i e t y o f p l a y s , Y id d is h , F ren ch , c l a s s i c a l ,
! and modern, from 1936 through May of 1 9 3 8 . Form erly named
I the Egan T h eatre aid then t h e F in e A r t s , th e Mus a r t was r e -
jm odeled i n t o a c o m m e rc ia l-ty p e b u ild in g i n 1 9 5 5 .
I The H ollyw ood P la y h o u se T h e a tr e , th e n a t 1735 N orth
I V ine S t r e e t , was t h e s c e n e o f some o f th e F e d e r a l T h e a tr e 's
■most s u c c e s s f u l p r o d u c tio n s from 1936 th ro u gh 1 93 8 . Many
o f th e p la y s w h ich had drawn la r g e a u d ie n c e s and th e
c r i t i c s ' p r a i s e s a t o th e r F ed er a l t h e a t r e s were t r a n s f e r r e d
for fu r th e r ru n s a t the P la y h o u se .
I O ther t h e a t r e s were u sed by F e d e r a l T h eatre than
I
it h o s e l i s t e d a b o v e . One o f th e s e was Bovard A u d itoriu m ,
25
l^he U n iv e r s i t y o f Southern C a l i f o r n i a ' s campus t h e a t r e .
T h is was u sed f o r a s i n g l e c y c le o f p la y s in th e e a r l y !
I
months o f 1 9 36. The W ils h ir e E h e ll T h eatre a t 4401 West
I 8 th S t r e e t , was u sed fo r F e d e r a l T h e a t r e 's f i r s t p r é s e n t a - j
I t i o n in Los A n g e le s . Numerous f r e e a d m issio n p erform an ces
'w ere p r e s e n te d in c i t y p a r k s , h o s p i t a l s . C i v i l i a n C on serva
t i o n Corps camps, and in p r iv a t e and p u b lic s c h o o l s . Only !
a v e r y l i m i t e d amount o f d ata r e g a r d in g th e s e f r e e p erform -
!
a n c e s was found; the h i s t o r y of th a t phase o f F e d e r a l |
T h e a t r e 's a c t i v i t i e s in the Los A n g e le s a rea w i l l r e q u ir e |
i
the u t i l i z a t i o n o f th e W. P. A. f i l e s in th e N a tio n a l Ar
c h i v e s . I
The l o c a l h e a d q u a r ter s o f F e d e r a l T h eatre was moved |
in 1937 from 105 0 Sou th S a n tee S t r e e t t o 1601 South W esternj
I A venue. The “new" h e a d q u a r te r s was lo c a t e d in a c l u s t e r o f |
I I
I b u i ld in g s imhich had b e e n u sed fo r m e r ly by a p r iv a t e s c h o o l , j
i
I H arvard M ilit a r y , on a f i v e a c r e t r a c t . These b u i ld in g s ,
{ I
j s u f f e r e d th e f a t e o f the Mason T h ea tr e; in 1955 th e y a l s o i
I I
, were to r n down. ,
i A R e g io n a l T h eatre S e r v ic e s D i v i s i o n H ead q u arters i
I was lo c a t e d a t 155 West W ashington B o u lev a rd . T h is o f f i c e |
; o f the F e d e r a l T h eatre o u t l i n e d the m ethods o f r e n t in g i
I p l a y s , r e g i s t e r i n g m usic and k e e p in g p r o d u c tio n b u lle tin s .^ ^
1 C
i "Manual f o r F e d e r a l T h eatre P r o j e c t s fo r th e
j W est," mimeographed pam phlet (undated J^irca May, 193?1 ),
! pp. 1 - 9 .
26
One o f th e trou b lesom e problem s th a t many a r e a s had I
In r e l a t i o n t o F e d e r a l T h eatre was t h a t l o c a l p e r so n n e l i
^were r e s p o n s ib le t o b oth th e D ir e c to r s o f F e d e r a l T h eatre
and to the l o c a l and S t a t e W. P. A. o f f i c i a l s . Mrs. F la n a -j
1gan a ttem p ted t o keep t h i s W. P. A. c o n t r o l t o a minimum j
! I
I b e c a u se she f e l t t h a t n o n -th e a tr e p e o p le would be l o s t in a |
I h ig h ly a r t i s t i c and t e c h n i c a l f i e l d . In December o f 1 9 3 5 ,
I
I Mrs. F lan aga n v i s i t e d Los A n g ele s and c o n fe r r e d a t le n g t h
Iw ith C o lo n e l C o n n o lly , the W, P . A. D ir e c to r f o r Sou thern
I C a lif o r n ia . In A ren a, she hum orously d e s c r ib e s h e r “v i e - |
i . !
; tory" in Los A n g eles and w r i t e s t h a t the freed om g a in e d from
( . :
a d m in is t r a t iv e red tap e th e r e p e r m itte d Los A n g e le s t o have i
!
ith e “c l e a r e s t and l e a s t e x p e n s iv e p la n under w hich we e v e r
i 16
w o r k e d .“ Other problem s w ere d is c u s s e d w ith F ed er a l
I ' !
'T heatre p e r so n n e l by Mrs. F la n a g a n , and p la n s for th e Los |
i I
iA n geles p r o j e c t were o u t l i n e d . Her e n th u sia sm f o r th e p r o - \
j j e c t and h er p h ilo s o p h y o f what th e f u n c t io n o f F e d e r a l
ITheatre sh ou ld be was c o n ta g io u s a c c o r d in g to some o f th o s e |
[who met h e r .^"7 soiib p a r t o f th e a d m ir a tio n f o r , and c r i t i - !
|cism o f , the N a tio n a l D ir e c to r may be s e e n i n t h i s poem
w r i t t e n about her i n th e t h i r t i e s :
" 1 g
A rena, p. 274; Los A n g eles H e r a ld , December 6 ,
1 9 3 5 , p . B -1 .
I n te r v ie w w ith Ralph F reud , February 1 7 , 195 6 .
27
“FEDERAL THEATRE PRAYER (
Our Mother who a r t in W ash in gton ,
H a l l i e w ould be th y name. ;
The e l e c t i o n come.
The p la y s be d o n e, |
In New York a s i t i s in Los A n g e le s . i
G ive us t h i s p e r io d our d a i l y b r e a d , I
And f o r g iv e us our t u r k e y s , j
As we f o r g iv e Warner B r o th e r s . i
Lead u s n o t i n t o Communism, |
But d e liv e r us from the R ep u b lica n s |
For t h in e i s the Animal Kingdom (by P h i l i p B a r r y },
And the Power (a L iv in g Newspaper ) |
And the P rologue to G lory (by E. P. Conkl e ), I
For ev er and e v e r .
Ah women."
Wages fo r u n s k i ll e d w ork ers were s e t a t f i f t y - f i v e
d o l l a r s per month i n Los A n g e le s ; s k i l l e d w orkers were t o
be paid e i ^ t y - f i v e d o l l a r s ; p r o f e s s i o n a l or t e c h n i c a l em
p lo y e e s were to g e t n i n e t y - f o u r d o l l a r s per month in Fed
e r a l T h eatre w o r k . N e w York c i t y ' s s c a le r a n s l i g h t l y
j h i ^ e r than th e s e f i g u r e s ; a f a c t w h ich l a t e r le d t o some
I
; grum bling by the w orkers i n Los A n g e le s .
i
! The p o l i c y o f F e d e r a l T h eatre in r e l a t i o n t o a d m is-
! S ion p r i c e s changed d u rin g th e y e a r s . No s e t p o l i c y was
; e s t a b lis h e d a t th e very b e g in n in g in Los A n g e le s ,^ ^ but
!l a t e r th e p r ic e fo r t i c k e t s ranged from te n c e n ts f o r some
o f th e e a r l i e r p r o d u c tio n s in 1936, to a h ig h o f one d o l l a r
: Original, ty p e d , i s in th e F e d e r a l T h eatre f i l e s
'in th e T h eatre A rts L ib ra ry a t th e U n iv e r s i t y o f C a lif o r n ia ■
lat Los A n g e le s . Mr. Freud, in in t e r v ie w c i t e d a b o v e , s a id
‘he d id n o t know who th e a u th o r w as. |
A n g ele s Times , November 1 0 , 19 3 5 . i
20 I b id .
28
and te n c e n ts fo r Two-A-Pay, th e s u c c e s s f u l m u sic a l o f |
1 9 3 8 - 3 9 . Top t i c k e t p r ic e was u s u a lly f i f t y - f i v e c e n t s ,
I I I
I h o w ev e r . Some p r o d u c tio n s were p r e s e n te d w ith o u t charge to I
jw. P. A. r e l i e f w ork ers on c e r t a i n d a y s,^ ^ and the w r i t e r |
i I
r e c a l l s th a t f r e e p a s s e s t o F e d e r a l T h eatre p r e s e n t a t io n s |
j o f t e n were o b ta in e d e a s i l y . As p r e v io u s ly s t a t e d , many
i I
'p r e s e n t a t io n s a t h o s p i t a l s , p a r k s, and s c h o o ls were g iv e n i
1 I
,by th e g o v ern m en t's p la y e r s w ith o u t any charge f o r a d m is- i
Is i o n . !
I Two o f th e v e r y few e d i t o r i a l s w r i t t e n a g a in s t th e !
{
^Federal T h eatre p r o j e c t by the Los A n g e le s H erald were |
jw r it t e n about the two ite m s d e s c r ib e d a b o v e , Mrs. F lan agan !
‘ ' !
,and th e t i c k e t p r ic e p o l i c i e s o f th e govern m ent. The f i r s t \
\
a t t a c k by th a t new spaper a g a in s t th e F ed er a l T h eatre came j
on O ctober 2 5 , 1 9 3 5 , even b e f o r e th e f i r s t Los A n g eles r e - !
I I
h e a r s a ls had b e g u n . The le a d e d i t o r i a l c r i t i c i z e d t h e I
!
I ’l e f t - w i n g propaganda" and ask ed about Bk*s. F la n a g a n , w ith
i t y p i c a l H ea rst c a p i t a l - l e t t e r s t y l e , "Has she n o t s tu d ie d
!
I RUSSIAN drama under d i r e c t i o n o f th e SOVIET s o c i e t y f o r
C u ltu r a l R e la tio n s w it h F o r e ig n C o u n tr ie s? How happy she
I mu S t b e , BORING FROM WITHIN . . . AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
'aI®RICAN t a x p a y e r s '."^3 ji second e d i t o r i a l on November 2 ,
A n geles H er a ld , January 2 , 1 9 3 9 , p . B -6 .
^ 0 8 A n g eles T im es, A p r il 2 0, 193 7 .
. " F ed eral T h eatre Scheme T ax-W astefu l and D anger-
29
1 9 3 5 , a tta c k e d th e p r o p o s a l th a t th e F ed era l Government was
goin g t o charge a d m issio n fo r i t s p e r fo r m a n c es. The e d i t o
r i a l s t a t e d th a t such a p la n would fo r c e many p r iv a t e p r o -
I I
‘d u c tio n s to c lo s e and many a d d i t io n a l a c t o r s would then he |
I o u t o f w ork.^^ For some r e a s o n , th e e d i t o r i a l w r i t e r :
i j
I fe a r e d government t h e a t r e w ith an a d m issio n p r ic e more th a n |
i I
p r e s e n t a t io n s th a t were w ith o u t c h a r g e . |
!
j D e s p ite a c o n sta n t b a r r a g e of e d i t o r i a l s a g a in s t |
I o th e r a s p e c t s o f th e New D e a l, e d i t o r i a l i z e d b y th e H ea r st
I P r e ss t o the “Raw D e a l," th e Los A n g ela s H erald had no f u r - |
! j
jth e r e d i t o r i a l c r i t i c i s m for* more th a n s i x m onths, and in j
! th e n e x t th r e e and o n e - h a lf y e a r s , n e v e r d i r e c t l y c r i t i - j
I \
j c iz e d the Los A n g e le s p r o j e c t nor any o f i t s p e r s o n n e l. \
I A nother ty p e o f c r i t i c i s m la u n ch ed a g a in s t F e d e r a l |
I T h eatre i n Los A n g ele s d u rin g t h i s f o r m u la tîv e p e r io d was |
I t h a t se e m in g ly i n i t i a t e d b y th e “p r o f e s s io n a l" t h e a t r e men
I I
I who c r i t i c i z e d , a c c o r d in g t o one new spaper, Mrs. F la n a g a n 'sj
i . j
; c h o ic e o f Gilmor Brown a s W estern D i v i s i o n D i r e c t o r , b e - j
cau se he was a " L i t t l e T heatre" man. Mrs. F la n a g a n , d u rin g
'her s t a y in Los A n g e le s , d efen d ed h er c h o ic e o f Brown on
t
i th e b a s i s o f h i s "w orld -w id e r e p u t a t io n and h i s broad
Jknowledge and p roven a b i l i t y in th e t h e a t e r w o r ld .
“Uncle Sam, Showman," p . B -1 2 .
A n g eles H e r a ld , December 6 , 1 9 3 5 , p . B -1 .
30
i D e s p ite the sp e e d , the c o n f u s io n , th e e d i t o r i a l s and
I the c r i t i c i s m , r e h e a r s a l s c o n tin u e d , and an e x p e c ta n t
,a u d ie n c e q u ie t e d down on the e v e n in g o f December 3 1 , 1 9 3 5 ,
I a t th e W ils h ir e E b e ll p la y h o u se as t h e Los A n g ele s F e d e r a l
I T h eatre p r o j e c t r a i s e d i t s f i r s t c u r t a in .
chapter I I I
THE CURTAIN RISES: 1936
Compared t o th e drama w hich was to he p la y e d d u rin g
th e y e a r 1936 on the v a s t w o rld s t a g e — s t r i f e in th e Far
E a s t , a C i v i l War in S p a in , and th e a b d ic a t io n o f a th ron e
‘fo r l o v e ' s s a k e - - t h e op en in g o f a F e d e r a l T h eatre p la y in
: Los A n g e le s was a minor o ccu rr en ce in h i s t o r y , b u t t o many
! o f th e i n d iv id u a ls in v o lv e d in t h e l a t t e r , t h e i r problem s
I :
and s t r u g g l e s in su ch an opening must have loom ed much more !
’ I
! s i g n i f i c a n t l y in t h e i r l i v e s th a n th e d i s t a n t booming o f i
I !
scannon or th e p e a lin g o f L ondon's B ig Ben a s i t p r o c la im e d \
i 1
=a new K ing. Î
I I
I A lth ou gh th e Los A n g e le s F ed er a l T h eatre had com- I
! I
jp le te d i t s f i r s t p u b lic perform ance w ith th e dawn o f a New j
lYear in 1 9 3 6 , i t s p ro b lem s. In c lu d in g th o s e o f d e c id in g |
what was th e b e s t method of o r g a n iz a t io n , o f d e te r m in in g |
th e m ost p r a c t i c a l p e r s o n n e l p r a c t i c e s , and o f d e c id in g I
I
'what was t o be th e n a tu re o f th e p la y s t o be p r e s e n te d , ;
iwere J u st b e g in n in g . Mr. M ille r w rote H a ll i e F lanagan in
e a r l y 1936 th a t among o th e r c o m p l e x i t ie s , costum es were |
t '
rea d y b u t th e m usic was n o t; th a t la b o r groups were com- !
I ■ !
(p la in in g ; th a t r e q u i s i t i o n s were n ot coming th rou gh ; and |
jthat a d m iss io n p ro ced u res n eed ed a t t e n t io n .T
I
1 F la n a g a n , A ren a, pp. 2 7 6 -7 7 .
32
j D e s p ite t h e s e d i f f i c u l t i e s , Los A n g e le s , w hich was j
jone o f s i x c i t i e s making up the F e d e r a l T h eatre u n it s in ;
I C a lif o r n ia i n 1 9 3 6 ,^ began a most a m b itio u s program . W ith-
j in th e y e a r th e p r o d u c tio n s o f th e Los A n g e le s p r o j e c t were j
t o in c lu d e c l a s s i c a l , c h i l d r e n ' s drama, v a u d e v i l l e , N egro, |
: I
; f o r e i g n lan gu age and modern drama. T h is was to be a y e a r I
o f e x p e r im e n ta tio n ; most o f the t h e a t r e c o n c e p ts w hich w ere I
i n i t i a t e d in t h i s y e a r were t o become a "permanent" p a r t o f
I th e Los A n g e le s F ed eral T h e a tr e .
I The c l a s s i c a l drama p r e s e n t a t io n s by F e d e r a l T h eatre ;
I . I
! were c o n fin e d a lm o st e n t i r e l y to th e y e a r 1 9 3 6 , e x c e p t f o r j
I th o s e w hich were p r e s e n te d a t s c h o o l s . C l a s s i c a l t h e a t r e j
; had r e c e iv e d i t s f i r s t b o o st i n Los A n g e le s when th e f i r s t
I check o f th o s e who were a p p ly in g f o r a c t i n g p o s i t i o n s was |
I made. I t was d is c o v e r e d th a t some im portant names in |
: I
I drama h i s t o r y were in c lu d e d ; w it h th e a s s i s t a n c e o f G areth
(Hughes and Maude F e a ly , two w e ll known and cap ab le p l a y e r s , ;
! I
’ I
I a c l a s s i c a l c y c l e o f p la y s was p lan n ed and l a t e r p r e s e n te d I
I f o r drama s tu d e n ts a t th e U n iv e r s i t y o f S o u th ern C a lif o r n ia |
! in th e S p rin g o f 1 9 3 6 .^ S e v e r a l o f t h e s e p la y s were t r a n s
f e r r e d l a t e r t o o th e r F ed era l T h ea tre p la y h o u s e s , and some ’
2
Los A n g ele s Exam in er, J u ly 5 , 1 9 3 6 , P art V, p . 6 .
3 I
In te r v ie w w it h R alph F reud , February 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 . j
33
; to u r e d s c h o o ls in so u th e r n C a l i f o r n i a . 4 E xcept fo r th o s e j
I J
I p la y s th a t l a t e r went to com m ercial t h e a t r e s le a s e d by th e I
i ’
‘govern m ent, drama c r i t i c s o f the Los A n g ele s H e r a ld , T im es, ■
and Examiner d id n o t r e v ie w th e c l a s s i c a l p la y s p r e s e n te d j
I
in 1 936. The few c l a s s i c a l p la y s t h a t w ere p r e s e n te d in !
; I
j 1937 and 1938 were p r a is e d b y Los A n g e le s c r i t i c s , b u t a p - i
I p a r e n t ly th e r e was no g r e a t demand for the c o n tin u a n c e o f i
! I
t h e s e p r e s e n t a t i o n s . j
A lth ou gh c h i l d r e n ' s drama was p r e s e n te d by F e d e r a l j
i i
I T h eatre th rou gh ou t th e n a t io n , p ro b a b ly no r e g io n was a s I
I
w id e ly commended f o r i t s p r e s e n t a t io n s o f t h i s ty p e o f
I
drama a s was th e Los A n g ele s a r e a . C h ild r e n 's drama, fo r '
i I
! th e p u rp o ses o f t h i s p a p er , has b e e n d iv id e d i n t o th e two |
i I
I c a t e g o r i e s o f m a r io n e tte and “liv e " drama. The p r é s e n t a - j
i , i
t i o n s o f m a r io n e tte s were d i r e c t e d o r i g i n a l l y b y B la n d in g j
: I
S lo a n ; l a t e r Ralph C hesse was in charge o f m a r io n e tte p r o - ‘
d u c t io n s .^ U n fo r tu n a te ly , few r e v ie w s o f t h e s e p erform -
j I
: a n c e s were w r i t t e n . ^ However, the a tte n d a n c e o f more th an i
I
I one hundred thousand a t m a r io n e tte shows p r e se n te d in th e I
4 -
A more com p lete acco u n t o f the F e d e r a l T h eatre in
Los A n g e le s s c h o o ls i s in c lu d e d in C a r o lin e H o u s e h o ld e r 's
" F ed era l T h e a tr e , I t s I n flu e n c e Upon and V alue t o th e Pub- !
l i e . I t s P a r t i c i p a n t s and th e S c h o o l," (u n p u b lish ed M a ste r 's
! t h e s i s . The U n iv e r s it y o f Sou thern C a l i f o r n i a , Los A n g e le s ,
1 9 4 0 ).
I
I S R alph Freud h ig h ly p r a is e d C h e s s e 's work in i n t e r
v ie w , F ebruary 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 .
ft I
^_An e x c e p t io n was th e r e v ie w o f Emperor J o n e s, Los i
A n g ele s. Times ,._May .13 , 193 8 . ___ ___
34
I Greek T h ea tre i n the suimier o f 1937 a t t e s t to th e p o p u la r - j
I M I
! i t y of t h e s e p rod u ction s# ' i
I ' I
i The " l i v e drama" p r o d u c tio n s fo r c h ild r e n w h ich were :
p r e s e n te d in Los A n g ele s won b o th l o c a l and n a t io n a l a c - |
Î ' I
( claim * R alph Freud s t a t e d t h a t th e s e o r i g i n a l l y had d e - |
, v e lo p e d out of the n e c e s s i t y o f p u t t in g F e d e r a l T h e a tr e 's ;
! la r g e number o f a c r o b a t s , c lo w n s, and v a u d e v i l l e p e r so n n e l i
; I
• i n t o some typ e o f perform ance# Freud r e f e r r e d t o th e Yasha I
1 ' I
! Frank p r o d u c tio n s o f P in o c c h io and H an sel and G r e t e l a s |
1 !
I "two o f the o u ts ta n d in g f e a t u r e s o f the Los A n g ele s F e d e r a l'
I
{ T h e a t r e ."8 The o n ly p r e s e n t a t io n o f t h i s ty p e o f drama in
( i
! 1936 was T e l l e r o f T a l e s , w h ich was p r e s e n te d d u rin g th e j
■ 1
. summer a t th e Greek T h e a tr e . \
; I
j The d i s t i n c t i v e stamp o f Los A n g e le s ' F e d e r a l j
T h ea tre was n o t i t s c l a s s i c a l p r e s e n t a t io n s nor i t s c h i l d - j
j r e n ' s drama, bu t i t s m u s ic a ls . The f i r s t b ig " h it" o f Los |
I A n g e le s was F ol le w -th e - Par ade w hich opened in A p r il o f 1936 |
iand ran fo r te n weeks b e fo r e b e in g s e n t to the D a l l a s ,
!
T ex a s, E x p o s it io n . T h is m u sica l s u c c e s s was fo llo w e d b y
a n o th e r . The B la ck Crook, w hich p le a s e d the Los A n g eles
I
: drama c r i t i c s . The newspaper c r i t i c s ' r e v ie w s o f t h i s and ;
oth er p r e s e n t a t io n s are in c lu d e d in Appendix I . Other !
^ Lee Shippey colum n, Los A n g e le s T im es, March 1 9 ,
1 9 38.
Q
I n te r v ie w , F ebruary 1 7 , 1956.
i_ _
35
m u s ic a ls o f the more t y p i c a l v a u d e v ille s t y l e were g iv e n
a t v a r io u s F e d e r a lly le a s e d t h e a t r e s and by to u r in g groups
(w hich v i s i t e d s c h o o ls , camps, h o s p i t a l s , and p la y g r o u n d s .^
j T ou ring was done b y oth er u n it s th a n v a u d e v i l l e , b u t
j most o f t h i s was done in the e a r l i e r months o f F e d e r a l
I T h eatre and was done on a r e l a t i v e l y sm a ll s c a l e . S o m e
j t r a v e l i n g was done b y modern drama u n i t s ; new spaper a c -
I c o u n ts in d ic a t e th a t B la c k Em pire, H a b it , and H elp Y o u r s e lf S
to u r e d v a r io u s a r e a s o f s o u th e r n C a l i f o r n i a . T h e l a r g e s t
c o n tin g e n t s e n t from Los A n g e le s w as th a t s e n t to th e San |
I
; F r a n c is c o W o rld 's F air in 1939; modern d a n ce, m a r io n e tt e ,
! c h i l d r e n ' s drama, and l i v i n g newspaper u n i t s , among o t h e r s,\
jmade t h i s t r lp .^ ^ Not q u it e in th e t o u r in g c a te g o r y but :
i s t i l l in th e t r a v e l c l a s s i f i c a t i o n , was th e c o n sta n t s h i f t - i
! I
j in g of p la y s from one s ta g e t o an o th er w ith Los A n g e le s . ;
! In a c i t y a s la r g e in s i z e and p o p u la tio n as Los A n g e le s
i
'w a s, a w hole new a u d ien ce c o u ld be found by moving a s u c -
! c e s s f u l p la y ; t h i s p r a c t i c e was c o n tin u e d th rou gh 1938.
I As many c i t i e s d i d , Los A n g e le s d e v e lo p e d a Negro
j
( ^ Sanora Babb, “The Los A n g ele s W. F. A. T h eatre
i P r o j e c t i n New T h e a t r e , I I I (J u n e, 1936 ), 23; Los A n g e le s |
i T im es, June iV , 1938 . |
j 10 I n te r v ie w w it h R alph F reud, February 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 . |
I 11 Los A n geles E xam iner, M s.y 2 , 1 9 3 6 , P art I , p . 10; ’
iLos A n g eles lU im es, February 7 , 1 937, P a rt I I I , p . 2; i b i d . , '
: W b r l E r § ^ ," T 9 3 7 , P art I I I , p . 4 . --------
I
L________ 1^ I n t e rv 1 ew_wi th R a Ip h .Freud, February _ 1 7 . 1 9 5 6 .___
36
I u n it e a r ly in I t s F ed era l T h ea tre h i s t o r y . T h is group p r o -
I duced i t s f i r s t p l a y , B lack E m pire, in March o f 1 9 3 6 , and
I fo llo w e d i t w ith Noah and John H enry. A l l o f th e s e 1936
jN egro p r o d u ctio n s r e c e i v e d fa v o r a b le l o c a l new spaper r e -
< v i e w s •
I An a tte m p t b y F e d e r a l T h eatre to do o ld e r Am erican
■plays a c c o r d in g t o th e o r i g i n a l a c t i n g s t y l e s was n o t to o
!
I fa v o r a b ly r e c e i v e d . New York would have no p a r t o f th e
I
! p la n , and a lth o u g h Los A n g ele s p r e s e n te d th r e e p la y s o f
j t h i s n a tu r e , The O ctoroon, Our American C o u sin , and A Texas
I I
j S t e e r , l o c a l r e v ie w s were r a t h e r lukewarm, a id no p la y s o f \
! I
t h i s typ e were p r e s e n te d a f t e r 1 9 3 6 . I
I The F e d e r a l T h eatre had many f o r e i g n la n g u a g e p r o - j
j ;
I due t io n s th rou gh ou t th e U n ited S t a t e s , b u t in the Los |
) I
I A n g eles a r ea o n ly Y id d is h and French p la y s were p rod u ced . j
! I
j In 1 9 3 6 , se v e n Y id d is h p la y s were p erform ed . Mr. Freud j
I s t a t e d th a t the Y id d is h drama p r e s e n t a t io n s w ere d iv id e d
I i n t o two r a th e r d i s t i n c t g ro u p in g s in Los A n g e le s t o meet
th e d e s i r e s o f two ty p e s o f a u d ie n c e s . Some o f the p a tr o n s
demanded th e l i g h t , humorous or s e n t im e n ta l Y id d is h p l a y s ,
; w h ile o th e r s i n s i s t e d upon a more s e r io u s ty p e o f d r a m a . 13 !
i
D uring 1 9 3 6 , f i v e French p la y s were p r e s e n te d in L o s '
I
A n g e le s by F e d e r a l T h e a tr e . The p r e se n c e o f a la r g e number|
I
I o f French a c t o r s on r e l i e f i n the 1 9 3 O's was th e r e s u l t of
I n t e r v ie w , February 1 7 , 195 6 .
37
l'a t e c h n o lo g ic a l change, t h e in t r o d u c t io n o f t a l k i n g m otio n !
I
( p i c t u r e s . When t h e s e were f i r s t in tr o d u c e d , the moving j
!
p ic t u r e in d u s tr y h e 'lie v e d th a t th e “t a l k i e s " w ould r e q u ir e |
j
I th e employment o f a g r e a t many fo r e ig n - la n g u a g e sp e a k in g |
l e a s t s , and a g r e a t many French a c t o r s had come t o H ollyw ood '
i I
I under t h i s a ssu m p tio n . The p r o je c t e d p la n was n o t put in t o ;
1 !
j o p e r a t i o n ; . th e French a c t o r s were str a n d e d w ith o u t f u n d s .1 ^ j
' Ho F rench p la y s were produced a f t e r the e a r ly months
I
: o f 1 9 3 7 , and o n ly a few were p r e s e n te d i n Y id d ish a f t e r
j th a t same p e r io d . Ho r e v ie w s o f th e F rench or Y id d is h p r o - |
I I
I a u c t io n s o f 1 9 3 5 -1 9 3 7 w ere fou n d . Mo r e c o r d o f S p a n is h -
: lan gu age drama was found a lth o u g h t h i s ty p e o f drama was 1
! m en tion ed by one w r ite r on F e d e r a l T h eatre a s h a v in g b e e n j
I n c I
! produced in Los A n g e l e s . ’
j Mrs. F la n a g a n 's a n t i c i p a t i o n th a t F e d e r a l T h eatre !
i I
I w ould be b o l d ly e x p e r im e n ta l was n o t f u l f i l l e d by th e e x - |
! I
p e r im e n ta i group in Los A n g e le s i f i t s r e c o r d o f accom - |
I p lish m e n t i s to be m easured by the t o t a l number o f p la y s j
i ‘
I s e e n by the p u b l i c . Only one p la y was e x h ib it e d in 19 3 6 ,
! 1
, M iracle a t V erdun, and a lth o u g h t h i s p la y g a in e d c r i t l P s ' ;
I
! a p p r o v a l, no fu r th e r work b y t h i s group was p r e s e n te d u n t i l |
i
193 8 .
I I
1
—
I n te r v ie w w ith R alph F reud, February 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 .
I r v in g K o lo d in , “F o o t l i g h t s , F ed era l S t y l e ," in
Harper ' s M agazine, CLXXIII (November, 1936 ), 626.
38
r The Los A n g e le s p r o d u c tio n o f T r ip le -A Plow ed Under
I
I w hich was p r e s e n te d in 1 9 3 6 , was th e o n ly l i v i n g new spaper
i p l a y done by th e Los A n g ele s grou p . T h is d ram atic t e c h -
I
n iq u e , w hich had b e e n e x tr e m e ly s u c c e s s f u l in th e E a s t ,
( c r e a te d no major s t i r in l o c a l dram atic c i r c l e s . When
! q u e s tio n e d about th e f a i l u r e o f t h e Los A n g e le s p r o j e c t t o
i
I do more w ith t h i s medium, Mr. Freud r e p l i e d t h a t Jerome
I Coray, # 1 0 n o rm a lly would have d i r e c t e d such a p r o d u c tio n ,
j had f e l t t h a t i f a l i v i n g new spaper were to be done in Los
i A n g e le s , i t sh o u ld be r e l a t e d to th e l o c a l s c e n e , and o n ly
: one s c r i p t , e n t i t l e d S p a n ish G rant, was e v e r p r e p a r ed .
, T h is was n e v e r p r e s e n t e d , p ro b a b ly b e c a u se i t d e a l t w ith
: lan d t i t l e s from th e S p a n ish days to modern tim es and i t
Îwas b e l i e v e d to have b e e n " load ed w ith d y n a m ite.
I
j R e lig io u s dram a, in tr o d u c e d by th e Los A n g e le s F ed - ,
I e r a l T h eatre i n 1 9 3 6 , won th e c r i t i c s ' a p p ro v a l t h a t y ea r
I I
j w ith Noah, The D e v il P a s s e s , The P o o l , and a s e r i e s o f 1
; m o r a lity p l a y s . T h is typ e o f p r o d u c tio n was c o n tin u e d 1
th ro u g h 1 9 3 8 .
The g r e a t e r number o f p la y s produced by th e Los An- I
g e l e s p r o j e c t was in the “modern" c a t e g o r y - - t h o s e p la y s |
V !
; I
I w r i t t e n in th e p a s t s e v e n ty y e a r s . There were more th a n |
I t h i r t y o f th e s e p r e s e n te d i n 1 9 3 6 , and e x c e p t f o r the f i r s t
o n e . Under Two F l a g s , th e y r e c e iv e d r e v ie w e r s ' r e c o g n i t io n '
I n te r v ie w , February 1 7 , 1956.
39
I v a r y in g from pronouncem ents of " fa ir " to " e x c e ll e n t ." Some
'Of th e modern d ram p r e s e n t a t io n s of t h i s f i r s t y e a r were
i
I c e r t a i n l y i n th e " c o n tr o v e r s ia l" c a te g o r y a s f a r as th e
I them es o f th e p la y s were c o n c e r n e d --Chalk D u s t, C la ss o f
j '2 9 , I t C a n 't Happen H ere--h u t n e it h e r th e c o n s e r v a t iv e Los
I
: A n g e le s Times nor the H earst-ow n ed Los A ngele s H e r a ld ,
î
I e i t h e r in t h e ir e d i t o r i a l s or in t h e ir drama r e v ie w s ,
c r i t i c i z e d t h e s e p la y s b e c a u se o f t h e i r econom ic or p o l i t i -
I
j c a l c o n c e p ts .
j How w e l l d id the Los A n g e le s F e d e r a l T h eatre s e l l
! i t s w ares? In fo rm a tio n r e l a t i n g to t h i s t o p ic was q u it e
I ' I
' l im i t e d ; some in fo r m a tio n was g a in e d from n o tin g the s i z e |
I I
[and t h e fr e q u e n c y w ith w hich a d v e r tis e m e n ts app eared in th e {
I I
; new spapers of t h i s p e r io d , b u t how much, i f a n y , a d v e r t i s - r
I I
I in g was done by F ed er a l T h eatre th rou gh b i l l b o a r d s , r a d io |
j or oth er m eth od s, was d i f f i c u l t to a s c e r t a i n . A cco rd in g I
f I
j t o one w r i t e r , a d v e r t i s i n g was a t f i r s t p a id f o r by th e
j T y
; a c t o r s t h e m s e lv e s , and o th e r s p o in te d out th a t th e amount
I o f money w hich was a v a i la b l e a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e p ro -
i
j e c t fo r t h i s purpose was e x tr e m e ly l i m i t e d . The f i r s t a d - ■
v e r t i s i n g done in the Los A n g ele s H erald was done on Pebru-1
. a ry 2 7 , 1 9 3 6 , on the drama p age. T h is was a sm a ll tw o- |
colum n, t h r e e - in c h lo n g a d v e r tis e m e n t f o r Under Two F la g s ,
17
Î Babb, "Los A n g e le s T h e a tr e ," in New T h e a tr e , I I I
: (J u n e , 1936 ), 2 2 .
4 0
which was sc h e d u le d t o open a t the Mayan T h eatre w ith a
i "Cast o f 65" and a " F u ll C oncert O rch estra; " th e t i c k e t
I
i p r i c e s were t e n , t w e n t y - f i v e and f i f t y c e n t s . In s u h s e -
I
: quent months t h e s e a d v e r tis e m e n ts rem ained s m a ll, b u t
' u s u a l l y v a r ie d in s i z e a c c o r d in g to the number o f produ c-
: t i o n s # i i c h th e F ed era l T h eatre had r u n n in g , w h ich some-
I tim e s meant t h a t s i x p r e s e n t a t io n s were b e in g a d v e r t i s e d .
Somewhat l a t e r the F ed er a l T h eatre a d o p ted th e p o l i c y o f
h a v in g new spaper a d v e r tis e m e n ts o n ly once a w eek , on T u es-
I d a y s • i
I i
j The amount o f new spaper a d v e r t i s in g done by F e d e r a l i
' (
: T h eatre was v e ry l im i t e d as compared w ith th a t done by I
! i
j m otion p ic t u r e t h e a t r e s , but i t compared q u it e fa v o r a b ly ■ ;
; I
I w ith th a t done by com m ercial l e g i t i m a t e drama. I
I Other ty p e s of a d v e r t i s i n g were u sed ; c o p ie s o f hand!
I b i l l s and bookmarks a d v e r t i s in g F e d e r a l T h eatre p r o d u c tio n s!
I ■
I were found in the f i l e s o f the drama s e c t i o n o f th e main ;
I I
I Los A n g ele s P u b lic L ib rary and in the p e r s o n a l f i l e s o f i
: i
I C la ren ce Muse, p r o d u c tio n d ir e c t o r o f Run, L i t t l e C h l l l u n ' . i
{ Some o f the a d v e r t i s i n g th a t th e F ed era l T heatre r e -I
I c e iv e d was n e it h e r p aid fo r n or w elcom e. As the 1936 e l e c - |
i i
t i o n tim e drew n e a r e r , p r e s s a t t a c k s by th e Los A n g ele s
! i
I H erald a g a in s t th e p o l i c i e s o f th e New D ea l in c r e a s e d , and
I
! the W. P. A. was a prime t a r g e t . In tim e , t h i s an ta g o n ism i
I
; was d i r e c t e d a l s o a g a i n s t the F e d e r a l T h ea tre ; on August i
41
12 7 , 1 9 3 6 , t h a t p a p e r 's e d i t o r i a l s t a t e d : "Take • • • th e j
I F ed er a l T h ea ter Pro j e c t - - a n u n d is g u is e d propaganda a c t i v -
I !
, i t y . “ T® On October 6 , 1 9 3 6 , th e same paper condemned th e <
I F ed era l T h e a tr e , Mrs. F la n a g a n , and p a r t i c u l a r l y th e p la y , j
I I
I I t C an't Happen H er e , w h ic h , r e a d th e e d i t o r i a l , was a I
, "venomal l i b e l upon th e D. A. R . , th e A m erican L e g io n , i
I
; R otary I n t e r n a t io n a l and a l l o f the o th e r n o n - r a d ic a l i
I movements w hich a r e on the b l a c k l i s t o f Am erican Commun- i
i i s m . " ^ ^ j
j I
A more subdued c r i t i c i s m o f t h e F ed er a l T h eatre was ;
' I
' made by drama c r i t i c , John S c o t t , o f the Los Angel es Times '
when he w rote on A p r il 1 2 , o f th a t same y e a r , th a t as fa r
a s th e a r t i s t i c v a lu e was co n c er n e d , th e F ed eral T h e a tr e 's :
I r a t i n g would o n ly be "f a i r ," ^ 0 The drama e d i t o r o f th e Los ;
I
‘A n g eles T im es, Edwin S c h a l l e r t , w r o te t h a t "th e in c e p t io n j
I o f th e F e d e r a l a c t i v i t i e s i n th e f i e l d o f th e s ta g e was th e I
! I
j most im p ortan t ev en t d u rin g th e t h e a t r i c a l se a so n o f 1 9 3 5 -
i
I 1936 in Sou thern C a lif o r n ia . . . t o d a te v e r y l i t t l e h a s |
: come o u t o f th e w hole u n d e r ta k in g , e x c e p t the employment
: f e a t u r e
I
But not a l l newspaper r e p o r t s were c r i t i c a l . Isfeiny ;
Los A n g e le s H e r a ld , p . B -2 . =
19 I b i d . , O ctober 6 , 1 9 36, p. B -2 . ;
Los A ngele s Times » P art I I I , p . 1 . j
Burns J ^ n t l e , e d . , The B e st P la y s o f 1935-36 (New j
York,. 1936 J, .p .„ 2 6 ._ . , “— * ------ - — ______________
42
o f th e r e v ie w s o f i n d iv i d u a l p la y s e x t o l l e d b o th th e ty p e j
i o f p la y and th e a c t o r s . In a r e v ie w o f th e F e d e r a l The-
i * :
i a t r e ' s f i r s t y e a r , one o f th e drama c r i t i c s o f th e Los An- (
;g e l e 8 H erald w rote t h a t “F ed er a l T h eater has d e v e lo p e d t o :
: th e s t a t u s o f an im portant diow b u s i n e s s . j
I !
I F e d e r a l T h e a tr e 's f i r s t y e a r i n Los A n g e le s was one
I ;
! o f r a p id movement and w id e e x p e r im e n ta tio n w ith v a r io u s
I ty p e s o f p r o d u c tio n s . The prim ary purpose of F e d e r a l T he- |
: a t r e — th a t o f p r o v id in g employment f o r a c to r s in t h e i r own |
I I
I l in e o f e n d e a v o r --h a d been a c c o m p lis h e d . From -the a r t i s t i c ;
i !
sta n d p o in t th e r e v ie w e r s* co n cen su s was th a t th e f i r s t
y e a r ' s o f f e r i n g s were n e it h e r v e r y , v e r y good nor v e r y , ;
v e r y b a d . Perhaps i n th e com ing y e a r s , Los A n g e le s would
I
'd is c o v e r w hich ty p e o f drama was b e s t s u i t e d f o r i t s Fed- j
I ;
I e r a l T h eatre p e r s o n n e l, and w hich was to be most s a t i s f a c - I
: I
, to r y to i t s p a tr o n s . |
pp
Los A n g e le s H e r a ld , Septem ber 1 6 , 1 9 3 6 , p . B -7 .
CHAPTER IV
THE PLAY IS THE THING: 1 9 3 7 -1 9 3 8
I By 1937 th e Los A n g ele s F ed er a l T h ea tre was i n " f u l l I
(p r o d u c tio n ." In November o f th a t y e a r , when th e N a tio n a l |
I D ir e c to r made her secon d v i s i t to so u th e r n C a l i f o r n i a , she
j p r a is e d the Los A n g e le s p r o j e c t , " p rob ab ly th e most e f f i - |
I d e n t show -shop in th e c o u n tr y . "1 She w r o te t h a t "here was
I a g o in g c o n c e r n , an e n t i r e l y s e l f - c o n t a i n e d , e f f i c i e n t l y
o p e r a tin g t h e a t r e ." ^
I O r g a n iz a tio n a l s h i f t s o f im portance to o k p la c e d u r
in g 1937; J . Howard M ille r became Mrs. F la n a g a n 's d ep u ty
I d i r e c t o r ; and George Gerwing moved from h i s p o s i t i o n a s Los:
I A n g ele s County D ir e c t o r to th a t o f D ir e c to r o f th e S ou th ern ;
I C a l i f o r n ia D i s t r i c t . ^ |
i ' I
I Los A n g e le s was o p e r a tin g i t s own R esearch Bureau In |
I j
11937. T h is B u rea u 's f u n c t i o n was t o do r e s e a r c h f o r f o r t h - ,
I !
j I
jcom ing p e r io d or costum e p l a y s , to make p r o d u c tio n books |
i i
I f o r a l l p la y s p resen ted ., and to do g e n e r a l r e s e a r c h in |
i I
; l o c a l drama h i s t o r y . From t h e s e l a t t e r en d ea vors came some j
; I
e x c e l l e n t p r o d u c tio n books and th e f o l lo w in g h i s t o r i e s :
^ F la n agan , A ren a, p . 282.
^ T b id . , p . 2 9 9 .
Los A n g e le s T im es, August 9 , 1937
3
44
(The C h in ese T h ea ter in A m erica, Los P a s t o r e s , and T h ea ter
I " '
I In Los A n g e le s
A lth o u g h 1937 was p erhaps th e m ost p r o d u c tiv e and
j s u c c e s s f u l y e a r in th e h i s t o r y o f th e Los A n g e le s F e d e r a l
(T h eatre, i t was n o t w ith o u t i t s major p ro b lem s. The m ost
( p e r s is t e n t o f th e s e was r e l a t e d to th e b a s i c job o f th e
(Federal T h e a t r e - - t r y in g to m eet th e dual demands o f p r o v id -
I
ling jo b s fo r form er r e l i e f w orkers and a t th e same tim e e s -
I t a b lis h h i ^ a r t i s t i c s ta n d a r d s . The problem was f i r s t e n -
! c o u n te r e d when th e p r o j e c t b egan th e job o f s c r e e n in g a p - :
I I
j p l i c a n t s . Which o f th o s e a p p ly in g r e a l l y w ere show p e o p le |
; f
and co u ld conform to F ed era l T h e a t r e 's r e q u e s t s , and w h ich î
I
were e i t h e r fa k in g t h e ir c r e d e n t i a l s or were so a r t i s t i c a l l y !
(in e p t, no m a tter i&i&t t h e i r b ack grou n d , th a t th ey w ould be |
iu s e le s s to th e p r o j e c t ? C on stan t h i r i n g s , r e d u c tio n s in {
I
jp erson n el and changes in th e ty p e s o f p la y s o f f e r e d made i t
jincumbent upon a d m in is t r a to r s t h a t th e y d e v is e an e f f e c t i v e i
i i
;system o f ch e ck in g p r o s p e c t iv e a p p l i c a n t s . |
I In December of 1 9 3 7 , an I n te r v ie w in g Board was e sta b -j
I l is h e d for the purpose o f s c r e e n in g w o r k e r s. T h is B oard, *
w h ich a t a l a t e r d a te was made up o f Edward A r n o ld , B o r is I
K a r lo f f and L u c i l l e G l e a s o n , 3 met w ith one o f th e Los Angeles
^ I n te r v ie w w ith (Ralph (Freud, F ebruary 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 .
^ bos A n g eles H e r a ld , O ctober 1 1 , 1 9 3 8 , p . A -1 4 .
I b i d . , February 1 0 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -2 6 .
45
a d m in is tr a t o r s each Thursday m orn ing, and w ith h i s a s s i s t
ance th ey check ed a p p l i c a n t s . An in fo r m a l i n t e r v ie w ,
c o v e r in g th e i n d i v i d u a l ' s e x p e r ie n c e , t r a i n i n g , and the
ty p e o f work d e s i r e d , was h e l d . N in e ty per c e n t o f th o s e
s e l e c t e d had to he h ir e d from r e l i e f r o l l s .
Some i n t e r n a l d is p u t e s o f th e p r o j e c t r ea c h e d th e
new spapers i n 1 9 3 7 . The most e x p l o s i v e o f t h e s e p r o t e s t s
was le d by a group d e s ig n a t in g i t s e l f th e " T h e a tr ic a l
D em ocratic Club" w h ich p r o t e s t e d t h a t i t s members had b een
g a g g e d , t h a t am ateurs had to o much pow er, and th a t e x p e r i -
: m ental typ e drama was h u r tin g th e p r o j e c t ; th e y urged t h a t
(a sto c k company, b a r r in g a m a te u r s, be d e v e l o p e d . ^ The l a s t
i
! o f t h e s e ite m s was a c ce d e d t o , and i n 1938 a F e d e r a l The
a t r e s to c k company b e g a n p r e s e n t in g p la y s i n Los A n g e le s
I
I C r it ic is m s a g a i n s t o th e r a s p e c t s o f th e F ed er a l
I
T h eatre a l s o were I n i t i a t e d in 1 9 3 7 , b u t most o f th o s e th a t
g o t a s fa r as th e new spapers app eared to fa d e away when ob-
I j e c t i v e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f them w ere made. ^
Only a s i n g l e new drama te c h n iq u e d i f f e r i n g from
th o s e p r e s e n te d in 1 9 3 6 , was in t r o d u c e d .t o Los A n g ele s
a u d ie n c e s by F ed era l T h eatre i n 193 7 . The in n o v a t io n was
^ bos A n g ele s T im es, November 1 8 , 1 9 3 7 , P art I I I ,
p . 1 .
I b i d . , November 2 3 , 1 937, P art I I , p . 1 .
® Whitman, Bread and C ir c u s e s , pp. 1 2 5 -1 2 6 ;
F la n a g a n , A ren a, pp. 2 8 3 -2 8 4 .
46
I th e dance drama w hich was h ead ed by Myra K in ch , w it h Martha
i
I D ean, a p r o f e s s o r from the U n iv e r s it y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los
\ A n g e le s , s e r v in g a s a d v i s o r . The dance drama u n it p r e s e n -
: t a t i o n of F e s t i v a l o f Am erican Dance won p l a u d i t s from a l l
j '
i r e v ie w e r s .^
C l a s s i c a l drama was r e p r e s e n te d in F e d e r a l p l a y
h o u se s in 1937 w ith two p r o d u c tio n s , b o th o f w h ich were
w e l l r e c e iv e d by drama r e v ie w e r s . The Merchant o f V e n ic e ,
w h ich had b een fo r c e d to c l o s e when a ttem p ted i n New Eng-
jla n d , and Merry W ives o f W indsor were p r e s e n te d a t th e
i P layh ou se in H ollyw ood . I
I ^
I Yasha F ra n k 's famous P in o c c h io and H an sel and G r e t e l j
i ■ 1
I l i v e drama p r o d u c tio n s fo r c h ild r e n , w ere f i r s t produced i n |
I Los A n g e le s in 1 9 3 7 . Both o f t h e s e were to w in n a t i o n a l }
I I
! a c c la im as th ey were p r e s e n te d In o th e r c i t i e s . The com- |
I • I
p l e t e h i s t o r y o f th e m a r io n e tte shows t h a t w ere p r e s e n te d |
I
I a f t e r m id-1937 cou ld n o t be t r a c e d from l o c a l so u rce m ate-
i r i a l s , b u t th e y p ro b a b ly were p r e s e n te d a t l e a s t th rou gh
' th e end o f 193 8.
1 i
' I
! F o r e ig n lan gu age th e a t r e and r e l i g i o u s drama b o th j
'had few er p r e s e n t a t io n s in 1937 th a n in 1 9 3 6 . Only fo u r |
1 I
Y id d is h p r e s e n t a t io n s and a s i n g l e F rench p la y w ere p r o - :
. I
:duced in 1 9 3 7 , and o n ly tw o r e l i g i o u s dramas were p r e s e n te d ;
Q
I n te r v ie w w ith R alph Freud, F ebruary 1 7 , 19 56.
47
A lth ou gh th e c r i t i c s from th e Los A n g e le s Times and
th e Los A n g ele s H erald were n o t in agreem ent a s t o the
i q u a l i t y o f th e p r e s e n t a t io n o f M acbeth^ th e f i r s t o f two
jH egro dramas p r e s e n te d i n 1 9 3 7 , b o th n ew sp a p ers' drama
f
I c r i t i c s lau d ed th e secon d o n e , A n d r o cle s and th e L io n ,
! w h ich was a combined e f f o r t produced by th e F e d e r a l The*-
a t r e and th e F ed eral Music P r o je c ts *
I S t r a ig h t v a u d e v i l l e p r e s e n t a t io n s by Los A n g ele s
F ed er a l T h eatre in 1937 w ere e i t h e r ig n o r e d or c r i t i c i z e d
by the r e v ie w e r s . But when Los A n g e le s ' v a u d e v i l l e p r o -
* d u c e r s, Eugene S ton e and Jack R ob in son , in tr o d u c e d th e
co m b in a tio n o f m u sic a l comedy and v a u d e v i l l e in R eview o f
i R eview s and R ea d y A im * ' F ir e I c r i t i c s p r a is e d th e shows
! •
I and a u d ie n c e s proved t h e i r en th u sia sm by k e e p in g e a ch show
I runn ing fo r th r e e months*
! Modern ty p e p la y s were p r e s e n te d i n few er numbers
I in 1937 than in 1 9 3 6 , b u t th e r e d u c t io n i n q u a n t it y was
I
; r e p la c e d by q u a l i t y a c c o r d in g t o r e v ie w e r s * 10 P la y s by
: O 'H e ill and Shaw w ere now b e in g p r e s e n te d by F e d e r a l The
a t r e a f t e r th o s e two p la y w r ig h ts r e l e a s e d t h e i r p la y s a t
nom inal c o s t to th e g o v ern m en t's t h e a t r e .
E d i t o r i a l c r i t i c i s m a g a in s t th e F e d e r a l T h eatre was
e x tr e m e ly m ild in th e Los A n g e le s Times in 1 9 3 7 , and th e r e
were no e d i t o r i a l s about F ed er a l T h eatre in th e Los A n g ele s
F la n a g a n , A ren a, p . 2 7 7 .
48
I H erald In th a t y e a r . A c r i t i c i s m a g a i n s t the method o f I
I , j
I d i s t r i b u t i o n o f F e d e r a l T h e a t r e 's m agazine in Los A n g e le s/-^
i
! and a c o lu m n is t 's a l l e g a t i o n t h a t most o f th e T h ea tre
I P r o je c t w orkers were n o t p r o f e s s io n a ls ^ ^ made up th e t o t a l
I c r i t i c i s m s o f the Los A n g ele s T im es. In Api*H o f 1937 a
f u l l page and one h a l f of a Sunday s e c t i o n o f th e T im es,
I w r i t t e n o b j e c t i v e l y and w ith o u t c r i t i c i s m , was d e v o te d t o
I th e Los A n g e le s F ed era l T h e a tr e .
I ^
I A lth o u g h the s u r fa c e p a t t e r n f o r th e Los A n g e le s
F ed er a l T h eatre rem ained the same d u r in g most o f 1938 a s
i i t had b een in 1 9 3 7 , t h e r e were s i g n i f i c a n t changes in th e *
; !
making fo r F ed er a l T h eatre which were to a l t e r i t s a c t i v i - i
: I
I t i e s c o n s id e r a b ly ; some o f th e s e ch an ges b egan to be e v i - |
d en t i n the v e r y f i r s t months o f 1 9 3 8 . ;
On January 12, 1 9 3 8 , Mrs. F lan agan was inform ed |
I
* t h a t th e S ou th ern C a lif o r n ia F e d e r a l T h eatre was t o r e v e r t |
: t o th e head a d m in is tr a to r o f W. P. A. in so u th e r n C a l i f o r - i
: I
n i a . C o lo n e l C o n n o lly , b e c a u se o f c r i t i c i s m o f th e p r o j e c t . I
I The p r o o f o f t h e a l l e g a t i o n s made a g a i n s t th e Los A n g e le s i
! p r o j e c t was never shown to Mrs. F la n a g a n , but in the mean- |
I t im e , G ilm or Brown was d is m is s e d a s W estern D i r e c t o r , and
A n g e le s T im es, January 3 1 , 19 37, P art I I , p . 6.|
E. V. B u r lin g , "On th e S id e ," i b i d . , J u ly 25,1937.1
"T his Week," Sunday news m agazin e, i b i d . , A p r il 1
1 8 , 1 9 3 7 , p . 1 1 . t
49
a sc h e d u le d p la y , Judgment D ay, was c a n c e l l e d . ^4
L a ter a c t io n s r e v e r s e d some o f t h e s e e a r l i e r o n es;
th e n a t io n a l d i r e c t o r s r e g a in e d c o n t r o l o f th e a r t i s t i c
I p h a ses o f F e d e r a l T h e a tr e , and Judgment Day was p r e s e n te d .
' But a d i r e c t o r had b e e n dropped w ith o u t th e ap p roval o f th e
I n a t i o n a l D i r e c t o r , and th e a d m in is t r a t iv e c o n t r o l s had b e e n
I
I ju g g le d ; i f done o n c e , why n o t a g a in ? W illia m O liv e r , a
j
I drama r e v ie w e r fo r th e Los A n g e le s H e r a ld , c r i t i c i z e d
I C o lo n e l C o n n o lly fo r h i s c e n s o r s h ip o f Judgment Day by
I s t a t i n g t h a t i f a r e g u l a t i o n b an n in g th e p r e s e n t a t io n o f
' any p la y d e a lin g w it h a s o c i a l problem o f a c o n t r o v e r s i a l I
n a tu re had b e e n i n e f f e c t e a r l i e r , much o f th e b e s t drama |
■ I
, w hich had b e e n p r e s e n te d p r e v io u s ly by th e Los A n g ele s F e d -|
I e r a l T h eatre w ould n o t have b een p r o d u c e d . T h e n e t r e - I
I s u i t was th a t Los A n g e le s had had i t s f i r s t t a s t e o f c e n - |
I 8 or sh ip and major a d m in is t r a t iv e b a t t l e s , and th e W est had I
l o s t i t s D ir e c t o r .
Under such d is t u r b in g c o n d i t i o n s , i t i s n ot s u r p r i s -
i
j in g th a t no d r a m a tic in n o v a t io n s appeared i n th e Los An-
; g e le s F e d e r a l T h ea tre in 1 9 3 8 . The o n ly e x c e p t io n was t h a t j
; t h i s y e a r marked th e in t r o d u c t io n o f th e F e d e r a l T h eatre |
: I
; s to c k company, an e v e n t w h ich was h a r d ly l i k e l y t o i n c r e a s e '
14
F la n a g a n , A rena, p . 285 .
Los A n g eles H e r a ld , February 1 1 , 1 9 3 8 , p . B -3 0 .
50
th e d r a m a tic p r e s t i g e o f Los A n g e le s .
I One a r ea o f the drama th a t did d e v e lo p waa th e P ed-
I I
: e r a l T h eatre of th e A ir , the r a d io u n it o f F e d e r a l T h e a tr e . ;
I S t a r t i n g in 1 9 3 7 , w ith th r e e p e o p le and one f i f t e e n m inute I
! j
b r o a d c a st a week, by A p r il o f 1938 i t had grown t o a s t a f f '
, o f s i x t y , w ith f i f t e e n programs a week.^G
i A d m in is tr a tiv e h e a d q u a r te r s and a d m in is t r a t iv e p e r - '
i so n n e l a l s o made ch an ges d u r in g 1 9 3 8 . By t h i s y e a r h ea d - j
I I
q u a r te r s had b een t r a n s f e r r e d from 1050 South S a n te e S t r e e t
t o 1601 South W estern Avenue # i e r e , by August o f 1 9 3 8 , some I
I
,1 ,3 5 8 p e o p le w ere em ployed in what was d e s c r ib e d a s th e 1
' - T *7 . *
" l a r g e s t s e l f - c o n t a i n e d t h e a t r i c a l u n it in the w o r ld . ;
I George G erw ing, d i r e c t o r o f t h e Sou thern C a lif o r n ia p r o je c t^
I was t r a n s f e r r e d to th e E a s t , and James R. Ullm an r e p la c e d j
I him d u r in g th e l a t t e r p a r t o f the y e a r . |
j The im p lic a t io n s o f the 1938 e l e c t i o n s were u n d er- |
! . i
I sto o d by some o f the p e r s o n n e l o f F e d e r a l T h eatre who d e -
i
; s ir e d to c o n tin u e the g o v ern m en t's t h e a t r e a lo n g th e same
I p a tt e r n a s i t had b e e n o p e r a t i n g . T h e e l e c t i o n o f a more i
I
t a x - c o n s c io u s C ongress boded i l l f o r th e s e p e o p le s ' h o p e s , i
Los Angel es T im es, A p r il 7 , 1938 .
^ 0 8 Angel es H e r a ld , August 1 9 , 1 93 8 , p . E -1 0 .
i
T8 "Memo o f W orkers," a mimeographed n e w s le t t e r
, (u n sig n e d and un dated ]c ir c a November, 1938 2 ), in F e d e r a l
: T h eatre f i l e s o f the T h eatre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s it y o f
iC a l if o r n i a a t Los A n g e le s .
51
i For w h atever r e a s o n , the number o f new p r o d u c tio n s begun b y ,
iF e d e r a l T h eatre in Los A n g ele s was r ed u c e d sh a r p ly i n l a t e
! i
: 1 9 3 8 , and changes and rumors o f changes on t h e p r o j e c t were i
I a p p ea r in g c o n s t a n t ly in th e Los A n g e le s Times and th e Los j
’ j
■Angeles H erald d u r in g November and D ecem ber. •
; I
i In January o f 19 3 8 , the F e d e r a l T h eatre sto c k com- I
I I
I pany p r e s e n te d i t s f i r s t p r o d u c tio n , W ild e r n e s s , a t th e !
! i
■ Mason T h e a tr e . T h is was t o be th e f i r s t o f f i f t e e n sto c k (
j I
j p r e s e n t a t io n s w h ich w ere to p la y at t h i s t h e a t r e from Janu-I
I I
I ary through A u g u st. There had b een some m is g iv in g s abou t
J th e i n i t i a t i o n o f a s to c k company when th e p la n was f i r s t '
* !
p r o p o sed , but th e o ld e r p la y e r s f e l t t h a t s to c k p r o d u c tio n s j
; would r a i s e th e p r e s t i g e o f F e d e r a l T h e a tr e . The g e n e r a l j
[ e v a lu a t io n o f th e drama c r i t i c s was t h a t th e s e p r e s e n t a tio n s
* I
I were o n ly f a i r . |
I Dance drama, r e l i g i o u s drama, c h i l d r e n ' s dram a, and j
jY id d is h p r o d u c tio n s a l l were red u ced i n numbers in 1 9 3 8 , a s ;
I compared w ith th o se p r e s e n te d in 1937. Only e ig h t p r e s e n - j
t a t i o n s were g iv e n for the four drama c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s . Re-
I v ie w e r s in th e Los Angel es Times and th e Los A n g ele s H erald
; gave t h e s e p r o d u c tio n s sc a n t a t t e n t i o n .
j Twelve modern p l a y s , n o t in c lu d in g th e f i f t e e n p r e -
I se n te d by th e sto c k company, w ere produced by F e d e r a l The
a t r e in 1938 and m ost o f th e s e won h ig h a p p r o v a l from th e
T9"
Los A n g e le s T im es, March 1 2 , 1 9 3 8 , P art I I , p. 1,
52
I c r i t i c s . B ird o f P a r a d is e , A lie n Corn, Judgment D ay,
' A l i s o n ' s H ou se, and P ro lo g u e t o G lory were s i n g l e d out f o r
j s p e c i a l com m endation, but none o f th e o th e r modern p la y s
w ere c l a s s i f i e d by th e c r i t i c s a s b e in g e i t h e r weak p la y s
or p o o r ly p r e s e n t e d ,
i A f te r n e a r ly two y e a r s a b s e n c e , e x p e r im e n ta l drama
I r e tu r n e d to Los A n g ele s i n 1 9 3 8 , w ith th e p r e s e n t a t io n o f
j The Sun R is e s in th e West w h ich was sc h e d u le d t o have b een
I th e f i r s t in a s e r i e s d e p i c t in g C a lif o r n ia h i s t o r y . The
I p l a y e r s , w r i t e r s , and d i r e c t o r s w ent d i r e c t l y i n t o th e
I w o r k e r s ' camps— t h i s w as th e s t o r y o f C a lif o r n ia m ig r a to r y
i l a b o r e r s - - t o g a in S t a n i s l a v s k ia n r e a lis m fo r t h e i r w r i t i n g
‘ and a c t i n g . A l t h o u g h p r a is e d v e r y h ig h ly by r e v i e w e r s ,
I t h i s was t h e l a s t o f th e exper im e n ta l- ty p e p la y s t o be
j p r e s e n t e d . A l l e g a t i o n s l a t e r w ere made t h a t some o f th e
I le a d e r s o f t h i s u n it were c l o s e l y i d e n t i f i e d w ith th e Com
m u n ist p a r t y . Mr. Freud l a t e r s t a t e d t h a t th e u n it “ j u s t
seem ed t o w ith e r away" a f t e r th e one p r o d u c t!o n .
; la u d ed A la d d in , a p la y for c h ild r e n ; th e Emperor J one s , a
[m a r io n e tte show a l s o won the c r i t i c ' s a p p r o v a l, i b i d . 7
! May 1 3 , 1 9 3 8 .
! In te r v ie w w it h Ralph F reud , F ebruary 1 7 , 1956;
Los A n g ele s H erald, A p r il 2 6 , 1 9 3 8 , p . B -5 .
i Los Angel es T im es, J u ly 4 , 1 9 3 8 , P a rt I I , p . 7;
! Los A n g e le s Her a i d , J u ly 2 , 1 9 3 8 , p . A -9 .
I I n te r v ie w , F ebruary 1 7 , 1956; Los A ngele s T im es,
! August 2 , 1 9 4 1 , P art I , p . 1 .
53
I But i f th e p u b lic was n o t dem anding th e c o n tin u a n c e
I o f sto c k company p r e s e n t a t i o n s , c l a s s i c a l drama or e x p e r l-
I
! m ental drama, i t was e x c i t e d about one phase o f th e Los A n -|
i I
: g e l e s T h eatre in 1 9 3 8 , t h e m u s ic a ls . B oth Two-A-Day and ;
I
' Run, L it t i e C h i l l un ' c o u ld c l a s s i f y i n t h a t c a te g o r y a l -
; I
I t h o u ^ the form er was p r im a r ily a v a u d e v i l l e p r o d u c tio n and
[th e l a t t e r was l i s t e d as Negro drama. W hatever th e c l a s s i -
I
f i c a t i o n , the p u b lic l i k e d them and su p p o rted them a t th e \
I box o f f i c e f o r a combined t o t a l run o f over e ig h t e e n m onths.
I
Two-A-Day f o llo w e d th e p a t t e r n o f e a r l i e r S ton e and ,
IR obinson h i t s , b u t t h i s one seemed to be even more p o p u la r j
I
th an i t s p r e d e c e s s o r s in th e m u s ic a l v a u d e v i l l e f i e l d . Twol
■ A-Day began i t s le n g th y run in O ctober o f 1938 and c o n tin u e d
t o p la y b e f o r e packed h o u se s fo r over s i x m onth s. |
I Run, L i t t l e C hi 1 1 un' was even more e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y !
I r e c e i v e d . T h is p la y was s e l e c t e d by C la ren ce Muse, who hadj
jbeen ask ed by H arry H opkins t o a s s i s t th e Los A n g ele s Negro j
I ■ I
I <
; u n i t . Muse, famous a c to r and s i n g e r , se r v e d a s g u e s t p r o - j
I !
jd u c tio n d i r e c t o r d u r in g th e p l a y ' s lo n g Los A n g e le s run.
' i
He a t t r i b u t e d th e s u c c e s s o f the p la y t o the com b in ation o f ;
th e b e a u t i f u l m usic o f th e H a ll Johnson c h o ir and th e drama-.
t i c e m o tio n a l power o f th e p la y w hich th e a c t o r s were a b le i
t o t r a n s f e r to the a u d ie n c e s . T ic k e t s p r ic e d a t f i f t y - f i v e '
c e n ts each were s o ld fo r th r e e and fo u r d o l l a r s by s c a l p e r s !
,as the p u b lic demand in c r e a s e d . T h is p r o d u c tio n r a n n e a r ly
a y ea r under governm ent a u s p ic e s and th e n , a s th e c u r t a i n ,..
54
was b e in g drawn on F e d e r a l T h e a tr e , was r e o r g a n iz e d and
opened under p r iv a t e sp o n so r sh ip
I One phase o f th e Los A n g e le s P r o j e c t w hich came
! under c r i t i c i s m d u rin g t h i s p e r io d was th e la c k o f a g ov-
I
Iern m en tal program f o r t r a i n i n g F ed era l T h eatre a c to r s #
I
jA fte r p r a i s i n g most o f th e l o c a l p r o j e c t ' s p r o d u c tio n s ,
I W illia m O liv e r , Los A n g e le s H era ld drama c r i t i c , a sk e d
iwhy an a c t o r s ' a c h o o l had n o t b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d .^ ^ No
j e v id e n c e was found t o in d ic a t e t h a t such a s c h o o l was
jcon d u cted by F ed er a l T h ea tre in Los A n g e l e s . 25
E d i t o r i a l c r i t i c i s m o f t h e p r o j e c t by th e Los An
g e l e s new spapers c o n tin u e d to be m ild d u rin g 1 9 3 8 . No
j e d i t o r i a l s o p p o sin g th e p r o j e c t were in th e Los A n g e le s
1
jT im es, and o n ly a s i n g l e c r i t i c a l e d i t o r i a l was p r in t e d
jby the Los A n g e le s H e r a ld .
j The p ic t u r e o f th e Los A n g e le s F ed er a l T h eatre in
jJanuary o f 1939 c o u ld w e l l have been d e p i c t e d by th e J an u s- j
I I
I fa c e d sym bols of comedy and t r a g e d y . W ith Two-A-Day and |
^ i
:Run, L i t t l e C h i l l u n ' , the governm ent had i t s two g r e a t e s t !
Los T n g e l e s T im es, June 1 3 , 1939; in t e r v ie w w ith
C laren ce Muse, A p r il iK^ TW5G.
i
A n g ele s H e r a ld , December 1 , 1 9 3 7 , p . B -4 .
25 Grace Overmyer, Government and th e A r ts (New Y ork,
1939 ), p . 1 2 4 , w ro te th a t t r a i n i n g c o u r se s e x i s t e d in e v e r y
F ed er a l T h eatre p r o j e c t .
Los A n geles H er a ld , May 2 1 , 1938, p. B -2.
55
box o f f i c e h i t s , b u t th o s e c l o s e to th e a d m in is t r a t io n must
jhave r e a l i z e d th a t w h ile th e p r o j e c t was e n jo y in g i t s g r e a t j
j e s t f i n a n c i a l s u c c e s s e s , th e t h e a t r e i t s e l f was b e in g |
; i
I d e s t r o y e d . I
! CHAPTER V
THE LAST ACTS: 1939
In January o f 1 9 3 9 , th e n e w l y - e l e c t e d members o f th e
I House o f R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s urged th a t th e n e x t Works P rogress'
' A d m in is tr a tio n a p p r o p r ia t io n b i l l be s la s h e d by one hundred
I
! and f i f t y m i l l i o n d o l l a r s , ^ and a lth o u g h th e f i n a l cu t was
I o n ly o n e - t h ir d o f t h a t f i g u r e , 2 th e d e a th k n e l l o f Federal!
I '
, T h ea tre had b een sounded. |
I i
I In Los A n g e le s , r u m b lin g s o f p o l i t i c a l ch an ges in .
i F e d e r a l T h ea tre had been h eard for s e v e r a l months p r io r t o |
: th e s t a r t o f the new y e a r , and, some changes among th e a d - |
* i
I m i n i s t r a t i v e p e r so n n e l had a lr e a d y ta k en p l a c e . In Novem- |
j b e r , James Ullman r e p la c e d George Gerwing a s S o u th ern C a l- I
! i f o r n ia D ir e c to r ; in Decem ber, C o lo n e l C o n n o lly was r e - |
p la c e d as W. P . A. D ir e c t o r f o r th e same a rea by H erb ert c j
I I
I L egg. T h is l a s t change, a c c o r d in g to F ed er a l T h ea tre |
! _ !
' l e a d e r s , d e s tr o y e d th e Los A n g ele s p r o j e c t . 3 j
* U llm a n 's s t a y a s D ir e c to r was b r i e f ; he q u i t e a r l y
[ i n F ebruary s t a t i n g t h a t he had b een fo r c e d to r e d u c e
; " ^ Los A n g e le s H e r a ld , January 1 3 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -1 .
2 I b i d . , March 3 1 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -1 .
3 F la n a g a n , A ren a , pp. 2 9 3 -2 9 4 . I n te r v ie w w ith j
Ralph F reud , February IV, 1956; l e t t e r from George G erw ing'
t o R alph Freud, F ebruary 2 1 , 193 9 , In f i l e s o f th e F e d e r a l !
i T h eatre o f th e T h eatre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y o f C a lifo r-}
■ n ia a t Los A n g e le s .
57
i p e r s o n n e l by a p p r o x im a te ly one f o u r th im m ed ia te ly a f t e r
1
I ta k in g o f f i c e , and t h a t he was unable t o g e t p la y s produced
t
I b e c a u se h i s tim e was tak en up w i t h c o n tr o v e r s ie s .'^ U l l -
' m an's d e p a r tu r e was fo llo w e d by t h a t o f R alph Freud, a s -
I
I s i s t a n t p r o d u c tio n d i r e c t o r , who c r i t i c i z e d "the p e r s o n a l
j
^ a m b itio n found in F e d e r a l T h eatre l e a d e r s h i p , ”® and he a c -
, feusedeLegg o f u s in g h ig h handed m ethods in o b t a in in g the
I d is m i s s a l o f the d ir e c t o r .®
j For n e a r ly two m onths, Los A n g e le s was w ith o u t a
j d i r e c t o r f o r i t s F e d e r a l T h e a tr e . Then, w ith o u t Mrs. i
■ F lan agan 's a p p r o v a l, Legg a p p o in te d A lex a n d er L e ftw ic h to j
i
t h i s p o s i t i o n . Thb l a t t e r was a man w ith a t h e a tr e b a ck
ground, b u t h i s c o n c e p ts o f th e job o f F e d e r a l T h eatre were I
! ^
! in sharp c o n t r a s t w ith th o s e who were a lr e a d y on th e pro j - !
* I
j e c t , and h i s t h e o r i e s as to what would make good t h e a t r e |
! p r o d u c tio n s were outm oded, a c c o r d in g t o R alph F r e u d . O n I
I I
I A p r il 1 1 , L e ftw ic h announced th e d i s m i s s a l o f te n o f th e
I I
I p e o p le on th e p r o j e c t . Among th o s e dropped were Jerome
! Los A n g e le s H e r a ld , February 4 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -1 . !
I j
5 R alph Freud l e t t e r o f r e s i g n a t i o n t o H a l l i e P la n a - |
;gan, March 1 , 1 9 3 9 , carbon cop y, i n f i l e s o f F e d e r a l The
a t r e , T h ea tre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los
A n g e le s .
i ® C lip p ed a r t i c l e from Westwood H i l l s S c e n e , maga-
iz i n e , (undated Jcirca A p r il 1 9 3 9 3 ). In T h eatre A rts
! L ib r a r y , above c i t e d .
^ I n te r v ie w , February 17, 1956. __ ____________
58
C orey, Loren R aker, Max P o llo c k , M ary.Farm er, Leona McGînty,'
and Chalmer Day. Most o f th o s e d is m is s e d were prom inent
I I
I t h e a t r e p e o p le # 1 0 had been on th e p r o j e c t s in c e i t s i n c e p - :
! I
j t i o n , and t h e i r d e p a r tu r e c r e a te d even f u r t h e r u n e a s in e s s
I o' I
iamong th o s e who rem ained.® !
I M eanwhile, some p la y s were b e in g produced by F e d e r a l !
! I
I T h e a tr e , b u t th e r e were o n ly f i v e new p la y s p r e s e n te d in ;
I I
I th e f i r s t seven months o f 1 9 3 9 . V olpon e , th e famous c la s s i - j
! I
c a l drama, and High Tor were the o n ly ones w h ich made any 1
g r e a t im p r e s sio n on the c r i t i c s . There were h i n t s t h a t |
,Volpone c l o s e d e a r l y b e c a u se o f c r i t i c i s m o f i t s m oral
t o n e . 2 Two-A-Day f i n a l l y con clu d ed i t s s u c c e s s f u l run in
■March o f 1 9 3 9 , and Run, L i t t l e C h i l l u n ' c lo s e d on June 1 0 . •
By the f i r s t o f J u n e, in fo r m a tio n from th e E a st i n - ;
j ' I
I d ic a te d t h a t o n ly d r a s t i c a c t i o n co u ld save th e F e d e r a l j
'T h e a tr e . D e s p ite te le g r a m s and r a d io p r o t e s t s s e n t by th e I
; S c r ee n A c to r s ' G u ild , l o c a l c i v i c l e a d e r s , and prom inent
!H ollyw ood p e r s o n a l i t i e s , th e d ie was c a s t . On June 3 0 , an I
A s s o c ia t e d P r e ss item from W ashington s t a t e d t h a t th e House |
1
Ion th a t day "hung a c lo s e d s ig n on the F e d e r a l T h e a t r e . !
The c l o s i n g o f th e F e d e r a l c u r t a in s meant t h a t in !
^ I n te r v ie w , F ebruary 1 7 , 19 56.
" ^ 0 8 A ngele s H e r a ld , J u ly 1 , 1939, p . A -9 .
I b i d . , June 3 0 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -1 .
59
! Los A n g e le s e le v e n hundred and f i f t y p e o p le l o s t t h e i r
I
J o b s - - s i x hundred a c t o r s , s e v e n t y - f i v e m u s ic ia n s , and th e
rem ainder t e c h n i c a l and s k i l l e d w o r k e r s . T h e r e were no
I p la y s b e in g p r e s e n te d as th e p r o j e c t was c lo s e d down, b u t
' th r e e were under r e h e a r s a l . L ater i n th e summer, s e v e r a l
! shows w hich had been p lan n ed by F e d e r a l T h eatre were
opened; some were g iv e n governm ental f i n a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e
and some, w it h form er p r o j e c t p e r s o n n e l, ra n a s p r iv a t e
I
! v e n t u r e s . The Sw ing M ikado, Hun, L i t t l e C h i l l u n ' , and Meet
I th e P e o p le , which were i n t h i s c a te g o r y , were p r e s e n te d ;
I
a f t e r J u ly 1 . I
What p a r t d id th e Los A n g ele s P r o je c t have in the !
I Î
’ C o n g r e ss io n a l d e c i s i o n to c lo s e the F e d e r a l T h eatre? Ap- 1
I '■ i
: p a r e n t ly i t had v ery l i t t l e . None o f th e d i r e c t o r s from j
! I
I t h a t a r ea were in t e r r o g a t e d by C o n g r e ss io n a l Com m ittees n o r |
d id any o f th e p la y s c r i t i c i z e d by C on gress o r ig i n a t e in j
Los A n g e le s , and o n ly two o f th e se v e n t h a t were c r i t i c i z e d j
iw ere p r e s e n te d t h e r e . E d i t o r i a l o p p o s it io n t o th e F e d e r a l
; T h eatre d id e x i s t i n th e Los A n g ele s n e w sp a p er s, b u t on th e !
^whole, t h i s was r e l a t i v e l y l i g h t , and was n e v e r d i r e c t e d
* 1 O *
s p e c i f i c a l l y a g a in s t the l o c a l pro j e c t Drama c r i t i c s |
Los X n g e le s H e r a ld , June 1 7 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -9 .
: Paul M . McKim, "A S u rvey o f th e F e d e r a l T h eatre
[P r o je c t o f Los A n g e le s , 1 9 3 6 -1 9 3 8 , a s O bserved in th e Los
iA n g eles Exam iner and Los A n g e le s T im es," (u n p u b lish ed Mas-
, t e r ' s t h e s i s . The U n iv e r s it y o f C a l i f o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s ,
IA ugust, 1953 ). He c o n clu d ed t h a t t h e e d i t o r i a l s in the
60
a lm o st n ev er c r i t i c i z e d a p la y b e c a u se o f i t s a d v o ca cy o f
i any econom ic or p o l i t i c a l p h ilo s o p h y . W liatever v ie w s th e
jnewspaper owners may have had about th e F e d e r a l T h e a tr e ,
i t h e s e were n ot fo r c e d upon the drama c r i t i c s .^ ® A lth o u g h
; th e r e were a l l e g a t i o n s t h a t some of th e w orkers on th e Los
! A n g e le s p r o j e c t were Com m unists, no p r o o f o f t h i s was
j
I q u oted in th e new spapers d u rin g t h i s p e r io d , nor d id t h e s e
I c h a r g es in r e l a t i o n to Los A n g ele s p e r so n n e l appear t o have
I
j b een a f a c t o r in the C o n g r e ssio n a l d e te r m in a tio n t o end
t
! F e d e r a l T h e a tr e . .
I ;
^ Î
i How w e l l were the o r i g i n a l o b j e c t i v e s o f F ed era l j
i
iT h eatre met in Los A n g e le s? The f i r s t o f t h e s e o b j e c t i v e s I
i !
-was t h a t th e a t r e p e o p le w anted work and sh o u ld be put t o i
' i
(work in t h e i r own f i e l d o f a c t i v i t y . The e v id e n c e was th a t j
I th e th e a t r e p e o p le in th e Los A n g e le s a r e a were a n x io u s t o I
I I
Ir etu rn t o t h e i r s k i l l ; th e r e were u s u a lly many a n x io u s t o j
I I
I g e t the jo b s a v a i l a b l e , and no c r i t i c i s m was l e v i e d a g a i n s t |
:th e F e d e r a l T h eatre w o rk ers co n c er n in g t h e i r d e s i r e t o work.I
I i
I f a n y th in g , Los A n g ela s a c t o r s s e e m in g ly w an ted to do to o i
i I
;much. I\irs. F lanagan m en tioned s e v e r a l tim e s in h e r b o ok ,
i
'Arena, th a t the d i r e c t o r s were tr y in g t o g e t th e Los A n g ele s
.p r o je c t to do fe w e r p la y s ; and th e demand f o r a s to c k com-
Exam iner d u rin g t h i s p e r io d were n e it h e r numerous nor
|O verly c r i t i c a l .
: J® In te r v ie w w ith George J a c k so n , drama c r i t i c , Los |
A ngele s H e r a ld , January 1 8 , 1 9 5 6 . He s a id t h e r e v ie w e r s wo?e
n e v e r a sk ed to s l a n t r e v ie w s to m eet e d i t o r i a l p q l i j î i e s . ^
61
pany had come, in p a r t , b e c a u se some o f th e a c t o r s wanted i
t o keep b u s i e r . I
I
Another o f th e e a r l y o b j e c t i v e s s e t by F e d e r a l T he- I
a t r e was th a t o f g iv in g th e ta x p a y e r a r e a l r e t u r n fo r th e I
money s p e n t. Such an ite m i s d i f f i c u l t to m easure i n th e |
a r t s , but among t h e f a c t o r s to be c o n s id e r e d a re th e m ain- ■
t e nance o f the a r t i s t i c s k i l l s and m orale o f th e t h e a t r e •
w o r k e r s, and th e p le a s u r e r e c e i v e d by th e hundreds o f !
! I
I th o u sa n d s o f p a tr o n s o f Los A n g ele s F e d e r a l T h eatre produc-|
i '
: t i o n s d u rin g th e th r e e and one h a l f y e a r s of i t s o p e r a tio n .;
! i
! In a d d it io n t o th o s e who a tte n d e d F e d e r a l p r e s e n t a t io n s in I
I g o v e r n m e n t-le a s e d p la y h o u s e s , must be added th e th o u sa n d s
I o f y o u th s in C i v i l i a n C o n se r v a tio n Corps camps, in s c h o o ls
I I
I and i n c i t y parks who saw t h e s e p la y s w ith o u t c o s t to them.j
Many o f the "normal" t h e a t r e c o s t s were k e p t t o a minimum, j
! I
j t o o , to p r o t e c t the ta x p a y e r . S e t s and costum es were |
I made, fo r th e most p a r t , by th e Works P r o g r e s s A d m in istr a - [
j • [
I t i o n , and the a d v e r t i s in g and la b o r c o s t s were c e r t a i n l y j
I T- i
! n o t h ig h i n com p arison w ith p r iv a t e e n t e r p r i s e theatre.-^®
! What was the q u a l i t y o f the Los A n g e le s p r e s e n t a
t i o n s ? Of th e t o t a l o f n e a r ly one hundred and s i x t y p r o - ;
' d u e t i o n s , v e r y few were l i s t e d by th e new spaper c r i t i c s a s !
A n g e le s H e r a ld , June 1 7 , 1 9 3 9 , p . A -9 .
J® Los A n g e le s T im es, " T h is Week," Sunday news
m agazine s e c t i o n , A p r il 1 8 , 1 9 3 7 , p . 1 1 .
62
jbeing f a i l u r e s . One r e v ie w e r , a t the h a lf-w a y mark in
1
A ugust o f 1 9 3 8 , c l a s s i f i e d them a s , " s i x t y per c e n t good
^and one o f each f i v e i s com parable to smash h i t s ." J® The
jw r ite r r e c a l l s s e e in g some o f th e W. P. A . p la y s t h a t he
I
now r e c a l l s as b e in g o f o n ly a v e r a g e , or b elow a v e ra g e
i q u a l i t y - - Turn t o th e R ig h t , and S m i l i n ' Through- -and o t h e r s ,
[in c lu d in g Run, L i t t l e C h i l l u n ' , V o lp o n e , S ix C h a ra cters in
'Search o f an A u th or, and I t C an 't Happen H ere, a s memorable
I
and s t i r r i n g p r e s e n t a t io n s .
A nother o b j e c t i v e o f th e F e d e r a l T h eatre was t h a t
i t s drama be n e it h e r cheap n or v u lg a r . No s e r i o u s c r i t i -
i
icism was l e v e l e d a g a in s t Los A n g e le s T h ea tre on e i t h e r o f
t h e s e two a c c o u n t s . I
i An a d d it io n a l F e d e r a l T h ea tre g o a l was th a t i t was
! !
|to be f r e e and u n cen so red . D u ring th e f i r s t two y e a r s , no |
[hint of c e n s o r s h ip to u ch ed Los A n g e le s p r o d u c tio n s . In I
! - I
[1938, one p l a y . Judgment D ay, was " te m p o r a r ily c e n so r e d ," j
b u t e x c e p t fo r t h a t , and a " su g g e stio n " th a t V olpone had ;
b e e n c lo s e d e a r l y , c e n s o r s h ip d id n o t appear t o be a m ajor [
iproblem in Los A n g e le s . Mr. Freud l a t e r s t a t e d t h a t some |
: i
p a r t o f t h i s freed om was u n d o u b ted ly due t o th e f a c t t h a t
the p la y s w h ich were p r e s e n te d w ere n ot too d iv e r g e n t from ;
[ i
'the p o l i c i e s o f the a d m in is t r a t io n ; he doubted th a t a p la y i
p . B -10.
W. E. O liv e r , Los A n geles H er a ld , August 1 9 , 1938,;
63
e x t o l l i n g e x - P r e s id e n t H oover would have b een p rod u ced .
What were th e s p e c i a l s t r e n g t h s o f th e F e d e r a l The
a t r e in Los A n g e le s? Some th a t were q u ic k ly ap p aren t w ere
I th e r a p i d i t y w ith w hich th e p r o j e c t g o t underway and th e
I i
| h i ^ worker m orale w h ich was m a in ta in e d a lm o st t o th e end |
: o f the program ^8 Los A n g e le s was p a r t i c u l a r l y e f f e c t i v e |
.w ith i t s m u s ic a l- v a u d e v ille ty p e p r o d u c tio n s and i t s drama
I
I fo r c h i ld r e n . Some t h i r t e e n new p la y s w ere p r e s e n te d f o r ,
I
I th e f i r s t tim e in Los A n g e le s , and n in e o ld e r p r o d u c tio n s |
[were p r e s e n te d w ith changes o f enough s i g n i f i c a n c e th a t th e ;
a d a p t e r 's name was l i s t e d w ith th a t o f th e o r i g i n a l a u th o r . |
i !
I Why was Los A n g e le s F e d e r a l T h eatre n o t more e f f e c - j
i i
j t i v e ? P art o f the c r i t i c i s m w hich was d i r e c t e d a g a in s t i t
i !
I must be c o n s id e r e d i n th e l i g h t o f what th e o b j e c t i v e s o f j
I F e d e r a l T h eatre w ere and what the a b i l i t i e s o f th e p e r s o n -
I n e l w ere. One m ajor f a c t o r was t h a t th e F e d e r a l T h eatre
program was e s s e n t i a l l y a r e l i e f a c t i v i t y ; i t s prim ary ob
j e c t i v e was to put t h e a t r e p e o p le to work i n t h e i r p r o f e s -
I 8 io n . Many o f the p eo p le h ir e d were p a s t t h e i r b e s t p r o -
i
; f e s s i o n a l y e a r s , and would not have b e e n a b le t o compete
; fo r t h e a t r e job s even In a p e r io d of n o r m a l c y . T9 These
I T7 I n te r v ie w on February 1 7 , 1956.
T8 F la n a g a n , A ren a , p . 2 7 1 .
T9 Bruce A tk in s o n , “F ed eral T h e a tr e ," New York
; T im es, May 3 , 1 9 3 7 , P art I I , p . 1; in t e r v ie w w ith R alph
F reud, February 1 7 , 1956.
64
p e o p le , by com parison w ith th o s e a p p e a r in g in many p r iv a t e j
e n t e r p r i s e p r o d u c tio n s , o f t e n ap p eared i n f e r i o r . A n other '
.w ea k n ess, a s s o c i a t e d w ith the one a b o v e , was t h a t many w ere ;
I !
I h ir e d on the Los A n g ele s p r o j e c t t h a t sh o u ld n o t have q u a liJ
i !
‘f l e d f o r p la c em e n t. T his w eakn ess was m et, r a th e r l a t e , in i
! I
[December o f 1 9 3 7 , when th e I n te r v ie w in g Board was e s t a b - I
i I
l i s h e d . Los A n g ele s F ed er a l T h eatre m ight have b e e n more
e f f e c t i v e , t o o , had i t done away w ith i t s " w a itin g rooms"
[where a c t o r s were f o r c e d t o sp en d f i v e hou rs a day i f th e y
[were n ot on a ssig n m e n t. No p r o v is io n was made f o r the
{use o f t h i s tim e . A c tin g c l a s s e s m ight have been i n t r o - i
: I
duced t h a t m ight have b een e f f e c t i v e i n r a i s i n g th e F e d e r a l\
jT h e a tr e 's a r t i s t i c s t a n d a r d s . !
j One c r i t i c i s m , r a i s e d e a r l y in th e Los A n g e le s F ed - |
Ie r a l T h eatre h i s t o r y , and c o n tin u e d th ro u g h o u t th e f u l l ]
I tim e o f i t s e x i s t e n c e , was t h a t th e p r o j e c t was dom in ated \
|by " am ateu rs." G reater u t i l i z a t i o n o f e x e c u t i v e - t y p e p e r -
I I
^sonnel from the com m ercial sta g e and H ollyw ood to a s s i s t in j
I i
Imaking p o l i c y — as the I n te r v ie w in g Board d id --m ig h t have |
; I
■ elim in a ted t h i s c o m p la in t. i
How s u c c e s s f u l w ere Los A n g ele s F e d e r a l T h ea tre |
p e r s o n n e l in a c h ie v in g fame or f i n a n c i a l s u c c e s s in th e i
20
Los A n geles H er a ld , February 10, 1939, p. A -26.
65
t h e a t r e a f t e r th e g o v ern m en t's p r o j e c t was c lo s e d ? A c c o r d -|
in g to Mr. F reu d , n o t too many w ere a b le to do so in t h i s |
! ;
j h i ^ l y c o m p e tit iv e f i e l d . P la y e r s who d id do w e l l w ere: i
I Grant R ic h a r d s, G lo r ia D ic k so n , and Anthony Ward; S c o t t j
I :
I M e G lean i s now a s e t d e s ig n e r f o r P asadena Community P la y -
I
h ou se ; N e lso n Baume i s p r e s e n t l y a s e t d e s ig n e r f o r th e Ed j
! S u l l i v a n t e l e v i s i o n show; and Fred S to v e r i s c u r r e n t ly d e - |
1 ■ I
, s ig n in g s e t s for Broadway p r o d u c t !o n s . 2 1 Other former F ed -I
i
ie r a l T h eatre w orkers have moved i n t o o th e r a c t i v i t i e s : ;
i :
I G areth H ughes, a c t o r , jo in e d the A n g lic a n M in is tr y and now j
as "Father D a v id ," i s w ork in g t o im prove th e l i v i n g c o n d i- !
t i o n s f o r C a lif o r n ia In d ia n s; George G erw ing, D i r e c t o r , i s |
i
[now a s s o c i a t e d w ith th e Chamber o f Commerce in R i v e r s i d e ,
* ;
C a lif o r n ia ; C la ren ce Muse, o f Run, L i t t l e C h illu n ' fam e, i s j
I s t i l l a c t i v e in th e t h e a t r e and l i v i n g in P e r r i s , C a l i f o r - I
I
I n i a ; and H erb ert C. L egg, form er W. P . A. D ir e c to r for !
i i
I S ou th ern C a lif o r n ia i s c u r r e n t ly a County S u p e r v is o r in |
I L o s A n g e l e s . 2 2 j
I
The tra g e d y o f F ed eral T h eatre was n o t in i t s a d - !
I I
m i n i s t r a t i o n or i t s a r t i s t i c w e a k n e s s e s , but r a th e r in th e j
I method o f i t s d e a th . Any a ttem p t to perform an a u to p sy can I
j
Ibe o n ly p a r t i a l l y s u c c e s s f u l b e c a u se of th e n a tu r e o f th e
;way in which the F ed era l T h eatre was end ed . Had
21 I n te r v ie w w ith R alph Freud, February 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 .
I b id .
66
C o n g r e ssio n a l Com m ittees b een t r u l y o b j e c t i v e in t h e i r i n
v e s t i g a t i o n s o f the t h e a t r e , i t m ight be p o s s i b l e t o d e -
iterm in e w ith a good d e a l more a s s u r e d n e s s what i t s r e a l
I s t r e n g t h s and w e a k n esse s w e r e .
I f i n th e fu tu r e a r e l i e f p r o j e c t o f a l i k e n a tu r e
I
I
I h as to be e s t a b l i s h e d , some of th e e a r l i e r governm ent t h e -
Ia tr e problem s and f r u s t r a t i o n s may se r v e a s g u id e p o s t s .
I U n fo r tu n a te ly the C om m ittees t h a t d id th e “in v e s t i g a t in g "
I :
I o f F e d e r a l T h eatre d id n ot le a v e th e r e c o r d s v e r y c l e a r .
I F e d e r a l T h eatre d ie d b e c a u se o f unproved a l l e g a t i o n s o f |
I e x c e s s i v e c o s t s and Com m unistic i n f i l t r a t i o n . % a t w ere |
; I
I t h e s e c o s t s ? \There was th e w a ste? Who were th e Communists}
! and how had th e y h u rt F e d e r a l T h ea tre? No r e a l i n v e s t i g a - f
i ' I
j t i o n was made a lo n g t h e s e l i n e s , and no a ttem p t was made t o '
1 :
I d eterm in e answ ers t o o th e r p e r t i n e n t q u e s t io n s w h ich m ight |
(have been r a i s e d : Is F ed era l T h eatre com p etin g w ith p r i - |
i I
I v a t e t h e a t r e ? I f s o , in what way? Does c e n s o r s h ip e x i s t ? >
I . ;
I How w e l l i s F e d e r a l T h ea tre m ee tin g th e n eed s o f th e unem- |
I p lo y e d a r t i s t s ? How can F e d e r a l T h ea tre be improved? |
! In th e l i g h t o f p a s t h i s t o r y , i t i s p r o b a b le t h a t ;
th e F ed er a l T h eatre would have en d ed , a s d id a l l o th e r
[W. P. A. p r o j e c t s , a s th e U n ite d S t a t e s moved o u t o f th e
i
slo u g h o f d e p r e s s io n . But th e r e was l i t t l e r e a l r e a s o n t o j
have s e l e c t e d i t f o r th e chopp ing b lo c k i n 1939; to many j
I
th e e n d in g o f t h i s p r o j e c t came w ith sudden h a r sh c r u e l t y . ■
67
[There were many who w ou ld have argued t h a t the F e d e r a l T he- '
a t r e sh ou ld have been r e t a in e d on th e b a s i s o f th e work i t - ■
s e l f , 23 and as c o n s e r v a t iv e a m agazine a s F o r tu n e , in r e - j
I i
ip o r tin g a s y n t h e s i s o f o p in io n in 1 9 3 9 , s t a t e d th a t th e |
! ' I
[v iew p o in t o f e le v e n prom inent men was t h a t "the W * P. A. |
I
I sh o u ld b e g r a d u a lly l i q u i d a t e d . Few w orkers o f th e F ed - ■
i
[e r a l T h ea tre were a b le t o f in d employment in t h e i r own
I
j f i e l d a f t e r the p r o j e c t ' s d e m i s e . 25 j
I % a t as to the fu tu r e ? What have we le a r n e d from j
I ■ :
I t h i s b o ld s o c i a l ex p erim en t i n governm ent sp o n s o r s h ip o f a |
r e l i e f program in the a r t s ? Some l e s s o n s appear c l e a r . j
i
Area c o n t r o l — a s p r a c t ic e d in th e F e d e r a l T h eatre g eograp h - ;
i c a l d i v i s i o n s - - w a s an e f f e c t i v e method o f p e r m it t in g l o c a l |
( \
?
ja rea s t o d eterm in e m ost o f t h e ir own p o l i c i e s i n r e l a t i o n I
: 1
! t o c h o ic e o f p r o d u c tio n s and p l a y s , but th ro u g h th e use o f j
! Î
I d i r e c t o r s , k ep t th e n a t i o n a l program u n i f i e d . A r t i s t i c ;
; i
i c o n t r o l , the d e te r m in a tio n o f p l a y s , c a s t s , t e c h n iq u e s , and |
: j
ip r e s e n t a t io n m ethods must rem ain w ith th e a r t i s t s , l im i t e d !
I 1 !
o n ly by r a th e r broad bou nd ary l i n e s . I f t h i s c o n t r o l i s I
put i n t o th e hands o f p o l i t i c i a n s th e t h e a t r e w i l l be
2® " C u ltu ra l B arom eter," i n C urrent H i s t o r y , XLIX
, (O cto b er, 1938 ), 4 5 - 6 .
I
24 F i r s t F ortune Round T a b le ," in F o r tu n e , XIX
I (March, 1939 ), 132.
25
F lanagan, Arena, p. 368.
68
d e s tr o y e d by c e n s o r s h ip or b ored om --or b o th . And f i n a l l y ,
freed om t o m eet and answer c r i t i c i s m sh o u ld be p r o v id e d f o r
I
th e a r t i s t s by the governm ent i n order t h a t u n v e r i f ie d
! . i
I rumor and h e a r sa y do not a g a in d e s t r o y a p r o j e c t . |
i i
; The d e a th o f F e d e r a l T h eatre in 1939 was sym ptom atic |
I i
lo f th e i l l n e s s o f many d e m o c r a tic i d e a l s th rou gh ou t th e i
jworld d u r in g t h a t same y e a r . Some p a r t o f the blame fo r j
'the d e a th o f th e g o v ern m en t's t h e a t r e , and th e i l l n e s s o f j
i
jd em ocratic i d e a l s , must be l a i d a t th e f e e t o f a p r e s s t h a t j
I :
Itoo o f t e n p r e s e n te d o n ly a d i s t o r t e d , and o f t e n h ig h ly p a r -
' t i s a n , p ic t u r e of th a t t h e a t r e ; some p a r t o f th e blam e must |
I ;
■be d i r e c t e d a g a in s t th o s e C o n g r e s s io n a l spokesm en who ;
, I
.h elp ed d e s tr o y i t th ro u g h t h e i r dem ogoguery; some o f th e |
blam e must be p la c e d upon th o s e in h ig h p o s i t i o n , who spoke |
I I
(too seldom and to o q u i e t l y vshen th e f a t e o f F e d e r a l T h eatre |
! I
hung d e l i c a t e l y in th e b a la n c e . But in the f i n a l a n a l y s i s , 1
; I
;much o f the blam e must be p la c e d upon th e p e o p le th e m s e lv e s ,:
! I
[who a c c e p te d th e ru m ors, th e h a l f - t r u t h s and p r o t e s t e d o n ly ^
^ fa in tly when C ongress c lo s e d th e f i n a l c u r t a in on F e d e r a l !
! ' I
T h e a tr e .
B I B L I O G R A P H Y
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. BOOKS
A n d erson , Joh n , The Am erican T h e a tr e , New York: D ia l P r e s s j
193 8 . I
i
Bond, F r e d r ic k , The Negro end th e Drama. W ash in gton , D .C .: i
A s s o c ia t e d P u b lis h e r s , 194 0 . j
, F e d e r a l T h eatre P la y s . 2 v o l s . , in t r o d u c t io n s by '
H a ll i e F la n a g a n . New T o r k : Random H ou se, 1938.
F la n a g a n , H a l l i e , A rena. New York: D u e l l , S lo a n and P ea rce,
I 194 0.
I F le x n e r , E le a n o r , Am erican P la y w r ig h t s , 1 9 1 8 -1 9 3 8 . New
' Y ork: Simon and S c h u s t e r , 1 9 3 8 .
.G reen e, A b e l, and Joe L a u r ie , J r . , Show B iz from Vaude t o
V id e o . New York: Henry H o lt , 1 9 5 Ï .
I s a a c s , E d it h , The Negro i n th e Am erican T h e a tr e . New
York : T h ea tre A r t s , I n c . , 1 9 4 7 .
; L u ccock , H a lfo r d E . , A m erican M irror. New York ; M acM illan
I C o ., 194 0.
I
I M antle, B urns, e d i t o r , The B e st P la y s o f 1 9 5 5 -1 9 5 6 . New
j York: Dodd, Mead and C o ., 1 9 3 6 .
! '
* Overmyer, G race, Government and t h e A r t s . New York: W. W.
N orton and C o ., 1 9 3 9 .
: Sherw ood, R obert L . , R o o s e v e lt and H o p k in s, an In tim a te
! H i s t o r y . New York: Harper and B r o t h e r s , 19 48.
j W hitman, W ills o n , Bread and C i r c u s e s . New York: Oxford
U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1937 .
B. PERIODICAL ARTICLES
; Babb, S a n o ra , "The Los A n g e le s W .P.A. T h eatre P r o j e c t ,"
I New T h e a tr e , I I I (J u n e, 1 9 3 6 ), pp. 2 2 -2 3 .
71
Broun, Heywood, "Tip t o U n cle Sara," The New R e p u b lic , XCIV 1
(March 2 , 1 9 3 8 ), p . 98. I
j
, "Uncle Sam, A n g el," B u s in e s s Week, XXI (F eb ru ary !
2 2 , 1936 ), p . 1 8 . I
j C a lv e r to n , V. F . , " C u ltu ra l B arom eter," C urrent H is t o r y , |
I XLIX (O cto b er, 1938 ), pp. 4 5 - 4 6 . Î
j , '
I Cooke, A l i s t a i r , "A N a t io n a l T h eatre on T r ia l ," F o r t n ig h t ly ;
I R ev iew , CXLVI (D ecem ber, 1 9 3 6 ), pp. 7 2 6 -3 1 . [
’F is k e , H a r r is o n , "The F ed er a l T h eatre Doom boggle," The |
! S atu rd ay Even in g P o s t , CCIX (A ugust 1 , 1936 ), p . 2 3 . ,
! F la n a g a n , H a l l i e , " F ed eral T h eatre P r o j e c t ," T h ea tre A r ts '
M onthly, XIX (November, 1935 ), pp. 8 6 5 -6 8 . !
, "Somebody Must Be Wrong," Su rvey G r a p h ic , XXVIII ■
(Decem ber, 1939 ) , p . 7 7 4 . j
, "T heatre and Geography," A m erican M agazine o f A r t,
XXXH (A u gu st, 1936 ), p p .4 6 4 -6 8 .
, "T heatre fo r th e P e o p le ," Am erican M agazine o f ■
A r t , XIX (A u g u st, 1936 ), pp. 4 9 4 -5 0 3 .
The C u ltu re of Dem ocracy," F o r tu n e , XXI (February,!
1 9 4 0 ) , p . 8 4 .
, "The F ir s t F ortu n e Round T a b le ," F o r tu n e , XIX
'T la rch , 1939 ), p . 1 3 2 .
, "Unemployed A r ts ," F o r tu n e , XV (May, 1 9 3 7 ) ,
I pp. 1 0 8 -1 1 7 .
[G a r r e tt, G aret, "F ed eral T h eatre f o r t h e Trasses. " The
! S atu rd ay E vening P o s t , CCVII (June 2 0 , 1936 ), pp. 8 - 9 .
G ild e r , Rosamond, "The F e d e r a l T h e a tr e , A R ecord," T h eatre
A r ts M on th ly, XX (J u n e, 1936 ), pp. 4 3 0 -8 .
K o lo d in , I r v in g , " F o o t l i g h t s , F e d e r a l S t y l e ," Harper ' s
M agazine, CLXXIII (November, 1936 ), pp . 6 2 1 -3 1 .
L angner, L . , "Future o f the Government in th e T h e a tr e ,"
Y ale R ev iew, XXVII (S ep tem b er, 1937 ), pp. 6 4 -7 6 .
L a v ery , Emmet, " A fter F e d e r a l T h ea tr e: w hat?", Commonweal,
XXXII (Septem ber 2 7 , 1 9 4 0 ) , pp. 4 6 5 -6 7 .
72
L a v ery , Emmet, "Communism i n th e F e d e r a l Theatre,** Common-
w e a l , XXXVII (O ctober 7 , 1938 ), pp. 6 1 0 -1 2 .
, **W ho K i l l e d F e d e r a l T h e a tr e ? " , Commonweal, XXX
(A ugust 4 , 1939 }, pp. 3 5 1 -2 .
Lawson, John Howard, "The W PA T h eatre and C e n so rsh ip ,"
New T h e a t e r , I I I (F eb ru a ry , 1936 }, p . 3 .
‘'Smart U ncle Sam, He P uts on T h e a t r ic a l H it s and
O utdoes Broadway P ro d u c er s," L it e r a r y D i g e s t , CXXI
(May 9 , 1936 ), p . 2 5 .
, "W PA C r ea te s New T h e a tr e g o e r s ," L it e r a r y D i g e s t ,
CXXI I (A ugust 2 9 , 1936 ), p . 2 1 .
I
I M o th er w e ll, Hiram, * 'U n cle Sam Takes th e S ta g e ," Su rvey
I Graphic' » XXVI ( A p r il, 1937 }, pp. 2 1 2 -1 3 .
; M o u sta k is, C. C ., "Uncle Sam P a n ic s Broadway," Common
I S e n s e , V ( May, 1936 ), pp. 9 7 - 8 .
, "Once Upon A Tim e," The S atu rd a y E v en in g P o s t ,
CCIX (June 2 6 , 1937 ), p . 2 2 .
. s
S e l d e s , G il b e r t , "Bing C rosby, M arcel P r o u s t and O th e r s," f
I S c r ib n e r ^s, C (O cto b er , 1936 ), pp . 7 8 - 8 1 . ^
I Sugarman, E l i a s , "Thru S u g a r ’s Domino," The B i ll b o a r d , |
I V o l. XÉIX, No. 5 (Janu ary 3 0 , 1937 ), p . 2 1 . j
' I
I , "Thru S u g a r ’s Domino," The B i ll b o a r d , VblX XLIX, I
! No. 19 (May 8 , 1937 ), p . 2 4 .
j I
V ernon, G ., " F ed eral T h eatre P r o j e c t ," Commonweal, XXIV ;
(A ugust 2 8 , 1936 ), p . 4 2 8 . |
I Westwood H i l l s S c e n e , u n d a te d , ( C ir c a , A p r i l , 1939 ). :
j C lip p ed a r t i c l e , no page number. T h eatre A r ts L ib r a ry '
I a t U n iv e r s it y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s . i
Whitman, W ills o n , "U ncle Sam P r e s e n t s ," S t a g e , X III ( J u ly , -
1936 ), p . 2 . ;
I W y a tt, E . V ., "C aravans," C a th o lic W orld, CXLVII (A ugust , i
I 1938 ), pp . 5 9 7 -9 9 . :
I i
I _, " F ed era l T h eatre P r o j e c t ," C a th o lic W orld , CXLIX i
! (A u g u st, 1939 ), pp. 5 9 8 -6 01. i
73
C. ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES j
i
jF la n a g a n , R a l l i e , " F ed eral T h ea tr e," B r ita n n ic a Book o f th e j
: Y e a r , 1 9 5 8 , p . 2 5 9 . |
I !
! , "F ed eral T h e a t r e ,” B r ita n n ic a Book o f th e Y e a r, |
1 1 9 5 9 . p . 2 6 0 . I
! !
D. NEWSPAPERS j
: I
I Many c o p ie s o f Los A n g e le s E xam iner, Los A n g e le s E ven in g '
j H erald and E x p ress » and th e Los A n g e le s T im es.
iNew York T im es, May 1 7 , 193 6.
|New York T im es, May 3 , 1 9 3 7 .
Î E. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS
i*'A d m in istrative O u tlin e f o r Los A n g ele s U n it t o San F ran-
j c i s c o W orld F a ir ." Mimeographed l i s t o f p e r s o n n e l
j le a d e r s and u n it s sc h e d u le d f o r t r a v e l t o San F r a n c is c o ,
I undated ( c i r c a F eb ru a ry , 1939 ). In f i l e s o f F e d e r a l
i T h ea tre of T h eatre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y o f C a l i f o r -
! n ia at Los A n g e le s .
I " F ed eral T h eatre P ra y er." Anonymous, undated poem. Typed
I copy in F ed er a l T h eatre f i l e s . T h eatre A r ts L ib r a r y ,
I U n iv e r s it y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s .
" H o u seh o ld er, C a r o lin e , " F ed eral T h e a tr e , I t s I n flu e n c e
Upon and Value to th e P u b li c , I t s P a r t i c i p a n t s and th e
S c h o o l." U n p u b lish ed M a ste r ’s t h e s i s . The U n iv e r s it y
o f S o u th ern C a l i f o r n ia , Los A n g e le s , 194 0.
i
"Manual f o r F e d e r a l T h eatre P r o j e c t s f o r th e W est." Works
P r o g r e ss A d m in is tr a tio n mimeographed b o o k l e t , undated
( c i r c a May, 1937 ). In F e d e r a l T h eatre f i l e s . T h eatre
A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s .
McKim, Paul M., "A Survey o f th e F e d e r a l T h ea ter P r o j e c t o f
I Los A n g e le s - - 1 9 3 6 - 3 8 - -As O bserved in th e Los A n g e le s
Exam iner and th e Los A n g e le s T im es. “ U n p u b lish ed
M a ste r ’s t h e s i s . The U n iv e r s it y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los
A n g e le s , A u g u st, 1 9 5 3 .
74
"The Memo." Mimeographed, news l e t t e r , Los A n g e le s , undated
( c i r c a November, 1939 ). In f i l e s o f F e d e r a l T h eatre o f
T h ea tre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los
A n g e le s . ^
F. CORRESPONDENCE
F reud , R alph to R a l l i e F la n a g a n , îiîarch 1 , 1 9 3 9 . Carbon '
: copy in F e d e r a l T h eatre f i l e s . T h eatre A r ts L ib r a r y , :
U n iv e r s it y o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s .
i
G erw ing, George to Ralph F reud, January 2 1 , 1939# O r ig in a l|
in T h eatre A rts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y o f C a lif o r n ia a t ;
Los A n geles#
G. INTERVIEWS
; F reud , R alp h , February 1 7 , 1 9 5 6 . \
! I
■ Jackson, G eorge, January 1 6 , 1 9 5 6 . |
! I
I Muse, C la r e n c e , A p r il 15, 1956# \
I I
I H. PICTURES j
I I
I I
I F ed er a l T h ea tre p i c t u r e s f i l e d in Los A n g e le s E ven in g |
i H erald and E x p ress lib r a r y under " F ed eral T h e a t e r . " i
I
I . PAMPHLETS
iProgram s of F ed er a l T h eatre p r e s e n t a t io n s in Los A n g e le s .
S c a t t e r e d c o p ie s in pam phlet f i l e o f Los A n g e le s Main
L ib r a r y , Drama D epartm en t, under t i t l e , "Los A n g e le s
T h eatre Program s." C op ies in p e r s o n a l f i l e s o f
C la ren ce Muse.
. F ed er a l T h e a t r e , O cto b er, 1935 to January , 1 9 5 9 . P r in te d
p a m p h let, Mew York O ity : F ed era l T h eatre N a tio n a l S e r -
, v i c e B ureau. Undated ( c i r c a F eb ru ary , 1939 ). Copy in
- F e d e r a l T h ea tre f i l e . T h ea tre A r ts L ib r a r y , U n iv e r s i t y
o f C a lif o r n ia a t Los A n g e le s .
A P P E N D I X
APPENDIX I
I NEWSPAPER REVIEW OP PLATS
I
Î
I T h is l i s t o f p la y s in c lu d e s a l l F e d e r a l T h eatre p r e
s e n t a t i o n s g iv e n in g o v e r n m e n t-r e n te d l e g i t i m a t e t h e a t r e a s
I d eterm in ed by r e f e r e n c e t o tw o t h e s e s exam in ed , th e two
I major books w r it t e n on t h i s t o p i c . A ren a, and Bread and
I
! C i r c u s e s ♦ and by c h e c k in g the drama r e v ie w s o f th e m etro
p o l i t a n n ew spap ers w ith s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n g iv e n t o th e Los
A n g e le s E ven in g H erald and E x p ress and th e Los A n g e le s j
! :
T im es. U n f o r t u n a t e ly , th e f i l e s o f th e Los A n g e le s D a ily ;
; News were n o t a v a i l a b l e ; b e c a u se o f a l e g a l d i s p u t e , th e |
; f i l e s were s e a le d by c o u r t o r d e r . i
s ;
■ i
Î U n le s s a p la y h a s a d e s c r i p t i v e p h r a s e , such a s , i
: Negro drama or m a r io n e tte , f o l l o w i n g th e t i t l e , i t h as b een !
!
, C l a s s i f i e d a s a modern p la y — one w r i t t e n in th e p a s t s e v -
■ e n t y y e a r s . The v a r io u s c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s a r e l i s t e d in Ap-
i
Ip en d ix IV. i
I
F o llo w in g th e t i t l e o f the p l a y , and any d e s c r i p t i v e !
1 I
■ phrase, th e newspaper from w h ic h th e r e v ie w was a b s t r a c t e d ;
; i s l i s t e d by one o f th e f o llo w in g sym b ols: "H *' i n d i c a t e s ;
• t h a t the r e v ie w came from the Los Ange l e s E ven in g H erald i
and E x p r e ss; "T" i s the sym bol fo r th e Los A n g e le s Tim es;
■ I
"E" i s u sed fo r the Los A n gele s E xam iner. P a g in a tio n |
Î I
i f o ll o w s w h erever t h i s was a v a i l a b l e . !
77
A ccent on Y o u th . H: a verage p r o d u ctio n * 3 - 1 6 - 3 8 ,
B -5 . T: p r a i s e s p la y and p l a y e r s . 3 - 1 6 - 3 8 , I , 1 1 .
1 W ild e r n e s s . H: " s u it a b ly c a s t and w e l l s ta g e d ,"
I
i1 - 1 7 - 3 8 , B -7 . T : " E x c e lle n t p e r fo rm a n ces," 1 - 1 7 - 3 8 . I I ,
11 4 .
I A la d d in , c h i l d r e n ’s drama. H: p i c t u r e s ; no comment, i
I i
'3 - 1 2 - 3 8 , B -3 . T : p r a i s e s c a s t and s c e n e r y , 3 - 1 2 - 3 8 , I I , 7 . '
' I
The Alarm C lo c k . H: " ra th er s p o t t y ," " p r o d u c tio n j
: l a g s ," # - 1 6 - 3 8 , A -1 2 . T: p r a i s e s a c t o r s , 8 - 1 8 - 3 8 , I , 1 0 . I
I '
! A l i c e in W onderland, c h i l d r e n ’ s drama. No r e v ie w s i
i I
■found.
A lie n Corn. H: c r i t i c i z e s p la y bu t h ig h p r a is e f o r |
! j
j a c t in g and p r o d u c tio n , 1 0 - 2 8 - 3 8 , B -1 2 . T: p r a i s e s p erfo rm - î
ia n c e , 1 0 - 2 8 - 3 8 , I I , 7 . j
r . ■ !
I A l i s o n ’s H ouse. H: "One o f b e s t p la y e d p r o d u c t io n s . ‘ j
! 4 - 2 2 - 3 8 , B -5 . T: " I n t e l l i g e n t , th o u g h t fu l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n |
: Of p l a y . ” 4 - 2 3 - 3 8 , I I , 7 . I
I I
Amazing Dr. C l i t t e r h o u s e . H: "Good t h e a t r e ;" j
i p r a i s e s c a s t . 4 - 2 3 - 3 8 , A -9 . T: p la y "im probable and f a r - i
: :
I f e t c h e d ; ” good a c t i n g . 4 - 2 6 - 3 8 , I , 9 . '
An A m erican E xod u s, see F e s t i v a l o f th e Am erican '
■ D an ce•
A n d r o cle s and the L io n , N egro drama. H: " q u ite
p l e a s i n g ." 1 2 - 2 4 - 3 7 , A -8 . T: W ell s t a g e d , " z e s t and
iv ig o r ." 1 2 - 2 4 - 3 7 , I , 1 1 .
-- - — A r a b ia n -N i-^ t s , see T e ll en - o f--T a le s . - ---------------------------J
78
I Around th e C orner. No r e v ie w s fo u n d ,
i Awake and S i n g , in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s found.
1 Le Baron de P o u r c h e v if, in F ren ch . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
i
i The B a t . H; " th o ro u g h ly com petent c a s t ." 7 - 1 - 3 6 , |
!B -9 . T : p r a i s e s p r o d u c tio n . 7 - 1 - 3 6 , I I , 1 9 .
i li® Be r c e a u , in F ren ch . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
I
I The B ig B low . H: c r i t i c i z e s l i m i t a t i o n s in p ro d u c- ,
I t i o n s and a c t i n g ; " cou ld d e v e lo p i n t o a n o th e r str o n g F ed - I
Ie r a l T h ea te r p r o d u c tio n ." 5 - 2 5 - 3 9 , A -2 0. T: " a c t in g and I
f
■stage gro u p in g a re commendable in most c a s e s ." 5 - 2 5 - 3 9 . |
B ird o f P a r a d is e . H; v e r y h ig h p r a is e fo r a l l a s - i
p e c t s . 1 1 - 2 5 - 3 8 , E -8 . T: " f in e a c t i n g ; b r i l l i a n t l y |
! p l a y e d ." 1 1 - 2 5 - 3 8 , I , 8 .
» 1
I i
I The B is h o p ’ s C a n d le s t ic k s , r e l i g i o u s drama. No j
I i
I r e v ie w s found.
I The B ish o p M isb eh a v es. H: " i n c l in e d t o be t a Ik y " ;
i L . - u -1 - f - n . . . L ' r
jgood d i r e c t i o n . 6 - 1 5 - 3 8 . T: " e x c e l l e n t l y c a s t ." 6 - 1 6 - 3 8 , j
1 , 1 2 * j
I
The B la ck C rook, m u s ic a l. H: " a b ly d ir e c t e d " ; c a s t '
d o es w e l l . 8 - 3 1 - 3 6 , A -1 1 . T: " d on ’t m iss i t " ; h ig h p r a is e J
8 - 3 1 - 3 6 , I I , 2 0 .
B lack E m pire, Negro drama. E; c r i t i c i z e s a c t i n g , ;
tempo and d ia l o g u e . 3 - 1 8 - 3 6 , I , 1 0 . S: "a h it" (se co n d I
i I
r e v ie w o f p l a y ) , 3 - 2 3 - 3 6 , I I , 2 . i
B lin d A l l e y . T: " d eep ly e n t e r t a in in g " ; p r a i s e s c a s t .
■ 3 - 2 7 - 3 7 ______ !
79
Boy Meets G i r l , H: c r i t i c i z e s p la y ; m ild a c c e p ta n c e !
2 - 2 - 3 8 , B -4 . T; " h ila r io u s fun ," a c t i n g pace c r i t i c i z e d ,
j 2 - 2 - 3 8 ,
■ B r o t h e r s . H: " a d e q u a te ly h a n d led " ; some c h a r a c t e r -
j i z a t i o n c r i t i c i z e d . 4 - 6 - 3 8 , Â -1 7 . T: " creak y melodrama;
j c a s t does b e s t ." 4 - 6 - 3 8 , I , 1 4 .
: C ap tain B ra ssb o u n d ’s C o n v e r sio n . H: "one o f th e
I b e t t e r F ed era l p r o d u c tio n s ." 9 - 2 4 - 3 7 , B -1 4 . T; non-com
m i t t a l r e v ie w . 9 - 2 5 - 3 7 , I I , 7 .
C ap tain K id d , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w fou n d ,
i C aesar and C le o p a tr a . No r e v ie w fo u n d .
I C en sored . T: n o n -co m m itta l r e v ie w . 3 - 3 1 - 3 6 , I , 8.
I Chalk D u s t. T: r e v ie w somewhat c r i t i c a l o f p la y ;
I p r a i s e s c a s t . 5 - 1 3 - 3 6 , I , 1 6.
I C h ild r e n ’s C h ristm as F e s t i v a l . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
’ G la ss o f ’2 9 . H; r a th e r c r i t i c a l o f p la y ; " c a st
I
j e x c e l l e n t . " 1 1 - 1 4 - 3 6 , B -4 . T: no c r i t i c i s m o f p la y ;
i" good c a s t . " 1 1 - 1 3 - 3 6 , I , 1 7 .
; C o u n s e llo r -a t-L a w . H: somewhat c r i t i c a l r e v ie w .
i
3 - 2 - 3 8 , B -7 . T: n o n -co m m itta l r e v ie w . 3 - 2 - 3 8 , I , 1 1 .
C radle S n a tc h e r s . T: " e x c e ll e n t p r o d u c tio n . , .
c a s t i n g w e ll n ig h p e r f e c t ." 7 - 1 5 - 3 6 , I , 1 0 .
! Grock o f G old , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w fo u n d .
: ' Day I s D a r k n e s s, in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s found.
Days W ith ou t End, r e l i g i o u s dram a. H: c r i t i c a l o f
: p la y ; p r a i s e s p r o d u c tio n . 1 - 1 4 - 3 8 , A -1 7 . T: "somewhat
80
p u z z lin g p la y " ; commends a c t o r s . 1 - 1 4 - 3 8 , I , 10. |
The D e v il P a s s e s . T: "No s o p h i s t i c a t e d t h e a t e r g o e r
sh o u ld m iss i t . " 9 -1 1 -3 % I , 2 1 . I
i
Don Q u ix o t e , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
D r a c u la . H: " w il l do f o r mature p la y g o e r s whose |
e m o tio n a l equipm ent h a s n o t k ep t s t e p w it h t h e i r l e g a l
grow th." 2 - 1 6 - 3 8 , A -1 3 .
E a st Is W est. T: " p le a s in g ." 1 2 - 3 - 3 6 , I , 8. j
Emper or J one s , m a r io n e t t e s . T: d i r e c t i o n " e x c e l- |
l i e n t ." 5 - 1 3 - 3 8 . :
I ;
{
Enemy o f th e P e o p le , c l a s s i c a l drama. No r e v ie w s i
fou n d . ;
E x c u r s io n . H: q u it e c r i t i c a l o f some a c t in g and
' d i r e c t i o n . 5 - 8 - 3 9 , B -6 . I
! i
‘ F e s t i v a l o f th e A m erican D an ce, dance drama. H: |
I
" s p le n d id work"; h ig h p r a is e fo r ch oreograp h y and d ir e c t io n .!
7 - 2 8 - 3 7 , B -1 1 . T: " b r i l l i a n t l y o r ig i n a l " ; la u d s w h ole p r o - |
; d u c t io n . 7 - 2 8 - 3 7 , I
' F o llo w th e P arad e, m u s ic a l. T : "a d e l i g h t f u l , f r e s h ,
'u p - to - t h e - m in u t e m u s ic a l show." 4 - 2 3 - 3 6 , I , 1 1 . j
The P o o l , r e l i g i o u s drama. T ; " t im e ly , v i t a l . . .
w e l l- p la y e d ." 1 1-5-3 6:, I , 1 5 . ;
I
For Bus in e s s R e a s o n s , in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . I
^ G a ie t ie s o f 1 9 3 6 , v a u d e v i l l e . H: "show la c k s o r i g i - '
n a l i t y . " 9 - 1 0 - 3 6 , A -3 6 . T: r a th e r n o n -co m m itta l r e v ie w . |
I
81
' God o f V en g ea n ce, in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d ,
j Gods o f the L ig h t n in g . T: c r i t i c i z e s p la y a s to o
I extrem e ; "not r e a l l y e n te r ta in m e n t” ; p r o d u c tio n i s a d e q u a te ,
i9 - 4 - 3 7 , I I , 7 .
I The Goose Hangs H ig h . T : f a i n t p r a i s e fo r a c t i n g ;
'a p p roves o f p l a y . 1 2 - 1 6 - 3 6 .
! ^ Grammeire, i n F ren ch . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
i
■ The G reat B a r r in g to n . H: " l i g h t w e i g h t , b u t good . .
:. d i v e r s io n ." 2 - 1 8 - 3 8 , A -16.
I Green Grow th e L i l a c s . T; la u d s p la y and c a s t .
! 1 - 8 - 3 7 , I , 1 1 .
H a b it. H: " f in e e n te r ta in m e n t." 2 - 1 0 - 3 7 . T : m ild i
" ■ — - - I
; p r a i s e . 2 - 7 - 3 7 , I I I , 2 . '
I
i H ansel and G r e t e l , c h i l d r e n ’s drama. No r e v ie w s |
I fo u n d . j
I H aving A W onderful Tim e. H: s e t t i n g s e x c e l l e n t ; !
" p r o d u c tio n as a w h o le n o t up t o u s u a l s ta n d a r d s ." 9 - 3 - 3 8 ,
| a - 1 0 .
I H elp Y o u r s e lf I T: p r a i s e s b o th p la y and a c t i n g ,
j 1 - 1 9 - 3 7 , I , 8.
A H idden C orn er, in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fou n d . I
I H igh T o r . H : e v a lu a t io n r a n g e s from f a i r to go od . i
!
2 - 2 7 - 3 9 , B -6 .
House o f C o n n e lly . T: "human and t e n s e drama . . . ,
good c a s t i n g . ” 2 - 2 7 - 3 7 , I , 1 0 .
82
I IS Tt P le a s e th e C o u rt. T: p r a is e s a c t i n g and c h a r -
I i
I a c t e r i z a t i o n , b u t c r i t i c i z e s p la y a s b e in g u n im p o r ta n t. i
,5 - 6 - 3 6 , IX, 1 7 . I
I Les I n n o c e n te s , in F ren ch . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
t — — T - -I --U-. L _ - ,
! , Î
j Lt Can’t Happen H ere. H: " p ro d u c tio n i s a d e q u a te . |
I I
IThe a c t i n g i n some c a s e s i s c a p a b le ." 1 0 - 2 8 - 3 6 , B -1 4 . I
i I
'T: " b lu n t r e a lis m . • . e v id e n t c r u d i t i e s " ; m ild p r a i s e .
I . I
I1 0 - 2 8 - 3 6 , I Î J 4 9 . I
I I
i i Ë . Gan’t Happen H e r e , i n Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fou n d . I
I Jew el T r e e , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w s fou n d . ■
! ' !
' John H enry, Negro drama. H: " v iv id and c o m p e llin g ■
's t a g in g . . . v i t a l t h e a t e r ." 1 0 - 2 - 3 6 , B -1 3 . T: v e r y j
I
fa v o r a b le r e v ie w . 1 0 - 1 - 3 6 , I , 1 0 . 1
■ Johnny Joh n so n . H: c r i t i c i z e s le n g t h bu t s t a t e s
i
I"a p la y you sh ou ld s e e ." 5 - 3 1 - 3 7 , A -7 . T : " v i t a l and
i
sharp"; c r i t i c i z e s tem po. 5 - 2 9 - 3 7 , I I , 7 .
Judgment Day. H: p r a i s e s p r o d u c tio n , s e t t i n g s and
d i r e c t i o n . 5 - 2 7 - 3 8 , B -1 2 . T : " p la y in g beyond r e p r o a c h ."
5 - 2 8 - 3 8 , I I , 7 .
K night o f th e Burning P e s t l e , c l a s s i c a l drama. No
r e v ie w s fo u n d , but advan ce n o t i c e o f p r o d u c tio n in T im es,
3 - 1 - 3 6 , I I I , 2 .
L a d ie s o f th e J u r y . T : " h il a r io u s f a r c e . . . e x
c e l l e n t company." 1 - 1 3 - 3 7 , I , 1 1 .
L a ff That O ff. T: m ild a c c e p t a n c e . 9 - 9 - 3 8 , I , 10,
83
r Lars K il l e d H is Son. T: " p lay i s a g r e a t c r e d i t t o I
I -
I th e o r g a n iz a t io n . . . p erform an ces u n u s u a lly f i n e . "
I I
j 2 - 2 0 - 3 7 , I , 8 .
I
! The L ast N ight of Don Ju an . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . I
I 1
■ Like F a l l i n g L e a v e s . T: " p la y in g s p o t t y ." 9 - 1 1 - 3 7 ,'
7 .
' L o y a l t i e s . H; r a th e r c r i t i c a l o f p la y ; c a s t "seemed
I , j
I t o la g in th e c l o s i n g s c e n e s ." 1 - 2 1 - 3 8 , A -1 7 . T: " f i n e , j
i sy m p a th e tic and c o n s c i e n t io u s job ." 1 - 2 1 - 3 8 .
I M acbeth, Negro drama. H: c r i t i c i z e s d i c t i o n and
! c u e s ; *'i s m uddily e f f e c t i v e . " 7 - 1 5 - 3 7 , B -1 1 . T; p r a i s e s
! p la y and p l a y e r s . 7 - 1 5 - 3 7 , I , 1 3 .
I
; Madam X. T: " w e ll done"; fa v o r a b le r e v ie w .
i
; 9 - 2 3 - 3 6 , I , 1 4 .
I . '
1 Mary’ s Other H usband. H; p erform an ces good; "diverting."
I . • • I
j 6 - 1 - 3 8 , B -4 . T: " sc r e a m in g ly funny o ld - f a s h i o n e d f a r c e . .1
I I
j . a c t i n g a l i t t l e s k e tc h y ." 6 - 1 - 3 8 , I I , 1 7 .
I :
; Mary S t u a r t , c l a s s i c a l drama. No r e v ie w s fo u n d . ;
^ T h ir d . No r e v ie w s fo u n d , but m en tioned in '
H e r a ld , B— 19— 3 8 , B— 1 0 .
The Merchant of V e n ic e , c l a s s i c a l drama. T: p r a i s e s I
c a s t v e r y h i g h l y . 3 - 2 6 - 3 7 . ;
Merry W ives o f W in d sor, c l a s s i c a l drama. T: p r a i s e s '
!both tempo and c a s t . 8 - 6 - 3 7 , I , 1 0 . E: h ig h p r a i s e .
: 8 - 6 - 3 7 , I I , 2 .
. 84
Midsummer F r o l i c , se e V a u d e v ille .
The M ilky Way. H: c r i t i c i z e s poor a c t i n g and poor
p r e s e n t a t io n . 8 - 3 - 3 8 , A -1 6 . T: fa v o r a b le r e v ie w ; "fu n n y."
I
8 - 3 - 3 8 , I , 9 . j
M iracle a t V erdun. T: " s tu n n in g ly d i r e c t e d . . . *
I
im a g in a tiv e p e r s p e c t iv e ." 7 - 2 5 - 3 6 . :
M ira cle F l a y s , se e M o r a lity P l a y s .
M iss Q u iz . T : m ild p r a i s e . 1 0 -3 0 - 3 7 , I I , 9 . |
I
j M o ra lity P l a y s , r e l i g i o u s drama. T : " e x c e l l e n t j
j d i r e c t in g " ; p r a is e s c a s t . 1 2 - 2 5 - 3 6 , I , 1 8 . i
i I
j Music in F a ir y la n d , dance drama. No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
I I
! Music in F a ir y la n d , c h i l d r e n ’s drama. No r e v ie w j
ifo u n d . \
I I
I ^ C ou n try. T: n o n -co m m itta l r e v ie w . 3 - 1 - 3 6 , I I I , j
I " I
I M ystery o f th e Broadwalk A sylum . T : "very h ig h
j p r a is e f o r c a st." 5 - 2 7 - 3 6 , E: " w e ll-b a la n c e d company."
■ 5 -2 7 -3 6 , I I I , 1 0 .
The N a t i v i t y , r e l i g i o u s dram a. No r e v ie w s found.
N ight Must F a l l . H: c r i t i c i z e s tem po. 5 - 4 - 3 8 , A-17
T: m ild p r a i s e . 5 - 4 - 3 8 , I I , 1 1 .
I
Noah, Negro r e l i g i o u s drama. T: "a w orth y F e d e r a l |
{Theatre p r o d u c tio n ." 6 - 1 0 - 3 6 , I , 6 . j
I I
I O ctoroon , A m ericana. T : r a th e r n o n -co m m itta l r e - '
I I
v iew b u t m ild ly f a v o r a b le . 4 - 2 2 - 3 6 , I , 9 ,
85
Old Autumn. T: " trea tm en t i s sophom oric and e v en j
c r a s s ." 1 1 - 1 8 - 3 6 , I I , 1 6 . i
Our Am erican C ou n sin , A m ericana. T: " cap ab le tr o u p e |
I
. . . g i v e s a good a c c o u n t o f i t s e l f . " 5 - 7 - 3 6 , I I , 1 8 . |
P atch y and H is C ir c u s , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w found.
P etro u ch k a , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w found.
P e t t i c o a t Parade ( a l s o b i l l e d as S ix For T on igh t ). i
H: a c t i n g i s c r i t i c i z e d ; r e v ie w e r u n im p r essed . 1 2 - 1 3 - 3 7 ,
I
B -7 . T: n e i t h e r p r a i s e s nor c r i t i c i z e s . 1 2 - 1 4 - 3 7 , I I , 1 5 . |
I P in o c c h io , c h i l d r e n ’s drama. T: " p lay i s ju st r ig h tij
: 6 - 7 - 3 7 , I I , 1 6 . j
( I
; P otash and P e r lm u tte r . T: " s a lt y and g e n u in e " ; i
I ■ ■ !
! p r a i s e s p e r fo r m a n c es. 8 - 1 2 - 3 6 , I , 1 4 . J
I i
1 P r o f e s s o r Mamlock, i n Y id d is h . T: " e x c e l l e n t a c t - |
! . !
I in g ." 8 - 2 4 - 3 8 .
I P rologue t o G lo r y . H: p r a i s e s a c t i n g and p la y .
I 6 - 1 7 - 3 8 , B -1 7 . T: b r in g s "glow o f p le a s u r e " ; p r a i s e s
I a c t i n g . 6 - 1 8 - 3 8 , I , 6 .
! P urple I s As P u rp le D o e s . H: "put . . . on your
I must l i s t . I t i s g e n u in e , h ig h c l a s s , e n te r ta in m e n t."
! 1 1 - 2 7 - 3 6 , B -1 1 . T: " sp le n d id d i r e c t io n " ; " b r i l l i a n t c a s t -
! in g ." 1 1 - 2 7 - 3 6 , I , 1 3 .
P u r su it o f H a p p in e s s . H; m ild p r a i s e . 3 - 2 3 - 3 8 ,
' B -6 . T ; r a th e r n o n -co m m itta l r e v ie w . 8 - 1 2 - 3 7 , I , 37.
(One r e v ie w was w r i t t e n a lm o st se v e n months l a t e r than th e
f i r s t . )
86
R a c h e l’s Man. T: " m isses in p o ig n a n cy " ; p r a i s e s '
c a s t i n g . 6 - 1 4 - 5 7 , I , 6.
I Ready.’ Aim.’ F i r e .’ M u sic a l. H; e n t h u s i a s t i c r e v ie w |
jbut q u i t e c r i t i c a l o f some o f th e p l a y e r s . 1 0 - 2 3 - 3 7 , B -5 .
:T; " a l l th e q u a l i t i e s n eed ed to he a h i t . " 1 0 -2 3 -3 7 , I I , 7.|
R edem ption, in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
i R edem ption . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
I
I R e l a t i v e s , i n Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
I R eview o f R e v ie w s, m u s ic a l. H: "by a l l means c a tc h
j t h i s show. I t i s a n o th er F e d e r a l h i t . " 1 - 1 5 - 3 7 , B -1 5 . ^
T: la u d s a l l a s p e c t s o f m u s ic a l. 1 - 1 5 - 3 7 , I I , 1 8 .
R ip Van W in k le , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
R o a d sid e . H: " p la y fu l comedy . . . p r o d u c tio n i s |
: e x c e l l e n t . " 4 - 9 - 3 8 , A -9 . T: " q u a in t charm . . . c a s t !
j e x c e l l e n t . " 4 - 1 1 - 3 8 , I , 1 9 . *
1 I
R o a rin g G ir l . T: "too b o i s t e r o u s , to o f u l l o f i n c i - ;
I !
I d ent and c h a r a c te r s n o t e s t a b l i s h e d ." 2 - 5 - 3 7 .
! ;
Run, L i t t l e C h illu n ’ , Negro drama. H; " som eth in g ;
happened a t th e Mayan l a s t n l ^ t " ; " is an e x p e r ie n c e you ;
■ sh o u ld n ’t m is s ." 7 - 2 3 - 3 8 , A -1 0 . T; " g r e a t power and
I
b e a u ty ." 7 - 2 3 - 3 8 , I I , 7 . i
: Sancho P a n za, m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w fo u n d .
S c h o o l For W iv es, c l a s s i c a l drama. No r e v ie w f o u n d . '
I 1
! S ev en th H eaven. T: "pace n e v e r a llo w e d t o drop . . *
' . th e F e d e r a l T h ea te r P r o j e c t may w e l l be proud o f I t s e l f . * ' :
L6 - 3 - 3 6 II,. _19^_______
87
j S ix C h a ra cters in S ea rch o f An A u th or, No r e v ie w s i
I fo u n d .
S ix For T o n i ^ t , s e e P e t t i c o a t P arad e.
Snow W hite and the S even D w a rfs, m a r io n e t t e s . No !
I r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
: I
I A S t r i n g o f P e a r l s , i n Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fou n d . I
I ;
! The Sun R is e s in th e W est, e x p e r im e n t a l. H: v e r y |
Ihigh p r a is e ; "the most im p o rta n t p la y so f a r produced by
I th e Los A n g ele s F ed er a l T h e a te r ." 7 - 2 - 3 8 , A -9 . T:
j" i n t r ig u in g and human . . . a g r ip p in g s t o r y ." 7 - 4 - 3 8 , j
:ii. V. ■ I
' T e l l e r o f T a l e s , c h i l d r e n ’s drama. No r e v ie w s fou n d .
A Texas S t e e r , A m erican a. No r e v ie w s fo u n d . !
t ■ 1
I Three One-Act F la y s in F re n c h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . I
I Three W ise F o o l s . H: n o n - e n t h u s i a s t i c p r a i s e fo r j
I p la y . 1 0 - 7 - 3 6 , B -6 . T: "has charm . . . sm ooth ly and j
I ch a rm in g ly p r e s e n t e d ." 1 0 - 7 - 3 6 , I , 1 4 . |
i Tomorrow’s A H o lid a y . T : " l i v e , t e n s e drama"; j
I I
j f a i n t l y c r i t i c a l . 5 - 7 - 3 7 , I , 1 9 .
; I
To The L ad ie s . T: ap p lau d s humor; "put over w ith I
; e x a c t l y the r ig h t to u c h e s ." 7 - 2 0 - 3 8 , I , 1 1 . !
A Touch o f B r im sto n e , se e Purple I s As P u rp le D o e s. :
The T r e a s u r e , i n Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
' ' The T r e a s u r e . No r e v ie w s fo u n d .
T r ip le -A Plowed U nder, l i v i n g n ew spap er. H: " v iv id i
' and u n u su a l s t y l e . . . la c k s r e a l t h e a t e r . . . a t tim e s '
88
p r o d u c tio n a c h ie v e d b a th o s ." 8 - 4 - 3 6 , B -9 . T: " d ia lo g u e |
I
sh o r t and sh arp . . . p r o d u c tio n crude and t u r g id a t times.",'
1 8 - 3 - 3 6 , I , 1 1 . I
I j
! T r o is Bons A m is, i n French# No r e v ie w s fo u n d . j
I Turn To The R ig h t . T : a p p ro v es s t a g i n g and a c t i n g ; |
'"more snap n eed ed ." 6 - 1 7 - 3 6 , I I , 1 1 . |
I T w e lfth N igjht, c l a s s i c a l drama. No r e v ie w s fo u n d . !
I ' . i
[ T w ilig h t o f th e T h e a tr e . No r e v ie w s fou n d . j
; Two-A-Day, m u s ic a l. H: e n t h u s i a s t i c ; ‘'most c e r - |
' t a i n l y d e s e r v e s th e to p spot on your ’must* s ta g e s c h e d u l e .'
i 1 0 - 3 1 - 3 8 , B -6 . T: c r i t i c i z e s le n g t h but h ig h ly p r a i s e s
: o th e r a s p e c t s . 1 0 - 3 1 - 3 8 , I , 1 0 . !
j U n cle Tom’s C ab in , m a r io n e t t e s . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
! i
I U n cle V anya. H: "one o f th e banner p r e s e n t a t io n s o f j
I th e F e d e r a l T h e a te r ." 1 2 - 1 1 - 3 6 , B -2 1 . T: la u d s b o th j
I d i r e c t i o n and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . 1 2 - 1 2 - 3 6 . |
I Under Two F l a g s . T: e x tr e m e ly c r i t i c a l ; " s t a g in g |
I was la c k in g ." 2 - 2 9 - 3 6 , I , 7 . |
i I
U r ie l A c o s t a , in Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fou n d .
V a u d e v ille . With th e e x c e p t io n o f G a ie t ie s o f 1936
and Two-A-Day, w h ich m ight f a l l in t h i s c l a s s i f i c a t i o n , no
I r e v ie w s of th e v a r io u s v a u d e v i l l e p erform an ces o f th e F ed-
: e r a l T h eatre were fo u n d .
V o lp o n e , c l a s s i c a l drama. H: p r a i s e s c a s t ;
, " s c e n e r y , costum e and g e n e r a l d i r e c t i o n are done i n th e
I
: s t y l e o f a commer c i a l show." 1 - 5 - 3 9 , B -1 0 .
89
The W a r r io r ’s Husband. T : la u d s c a s t and humor o f ,
p l a y . 1 0 - 1 0 - 3 6 , I , 8 . ;
The W eavers. T : somewhat c r i t i c a l o f a c t i n g ; |
" s tr o n g p la y ." 1 1 - 2 6 - 3 7 , I , 8 . !
What A Woman W ants. H: "a l i s t l e s s b i t o f e n t e r - I
!
ta in m en t" ; " d u ll." 5 - 1 8 - 3 8 , A -1 4 . T: m ild a p p r o v a l. !
5 - 1 9 - 3 8 , I , 1 0 . !
I
What Anne B r o u ^ t Home. H; " e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y ;
recommends"; ap p la u d s a c t o r s ’ p e r fo r m a n c e s. 1 2 - 3 0 - 3 6 . |
T: "human l i t t l e comedy"; a p p ro v es c a s t ’s w ork. 1 2 - 3 0 - 3 6 , i
i '
' I , 1 3 . !
! When W ill He D ie ? In Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s fo u n d . |
The Whole Town’s T a lk in g . H: R ather f a i n t p r a i s e . j
; . !
; 8 - 2 6 - 3 6 , B -4 . T: " e x c e l l e n t l y c a s t . . . hum orous." I
I 8 - 2 6 - 3 6 , I , 1 4 . I
i Why Men Leave Home. H; " i n s i p i d . . . bunch o f |
I n o n s e n s e ." 4 - 2 0 - 3 8 , B -6 . T: "outmoded humor . . . c a s t |
i ■ I
i h a n d le s a d m ir a b ly ." 4 - 2 0 - 3 3 , I , 9 . |
i
I W ild B i r d s . T: "m ediocre p la y . . . a c t i n g v e r y ;
good i n s p o t s ." 8 - 2 0 - 3 6 , I I , 1 5 . j
! !
W ill S h a k e sp e a r e . T: " b eau ty in su sp en se and i m a g i - '
; I
n a tio n " ; c r i t i c a l o f l i n e s , b u t a p p ro v es a c t i n g . 5 - 2 1 - 3 8 , '
i I
I , 6 .
i . I
i Wisdom T o o th . T : " i d e a l l y c a s t . . . d e l i c a t e !
! w him sy." 3 - 6 - 3 7 , I I , 7 . !
The World A p p la u d s. No r e v ie w s fo u n d . i
9 0
The World W e L ive I n . T : p r a i s e s b o th p la y in g and
p r o d u c tio n . 1 0 - 2 - 3 7 , I I , 7 .
Yankel B o y la , i n Y id d is h . No r e v ie w s foun d.
APPENDIX I I I
I
!
FEDERAL THEATRE PLAYS PRESENTED IN LOS ANGELES I
: !
I !
: B elow a r e l i s t e d th e v a r io u s p la y s p r e s e n te d in j
Î I
g o v e r n m e n t-r e n te d p la y h o u s e s in Los A n g e le s w hich w ere j
produced by F e d e r a l T h e a tr e , In m ost in s t a n c e s th e a u th o r ,
the t i t l e o f p la y , th e t h e a t r e w here th e f i r s t p r e s e n t a t io n
was g iv e n , and the openin g d a te o f t h e p la y are l i s t e d . \
j PLAY AUTHOR THEATRE OPENING
1
iA ccent on Y outh R ap h aelson Mason 3 -1 5 -3 8
Ah, W ild e r n e ss O’N e i l l yi&son 1 -1 5 -3 8
■Aladdin ad p . Frank Mayan 3 -1 1 -3 8
The Alarm C lock Hopwood !»5ason 8 -1 6 - 3 8
1A l i c e in W onderland P .T . S t a f f
1
!A lie n Corn
!
Howard B e la s c o 8 -2 2 - 3 8
1 A l i s o n ’s House
!
G la s p e ll Mayan 4 - 2 1 -3 8
1
iAmazing D r. C lit t e r h o u s e Lyndon P layh o u se 4 - 2 2 - 3 8
1
; An A m erican Exodus Kinch P layh ou se 7 -2 7 - 3 7
jA n d ro cles and th e L ion Shaw P layh ou se 1 2 -2 3 -3 7
A rab ian N ig h ts a d p . Frank Greek Th. 8 -4 -3 5
Around th e Corner
1
Awake and S in g
F la v in
O dets; adp,
Largman
Musart
Musa r t '
7 - 1 5 - 3 8
4 - 1 - 3 7
1 Le Baron de P o u r c h e v if Musart 4 - 4 - 3 6
iThe Bat
iLe B erceau
R in e h a r t
& Hopwood
B r ie u x
Mason
Beaux A r ts
6 -3 0 -3 6
1 2 -1 7 -3 6
92
PLAY
;The B ig Blow
I
I B ird o f P a r a d ise
IThe B is h o p ’s C a n d le s tic k s
I The B ish o p M isbehaves
I The B la ck Crook
.B la ck Empire
i
' i B lln d A lle y
iBoy M eets G ir l
I
. ' B r o th e r s
'C a p ta in B ra ssb o u n d ’s
C o n v ersio n
C a p ta in Kidd
C aesar and C le o p a tr a
s
C ensored
!
Ichaik D ust
I
jC h ild re n ’s C hristm as
iF e s t lv a l
b l a s s o f 229
f
C o u n s e llo r -a t-L a w
Icradle Snat cher s
I
Crock o f Gold
Day I s D arkness
Days W ith ou t End
I
D e v il P a sse s
AUTHOR
P r a tt
T u lly
M cK innell
J ack son
B arras
Ames
Warwick
Spewack
A shton
THEATRE
Mayan
B e la s c o
Mason
Mayan
Mayan .
Mayan
Mason
Mason
OPENING
5 -2 4 - 3 9
1 1 -2 4 -3 8
2 -1 3 -3 6
6 -1 4 - 3 8
8 -2 9 -3 6
3 — 14— 36
3 -2 6 -3 7
2 - 1 - 3 8
4 - 5 - 3 8
Shaw
M a r io n e tte s
Shaw :
S e l l e r Mayan
C la r k e -N ürnberg Mayan
P la y h o u se 9 - 2 3 -3 7
Magic S t n g s . 4 - 3 - 3 7
- Î . T ; 3— 1 8 — 38
3 -3 0 -3 6
5 -1 2 -3 6
F .T . S t a f f
L a sh in -H a stin g s Musart
R ic e
M ed cra ft-
M it c h e ll
Fos s
O’N e i l l
Levy
Mason
Mason
Beaux A r ts
Mayan
Musart
1 2 -2 5 -3 7
1 1 -1 2 -3 6
3 - 1 - 3 8
7 -1 4 -3 6
4 - 1 - 3 7
6 - 5 - 3 9
1 -1 4 -3 8
9 -9 -3 6
Don Q u ix o te M a r io n e tte s Magic S t r in g s 7 -2 2 -3 6
93
j PLAY
îD racula
i ”
E a st I s West
‘Emperor Jones
i
:Enemy o f the Peopl e
;E x c u r sio n
i
F e s t i v a l o f th e
iAm erican Dance
AUTHOR
Dean and B a ld e r s to n
Shipman and Hymer
M a r io n e tte s
Ib se n
W olfson
K inch
F o llo w th e Parade S ton e & R ob in son
P o llo c k
O o t t e s f e ld
Eds on
A leich em
I The F ool
I
For B u s in e s s R easons
G a i e t i e s o f 1936
God o f Vengeance
Gods o f L ig h tn in g A n d erso n -H ick erso n
'Goose Hangs H igh
La Grammiere
• The G reat B a r r in g to n
I Green Grow th e L i la c s
! H abit
I------- —
' H a n sel and G r e te l
H aving a W onderful Time
H®Tp Y o u r s e lf J
: A H idden Corner
High Tor
I House o f C o n n e lly
: I f I t P le a s e th e Court
Beach
L abiche
R u s s e l l
R ig g s
S tew a rt
adp # Frank
Kober
V u lp iu s
H ir s c h b e in
Anderson
Green
Norman
THEATRE
Mason
Mason
Musart
Eovard
B e la s c o
P layh ou se
Mayan
Ifeson
F ig u ero a
Greek Th.
F ig u er o a
Mayan
Mason
Musart
P layh ou se
Mayan
Mason
Beaux A r ts
P layh ou se
Musart
F ig u er o a
B e la s c o
Mayan
Mayan
OPENING I
2 - 1 5 - 3 8 '
I
1 2 -1 -3 6 !
I
5 -1 2 - 3 8 I
5 -2 8 -3 6 :
I
5 - 7 - 3 9 I
7 - 2 7 - 3 7 I
4 -1 2 -3 6 I
1 1 -3 -3 6 I
4 - 2 5 -3 6 !
9 -8 -3 6 ;
I
9 -1 8 -3 6 I
1 2 9 1 2 - 3 ^ .
1 2 -1 5 -3 6 :
I
4 - 4 - 3 6 I
Î
2 - 1 7 - 3 8 i
1 - 7 -3 7 !
I
2 - 6 - 3 7 '
2 - 1 8 - 3 7 ;
9 - 2 - 3 8 i
1 -1 4 -3 7 '
5 -2 3 -3 6
2 - 2 6 - 3 9 j
2 - 2 6 -3 7 ;
5 -5 - 3 6 ;
94
- V
1 PLAY AUTHOR THEATRE OPENING
Les In n o c e n ts Heilm an Beaux A r ts 2 - 1 1 -3 7
IIt Can’t Happen Here
j
Lew is Mayan 1 0 -2 7 -3 6
l i t Can’t Happen Here
T in Y 'id d ish l Lew is F ig u ero a 1 0 -2 7 -3 6
{Jewel Tree M a r io n e tte s Magic S tn g s . 1 -2 0-37 i
Î
jJohn Henry W e lls Mayan 9 -3 0 -3 6 1
Johnny Johnson G reen lîayan 5 - 2 8 -3 7 ;
Judgment Day R ic e Mayan 5 - 2 7 - 3 8 '
1 K night o f th e Burning
! T es t i e ■ ........
Beaumont-
F le t c h e r Bovard 1 -2 3 -3 6 I
t
1 L a d le s o f th e Jury B a lla r d Mason 1 -1 2 -3 7 J
j h a f f That O ff M u lla ly Mason 9 - 8 - 3 6 j
1 Lars K i l l e d His Son B ernard Musart 2 -1 8 - 3 7 !
! The L a st N ight o f Don Juan R ostand Musart 6 -2 4 -3 6 1
i
1 L ike F a l l i n g L eaves G ia co sa 9 - 9 - 3 7 1
L o y a l t ie s G alsw orth y P la yh ou se 1 - 2 0 - 3 8 1
Macbeth S h ak esp eare Mayan 7 -1 4 -3 7
Madam X B r i s son Mason 9 -2 2 -3 6 I
Mary ’ s Other Husband Johnson Mason 5 - 3 1 -3 8
Mary S tu a r t S c h i l l e r Bovard 4 - 4 - 3 6 !
Me, T h ird Chase
I
Merchant o f V en ice Shake spe are P layh ou se 3 -2 5 -3 7 !
Merry W ives o f W indsor S h ak esp eare P la y h o u se
j
8 - 4 - 3 7
Midsummer F r o l ic V a u d e v ille Greek Th. 7 -2 1 -3 6 1
The M ilky Way Root and C lork Mason 8 - 2 - 3 8 1
__________________
1
95
PLAY AUTHOR THEATRE OPENING
M iracle a t Verdun Chiumberg E x p erim en ta l 7 -2 4 -3 6
1 M ira cle P la y s
*
See M o r a lity P la y s
{Miss Q uiz Moor eh ou se and Wood 1 0 -2 8 -3 7
!
{M orality P la y s
1
adp. Hughes Mayan 1 2 -2 4 -3 6
Music in F a ir y la n d
(Dance drama } K inch 1 2 -2 5 -3 7
IMus i c i n F a ir y la n d
; ( Drama f o r c h i l d r e n ) ad p . Montano 1 - 2 2 -3 8
M y "(Country Perlman Musart 2 - 2 3 -3 6
M ystery o f th e Broadwalk
[Asylum R eynolds Mayan 5 -2 6 -3 6
|The N a t i v i t y adp. Hughes 1 2 -1 6 -3 7
iN ight Must F a ll "Williams M a 8 on 5 - 3 - 3 8
I Noah
r” “ .....
Obey Mayan 6 -9 -3 6
i
fOctoroon B o u c ic e u lt Mason 3 -2 1 -3 6
jOld Autumn M ille n Mason 1 1 -1 7 -3 6
Our A m erican C ousin T aylor Mason 5 -5 -3 6
P atch y aud H is C ircu s l^&irionettes Magic S t r in g s 7 -2 2 -3 6
P etrouchk a M a r io n e tte s Magic S t r in g s 1 1 -4 -3 6
; P e t t i c o a t Parade V a u d e v ille Musart 1 2 -1 2 -3 7
P in o c c h io ad p . Frank P la y h o u se 6 - 3 -3 7
P o ta sh and P e r lm u tte r G lass Mason 8 -1 1 -3 6
P r o f e s s o r Mamlock W olf P la y h o u se 8 -2 3 - 3 8
P rologu e t o G lory Conkle P layh ou se 6 - 1 6 -3 8
Purple Is As P urple Does Kaghan and P la y h o u se 1 1 -2 6 -3 6
P h i l i p s
96
PLAY AUTHOR THEATRE OPENING
1 P u r s u it o f H ap p in ess L. and A. Langner Mayan 8 -1 2 -3 7
! R a c h e l’s Man
1
F o ote P layh ou se 6 -1 4 - 3 7
Î
i Ready] Aim) F ir e .’ Stone & R ob in son P layh ou se 1 0 -2 2 -3 7 :
i Redem ption ( i n Y id d is h ) T o ls t o y Beaux A r ts 1 2 -2 4 -3 6
1 R edem ption T o ls t o y Musart 7 -2 9 -3 6
; R e l a t i v e s G o t t e s f e l d Beaux A r ts 2 - 2 - 3 7
! R eview o f R eview s Ston e & R ob in son P layh o u se 1 - 1 4 -3 7 1
! R ip Van W inkle
!
M a r io n e tte s
1 R oad sid e
1
R ig g s Musart 4 — 8— 38 1
Î R o a rin g G ir l M o f f it t Kîayan 2 - 4 - 3 7 1
1 Run, L i t t l e C h i l l u n ’ Johnson Mayan 7 - 2 2 - 3 8 I
Sancho Panza
!
îferi o n e t t e s Magic S t n g s . 8 -1 9 -3 6 1
S c h o o l For W ives M o llere Bovard 2 -2 7 -3 6 I
S ev en th H eaven
-----
S tr o n g Mason 6 - 2 -3 6 j
S ix C h a ra c ter s in S earch
o f an Author P ir a n d e llo Musart
I
4 -1 4 - 3 6
S ix For T on igh t V a u d e v ille Musart 1 2 -1 2 -3 7 ‘
Snow W hite and the
Seven D w arfs Ivîarion ettes Magic S tn g s . 1 0 -2 1 - 3 6 '
A S t r i n g o f P e a r ls Asch F ig u er o a 6 -2 0 -3 6
The Sun R is e s i n the
West
S t a f f
P r o j e c t Mayan
i
7 - 1 - 3 8 1
T e l l e r o f T a le s Brown Greek Th. 8— 4 — 361
A Texas S t e e r Hoyt Mason
j
5 -1 9 -3 6 1
Three One A ct P la y s In F rench F ig u ero a 5 -8 - 3 6
Three W ise F o o ls S tr o n g Mason 10— 6— 36 j
97
PLAY AUTHOR THEATRE OPENING 1
Tomorrow’s A H o lid a y adp . Kaufman Mayan 5 - 6 - 3 7 !
1
To The L a d ies Mit Che11 Mason 7 -1 9 -3 8 1
A Touch o f B rim stone - See P urnle Is As
P urole Does
The T rea su re ( i n Y id d is h ) P in s k i
1
1 2 -2 4 -3 7
The T reasu re P in s k i 1 2 - 3 1 - 3 7 ,
T r ip le -A Plow ed Under S t a f f P r o j e c t Mayan 8 -1 -3 6
T r o is Bons Amis H rieux F ig u er o a 1 0 -1 0 -3 6
Turn To The R igh t Smi th-H aggard Mason 6 -1 6 -3 6
1
T w e lfth N ig h t Shake sp ea r e Bovard 3 -2 6 -3 6
T w ilig h t o f th e T h eatre Lenormand Musa r t
j
5 -2 8 -3 6 :
■
Two-A-Day S ton e & R obinson P layh o u se 1 0 -2 8 -3 8 !
j
U n cle Tom’s Cabin M a r io n e tte s Beaux A r ts 4 - 1 5 - 3 7 I
U n cle Vanya Che ckhov Musa r t 1 2 -1 0 -3 6 j
Under Two F la g s adp. P o t te r Mayan 2 -2 8 -3 6 1
U r ie l A c o sta Gut z k o f f Musa r t 2 -7 -3 6 1
V a u d e v ille See under “T h e a tr e ” in Append. I l l
V olpone J ons on B e la s c o 1 -4 -3 9 1
The W a r r io r ’s Husband Thompson P layh ou se 1 0 -9 -3 6 '
The W eavers Hauptmann Mayan 1 1 -2 5 -3 7 1
What A Woman Wants Mason 5 -1 7 -3 8 :
What Anne B rought Home Johnson Mason 1 2 -2 9 -3 6 ;
When W ill He D ie? G o t t e s f e l d F ig u e r o a 9-27-3 61
1
The Whole Town’s T a lk in g Loos & Emerson Mason 8 -2 5 -3 6
Why Men Leave Home Hopwood. Mason 4 -1 9 -3 8 :
(
PLAY
W ild B ir d s
:W ill S h ak esp eare
! Wisdom Tooth
iThe World A pplauds
jThe W orld We L ive In
1
Y an k el B oyla
98
AUTHOR THEATRE OPENING j
T oth eroh Musart 8 - 1 9 - 3 8 j
Dane 5 - 2 0 - 3 8 j
C o n n e lly Musart 3 - 4 - 3 7 j
Î
iÿ île y Musart 3 -8 -3 6
I
K a rel and Capek Mayan 9 -3 0 - 3 7 j
K obrin 5 - 1 3 - 3 8 Î
^ APPENDIX I I I !
j CHRONOLOGY OF PLAYS BY FEDERAL THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES ,
i
I D uring th e th r e e and one h a l f y e a r s o f th e F e d e r a l ;
1 I
! T h eatre in Los A n g e le s p r o d u c tio n s w ere p r e s e n t e d in e le v e n |
s e p a r a te t h e a t r e s — n o t in c lu d in g th o s e w hich were p r e s e n te d !
I !
I w ith o u t ch arge in s c h o o l s , p a r k s, and c h u r c h e s. B oth th e :
! I
I op en in g and c l o s i n g d a t e s o f p la y s in th e f i r s t y e a r and j
one h a l f a re l i s t e d , hu t o n ly the o p en in g d a te s f o r m ost
1 p la y s a f t e r th a t tim e co u ld he d eterm in ed w ith any d eg ree ,
o f c e r t a in t y * The f o l lo w in g l i s t s in c lu d e b o th th e names
o f th e t h e a t r e s and the d a te s o f p r e s e n t a t io n fo r most o f
th e major plays, p r e s e n te d i n Los A n g e le s , b u t i t i s p rob - î
‘ I
{ a b ly n ot com p lete i n th e c a t e g o r i e s o f f o r e i g n la n g u age or j
, m a r io n e tte p r e s e n t a t io n s , n e i t h e r o f w h ic h r e c e iv e d v e r y j
' !
, com p lete newspaper c o v e r a g e . In some in s t a n c e s where two
p la y s are l i s t e d a t th e same t h e a t r e fo r th e same d a y , one
I
o f th e p la y s would be sc h e d u le d fo r th e a f t e r n o o n p erfo rm - ;
I '
! ance and th e o th e r f o r th e e v e n in g . I
1
!
A. BEAUX ARTS THEATER
P la y Opening C lo s in g '
: !
■ Le B erceau 1 2 — 1 7 — 36 12— 2 0 — 36
Redem ption 1 2 -2 4 -3 6 1 -3 1 -3 7 ;
God o f V engeance 1 - 7 - 3 7 1 -1 0 -3 7
1 0 0
P la y Opening C lo s in g
: T r o is Bons Amis 1 -1 4 - 3 7 1 - 1 4 -3 7
!
; For B u s in e s s R eason s 1 -2 1 -3 7 1 -2 4 - 3 7
i R e l a t i v e s
!
2 - 4 - 3 7 2 - 7 - 3 7
l'Les In n o c e n te s 2 - 1 1 -3 7 2 - 1 4 - 3 7
: H an sel and G r e te l
1 " ....- - —
2 - 1 8 -3 7 3 -2 8 -3 7
1 Crock o f Gold 4 - 1 - 3 7 4 - 4 - 3 7
1 C a p ta in Kidd 4 - 3 - 3 7 4 - 1 1 - 3 7
!P etrou ch k a 4 - 9 - 3 7 4 - 1 1 - 3 7
1 U n cle Tom’s Cabin 4 - 1 5 - 3 7 4 - 2 5 -3 7
V a u d e v ille 4 - 1 9 -3 7 4 - 2 8 -3 7
1 ,
BELASCO THEATER
} A l i e n Cbrden C r 1 0 -2 7 -3 8
1 B ird o f P a r a d is e 1 1 -2 5 -3 8
Volpone 1 - 4 - 3 9
High Tor 2 -2 6 - 3 9
E x c u r sio n 5 - 8 - 3 9
C. BOVARD AUDITORIUM
K night o f th e B urning P e s t l e 1 — 2 3 — 36 1 -2 6 -3 6
S c h o o l For W ives 2 -2 7 - 3 6 2 - 2 9 -3 6
T w e lfth N ig h t 3 -2 6 -3 6 3 - 2 7 -3 6
Mary S tu a r t 4 - 4 - 3 6 5 — 1— 36
Enemy o f th e P e o p le 5 -2 8 -3 6 5 -2 9 -3 6
101
D . EXPERIMENTAL THEATER
■
P la y Opening C lo s in g
jM iracle a t Verdun
!
7 -2 4 -3 6 9 -1 3 -3 6
E . PIGHERQA PLAYHOUSE
jFor B u s in e s s R easons 4 -2 5 -3 6 5 - 3 - 3 6
Three One A ct P la y s (F re n c h ) 5 - 8 - 3 6 5 - 9 - 3 6
A H id d en Corner 5 -2 3 -3 6 5 -2 4 -3 6
|a s t r i n g o f P e a r ls 6 -2 0 -3 6 6 - 2 3 -3 6
;God o f V engeance 9 -1 8 -3 6 9 -2 6 -3 6
Iwhen W ill He D ie? 9 -2 7 -3 6 9 -2 7 -3 6
1
iT r o is Bons Amis 1 0 -1 0 -3 6 1 0 -1 1 -3 6 :
l i t C an’t Happen Here (Y id d ish ) 1 0 -2 7 -3 6 1 1 -3 -3 6
P . GREEK THEATER
F o llo w th e Parade 7 -4 -3 6 7 -1 2 -3 6
B la ck Empire
■
7 -1 4 -3 6 7 -1 9 - 3 6
Midsummer F r o l i c (V a u d e v ille ) 7 -2 1 -3 6 7 -2 6 -3 6
T e l l e r of T a le s (C h ild r e n ) 8 -4 -3 6 8 - 9 -3 6 j
S m i l i n ’ Through 8 -1 1 -3 6 8 -1 6 -3 6 1
Redem ption
'
8— 18— 36 8 -2 3 -3 6
T r ip le -A Plow ed Under 8 -2 5 -3 6 8 - 3 0 - 3 6 !
i
T e l l e r o f T a le s (A d u lt ) 9 -1 -3 6 9 -6 -3 6 '
G a i e t i e s o f 1936 (V a u d e v ille ) 9 -8 - 3 6 9 -1 3 -3 6
' 1
1
1
G. MAGIC STRINGS THEATER
102
P la y
O pening C lo s in g
P atch y and H is C ir cu s 7 -2 2 -3 6 8 -1 5 -3 6
1 Don Q u ix o te 7 -2 2 -3 6 8 -1 5 -3 6
! Snow W hite and t h e S e v e n Dwarf s 8 -1 9 -3 6 9 -1 2 -3 6
j Sancho Panza 8— 1 9 — 3o 9 -1 2 -3 6
! Snow W hite and th e S even Dwarfs 1 0 -2 1 -3 6 1 0 -3 1 -3 6
j P etrouchka 1 1 -4 -3 6
1
j C a p ta in Kidd 1 1 -4 -3 6
: Jew el Tree 1 - 2 0 -3 7 3 - 2 0 -3 7
i H. m s ON THEATER
)
1 The O ctoroon 4 -2 1 -3 6 5 -5 - 3 6
j Our A m erican Couainn :5 4 5 -3 6 5 -1 9 -3 6
IA Texas S t e e r 5 -1 9 -3 6 5 -3 1 -3 6
1
! S e v e n th Heaven 6 - 2 - 3 6 6 -1 4 -3 6
! Turn to th e R igh t 6 -1 6 -3 6 6 -2 8 -3 6
The Bat
6 -3 0 -3 6 7 -1 2 -3 6
C rad le S n a tc h e r s 7 - 1 4 -3 6 7 - 2 6 -3 6
Smi 1 in * Through 7 - 2 8 -3 6 8 -9 -3 6
P o ta sh and P e r lm u tte r
8 -1 1 -3 6 8 -2 3 -3 6
The Whole Town’ s T a lk in g 8 -2 5 -3 6 9 - 6 - 3 6
L a ff That Off 9 -8 -3 6 9 -2 3 -3 6
Madam X 9 -2 2 -3 6 1 0 -4 -3 6
Three W ise P o o ls 10— 6 — 36 1 0 -1 8 -3 6
103
H. M ASON THEATER ( c o n t in u e d )
1 P la y
Opening C lo s in g
'v a u d e v ille 1 0 -2 0 -3 6 1 1 -1 -3 6
jThe P o o l 1 1 -3 -3 6 1 1 -1 5 -3 6
!oid Autuim 1 1 -1 7 -3 6 1 2 -1 3 -3 6
lEast I s W est 1 2 -1 -3 6 1 2 -1 3 -3 6
|The Goose Hangs H lÿ i 1 2 -1 5 -3 6 1 2 -2 7 -3 6
^What Anne Brought Home ' 1 2 -2 9 -3 6 1 -1 0 - 3 7
‘L a d le s o f t h e Jury 1 - 1 2 -3 7 2 - 7 - 3 7
I
I H ab it 2 - 9 - 3 7 2 - 2 1 - 3 7 ;
.R eview o f R eview s 2 - 2 5 -3 7 3 -2 8 - 3 7 1
The M erchant o f V en ice 4 - 2 8 - 3 7 5 - 9 - 3 7 j
!
(
iAh, W ild e r n e s s 1 -1 6 -3 8
;
: Boy M eets G ir l 2 - 1 - 3 8
I
i
1 D racu la 2 - 1 5 - 3 8 1
1 C o u n s e llo r -a t-L a w 3 - 2 - 3 8
1
)
1
; A c c e n t on Youth 3 - 1 5 - 3 8
i
P u r s u it o f H ap p in ess 3 - 2 3 - 3 8
f
' B r o th e r s 4 - 6 - 3 8
1
Why Men Leave Home 4 - 1 9 - 3 8
i
j
N ig h t Must P a ll 5 - 3 - 3 8
i
1
What A Woman Wants 5 - 1 7 - 3 8
1
i
Mary’s Other Husband 6 - 1 - 3 8
1
1
The B ish o p M isbehaves 6 - 1 4 -3 8
/
1
To The L a d ie s 7 - 1 9 - 3 8
i
104
H. ms O N THEATER (C o n tin u e d )
■ P la y Opening C lo s in g
iThe M ilky Way 8 - 3 - 3 8
The Alarm C lock
1
8 -1 7 -3 8
i
M AYAN THEATER
i
j Under Two F la g s 2 -2 8 -3 6 3 -1 3 -3 6
1 B la ck Empire 3 -1 4 -3 6 3 -2 0 -3 6
1 C ensored
1 —
3 -3 0 -3 6 4 - 9 - 3 6
! F o llo w th e Parade 4 - 1 2 -3 6 5 - 3 -3 6
I f I t P le a s e th e Court 5 - 5 - 3 6 5 -1 0 -3 6
Chalk D u st 5 -1 2 -3 6 5 - 2 4 - 3 6
! M ystery o f th e Broadwaik Asylum 5 -2 6 -3 6 6 - 7 - 3 6
i Noah 6 -9 -3 6 6 -2 1 -3 6
^ T r ip le -A P lou gh ed Under 8 -1 -3 6 8 -2 3 -3 6
1 The XBlack Crook 8 -2 9 -3 6 9 -2 7 -3 6
! John Henry
1
9— 30— 36 1 0 -1 8 -3 6
1 I t Can’t Happen Here 1 0 -2 7 -3 6 1 2 -1 3 -3 6
1 Warr1or * s Hu sband 1 2 -1 5 -3 6 1 2 -2 0 -3 6
M o r a lity P la y s 1 2 -2 4 -3 6 1 - 3 - 3 7
G reen Grow th e L i la c s 1 - 7 - 3 7 1 -3 1 - 3 7
'R oarin g G ir l 2 - 4 - 3 7 2 - 2 0 - 3 7
House o f C o n n e lly 2 -2 6 - 3 7 3 - 2 1 -3 7
1 B lin d A l l e y 3 - 2 6 -3 7 5 - 2 - 3 7
Tomorrow ’s A H o lid a y 5 - 6 - 3 7
105
I . M AYAN THEATER (C on tin u ed )
P la y Opening C lo s in g
John;^ Johnson 5 -2 5 -3 7
Macbeth 7 -1 4 - 3 7
P u r s u it of H app in ess 8 - 1 2 -3 7
Gods o f th e L ig h tn in g 9 - 2 - 3 7
World We L ive In 1 0 — 1 — 37
The W eavers 1 1 -2 6 -3 7
Days W ith ou t End 1 - 1 3 - 3 8
A la d d in 3 - 1 1 -3 8
A l i s o n ’ s House
'
4 - 2 2 - 3 8
Judgment Day 5 - 2 7 -3 8
Sun R is e s in th e West 7 - 1 - 3 8
Run, L i t t l e C h i l l u n ’ 7 - 2 2 - 3 8
The B ig Blow 5 - 2 5 -3 9
J . mSART THEATER
U r ie l A c o sta 2 - 7 - 3 6 2 -1 5 - 3 6
V a u d e v ille 2 -1 6 -3 6 2 -2 2 -3 6
M y C ountry 2 -2 3 -3 6 3 -1 - 3 6
K night o f th e B urning P e s t l e 3 - 2 - 3 6 3 -8 -3 6
The World A pplauds 3 -9 - 3 6 4 - 3 -3 6
La Grammeire 4 -4 -3 6 4 - 4 - 3 6
Le Baron de F o u r c h e v if 4 -5 -3 6 4 - 5 - 3 6
T w e lfth N ig h t 4 -6 -3 6 4 - 1 2 -3 6
106
J . MUSART THEATER (C o n tin u e d )
i P la y
Opening C lo s in g
! s i x C h a ra c ter s In S e a r ch o f
j An Author 4 -1 4 - 3 6 5 - 1 0 -3 6
: Mary S tu a r t 5 -1 2 -3 6 5 -2 5 -3 6
T w ilig h t o f th e T h ea tre 5 -2 7 -3 6 6 - 7 - 3 6
i
1 An Enemy o f th e P eo p le 6 -1 0 -3 6 6 — 2 2 — 36
1 The L ast N igh t o f Don Juan 6 -2 4 -3 6 7 - 1 2 - 3 6
Around th e Corner 7 -1 5 -3 6 7 - 2 6 - 3 6
R edem ption 7 -2 9 -3 6 8 — 1 6 — 36
. ‘W ild B ir d s 8 -1 9 -3 6 9 -6 -3 6 1
’The D e v i l P a s s e s 9— 9 — 36 1 1 - 8 -3 6 :
: C la ss o f »29 1 1 -1 2 -3 6 1 2 -6 - 3 6 1
1
U n c le Vanya 1 2 -1 0 -3 6 1 - 3 - 3 7 j
H elp Y o u r s e lfJ
1 -1 4 -3 7 2 - 1 4 - 3 7 1
Lars K il l e d H is Son 2 - 1 8 -3 7 2 -2 8 - 3 7 1
The Wisdom Tooth 3 - 4 - 3 7 3 - 2 8 -3 7 1
Awake and S in g 4 — 1 — 37 4 - 1 1 - 3 7 1
P e t t i c o a t Parade 1 2 -1 4 -3 7
1
R o a d sid e 4 - 8 - 3 8
1
Emperor J o n es 5 - 1 2 -3 8 1
K. PLAYHOUSE- -HOLLYWOOD
1
C ensored 4 - 8 - 3 6 5 — 1 — 36
B lack Empire * 5 - 2 -3 6 5 -1 4 -3 6 :
_ (
K. PLAYHOUSE— HOLLYW OOD (C o n tin u e d )
107
1 P la y
Opening C lo s in g
I F o llo w th e Parade 5 — 19 — 36 6 -1 3 -3 6
«Chalk D ust 6 - 1 5 -3 6 6 -2 7 -3 6
■Mystery o f th e Broadwaik Asylum 6 -2 9 -3 6 7 -1 9 -3 6
■W arrior’s Husband 1 0 -9 -3 6 1 1 -8 -3 6
j The D e v il P a sse s 1 1 -1 0 -3 6 1 1 -2 4 -3 6
1
j P urple I s As Purple Does 1 1 -2 6 -3 6 1 - 2 - 3 7
jR eview o f R eview s 1 -1 4 -3 7 2 - 2 0 -3 7
R oarin g G ir l 2 -2 4 - 3 7 3 - 2 1 -3 7 '
! The M erchant of V en ice 3 - 2 5 - 3 7 4 - 2 5 -3 7 :
P in o c c h io 6 - 3 - 3 7
; R a c h e l’s Man 6 -1 3 - 3 7
; F e s t i v a l o f th e Am erican Dance 7 - 2 7 - 3 7
!
I
j Merry W ives o f W indsor 8 - 5 - 3 7
j
1 C ap tain B r a ssb o u n d ’s C o n v ersio n 9 - 2 3 -3 7
1
I Ready • ’ Aim. ’ F ir e . ’ 1 0 -2 3 -3 7
1
1
1
1A n d r o c le s and the Lion 1 2 -2 3 -3 7
i
i
f
1 L o y a l t ie s 1 - 2 1 -3 8
i
I
The G reat B a r r in g to n 2 - 1 7 - 3 8
1
Amazing Dr. C lit t e r h o u s e 4 - 2 2 - 3 8
1
i
P rologu e to G lory 6 - 1 6 -3 8
i
i
P r o fe s s o r Mamlock 8 -2 3 - 3 8
H aving A W onderful Time 9 - 3 - 3 8
1
i
Two-A-Day 1 0 -3 0 -3 8
108
L. WILSHIRE EBELL THEATER
P la y Opening C lo s in g
V a u d e v ille 1 2 -3 1 -3 5
APPENDIX IV
CLASSIFICATION OF FEDERAL THEATRE PRESENTATIONS
IN LOS ANGELES
'TYPE O F DRAM A 1936 1937 1938 1939 TOTAL :
Modern# 32 20 27 3 82
1
C l a s s i c a l 5 2 - 1
I
8
C h ild r e n ’s
L iv e Drama 1 2 3
-
1
6 j
M a rio n ette 5 4 1 Data i n 10 - !
M u sical 2 2 1
co m p lete
5 1
1
V a u d e v ille 4 2 - -
® i
Y id d is h 7 4 2 1 14 i
i
French 5 1 - -
8
6 i
1
E x p er im e n ta l 1 - 1 - 2 j
Negro 3## 2 1 -
' I
R e l ig i o u s 4 — 2 1 -
" !
L iv in g Newspaper 1 - - - 1
i
Am ericana 3 -
- - 3
Dance Drama. - 1 1 - 2 1
T o ta l 73
42 38 5 158 !
• « - P la y s w r i t t e n in th e p a s t s e v e n ty y e a r s .
Noah, r e f e r r e d t o b o th a s Negro drama and
r e l i g i o u s drama, i s h ere c l a s s i f i e d under
Negro drama.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract History of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre project in Los Angeles in the years 1933-1939. Includes appendices containing lists of newspaper reviews of plays, list of plays presented, a chronology of the plays by venue, and a classification of the types of drama performed.

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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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Asset Metadata

Creator Holcomb, Robert E. (author)

Core Title The Federal theatre in the Los Angeles area

School Department of History

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program History

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag communication and the arts,criticisms,funding,Greek Theatre,OAI-PMH Harvest,Operation,Pasadena Playhouse,Plays,political support,Regional Theatre Services Division,rehearsals,reviews,Works Progress Administration

Place Name California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place), Los Angeles (counties), performance sites: Federal Theatre (geographic subject), USA (countries)

Format 108 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. (aacr2), application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor Kooker, Arthur R. (committee chair), Caldwell, Russell L. (committee member), Cutter, Donald C. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m9

Unique identifier UC11281456

Identifier EP59682.pdf (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c38-14454 (legacy record id),usctheses-m9 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier EP59682.pdf

Dmrecord 14454

Document Type Thesis

Format 108 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. (aacr2),application/pdf (imt)

Rights Holcomb, Robert E.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA