The Federal Theatre Project has been one of the most interesting WPA projects we’ve studied so far. Knowing that the George Mason “Special Collections Research Center began operation originally as the repository for the records of the Federal Theatre Project” further instilled my interest in the project.1 Going back to one of our earlier classes we discussed what could be gained or lost through the digitization of materials. An example of what is lost can be found in Ian Milligan’s article where he talks about the impacts of the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star being digitized. Before digitization most newspapers were cited around the same amount. However, after the Toronto Star was digitized, it was cited far more frequently than its non-digitized counterparts. Due to its digitization making it so easily accessible, other sources such as the Ottawa Citizen were being ignored, creating an unnecessary hierarchy of sources.2 The special collections opens up so many research opportunities as it makes studying documents and archives easy and accessible. Although it may not be as easy as the Library of Congress or other online sources, being able to do a quick search and have documents broken down by box and folder makes finding them easy to find and access. Being able to actually see these documents in real life also brings about an entirely new feeling to the document. It makes them and the events of the time feel more real and not just a random part of history.
My understanding of the Federal Theater Project before our classes was that it was similar to many of the other WPA projects as it was intended to increase the employment rate of a group of people, actors in this instance, during the depression. However, after last week, I now understand that it had a much greater cultural impact than just creating jobs for the unemployed. The Theatre Project gave a voice to previously underrepresented artists such as the African American community, promoting diversity in the arts. The all-black version of Macbeth, the “Voodoo Macbeth, solidified the shaky reputation of the Federal Theatre Project.”3 Although controversial, this project, in my opinion, was probably one of the most progressive and important for American culture and society as it completely changed the future of American theater.
- “University Libraries.” About Special Collections Research Center – George Mason University. Accessed November 12, 2019. https://scrc.gmu.edu/about.php.
- Milligan, Ian. “Illusionary Order: Online Databases, Optical Character Recognition, and Canadian History, 1997–2010.” The Canadian Historical Review, vol. 94 no. 4, 2013, pp. 540-569. Project MUSE, muse.jhu.edu/article/527016.
- “The Play That Electrified Harlem : Articles and Essays : Federal Theatre Project, 1935 to 1939 : Digital Collections : Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress. Accessed November 12, 2019. https://www.loc.gov/collections/federal-theatre-project-1935-to-1939/articles-and-essays/play-that-electrified-harlem/.
