MANUAL FOR FEDERAL THEATRE PROJECTS OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION (This manual is to be used in connection with SUPPLEMENT No. 1, TO BULLETIN #29 - W.F.A. SPONSORED FEDERAL PROJECT NO. 1. ART, MUSIC, THEATRE, AND WRITING) PART 1 PURPOSE: The primary of the Federal Theatre Project is the re-employment of theatre workers now on the relief rolls; actors, directors, playwrights, designers, vaudeville artists, stage technicians, and other workers in the theatre field. The far reaching purpose is the establishment of theaters so vital to community life that they will continue to function after the program of the Federal Project is completed. PART II TYPES OF PROJECTS: 1. Theatre Companies - as a separate department of an existing non-profit theatre organization. Already existing public theaters or non-profit private theaters of proven excellence, wherever possible, will be selected as the centers about which certain Federal Theatre projects will be developed. It is suggested that such theaters cooperate in the forming of separate, supplementary, producing units composed of from twenty to one hundred or more theatre workers from relief lists. Certain theaters in universities, towns, or cities have already developed a dramatic expression for their individual regions; such theaters may properly cooperate with Federal Theatre units to test plays of native playwrights, to give a classical repertory, or otherwise to supplement their existing production program. It is assumed that such supplementary theatre units will use the stage and technical plant of...... (No more pages found.) (A copy of another page from a WPA manual.) THE WORK PROGRAM Page 1 WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL THEATRE PROJECT FOR NEW YORK CITY Dept. of Information 72 West 23rd St Gramercy 7-7800 Ext 82 In the third year of its existence, slightly scarred and battered by quota and economy drives, the WPA Federal Theatre Project, with 7,900 persons on its rolls, continues to provide entertainment, education and fun for millions of Americans from coast to to coast. The Federal Theatre was established on August 29, 1935, to give employment to at least a part of the thousands of jobless theatrical workers in all parts of the nation. In June 1936, an employment figure of 12,960 persons, an all-time peak was recorded by the project nationally. By cuts in appropriations and also by the return to private industry of more than 2,000 persons this figure has been reduced to the present quota of 7,900. are Theatrical projects / in operation at the present time in 42 locales in 20 states. It is estimated that close to 30,000,000 persons had attended at least one WPA presentation since the origin of the project. In employment, New York City, Americas theatrical center naturally leads the country with 2,900 WPA theatrical workers. Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Philadelphia are remaining large centers in which major projects operate. Negro acting companies functioning in New York, Chicago, Philadelphhia, North Carolina, Seattle and Los Angeles have achieved an unusual degree of success in the general program.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 07:34:28 +0000
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