this is an amazing history of a time in the US when creativity was federally subsidized. ( )

A history of the Federal Theatre Project of the 1930s. As with most funding of the arts, this project was viewed as wasteful and not producing anything of merit. It was also charged with being overrun with Communists, a common charge against federal projects throughout the 20th century. While costing only about 1% of the WPA budget, this program became the target for Congress to get a wedge into the New Deal. The fact that much of the theatre was experimental didn't help the project. The most prominent criticism of the program, however, was the integration of black and white actors and a black and white audience sitting together. In this pre-Civil Rights world, they didn't even find it necessary to blanket much of the racism, though Communism did seem to be a popular stand in for racism, since the conclusions drawn by Congress seem to be that the integration proves the Communism. A well written book, easy to read, and important. It isn't just a slice of history; much of what is discussed in here continues to be repeated today in efforts to censor art, and in efforts to cut funding for anything that benefits the less wealthy. ( )