As a photograph of a scene from a Federal Theatre Project Living Newspaper production, Shadow of the
As a photograph of a scene from a Federal Theatre Project Living Newspaper production, Shadow of the Plowman provides a glimpse into Depression-era, government-sponsored performances that took place across the country. These theatrical productions aimed to both entertain the general population during the bleak and grueling years of the Great Depression and prompt social and political action to work toward economic recovery across the nation. In the production from which Shadow of the Plowman was taken, issues related to agrarian reform and recovery from the Dust Bowl years loom as large and as pressing as the monumentalized silhouette of a downtrodden farmer does above the heads of fellow workers.The Federal Theatre Project was the one of the five arts-related projects of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935. In addition to employing thousands of people across the nation, the aim of the FTP was to provide information about current events and public policy through the form of entertaining theatre productions. Through their embrace of non-traditional theatrical narrative structures including the use of projections, voice overs, choruses, and tableau choreography, The Living Newspapers exemplified the FTP’s use of innovative arts-based strategies to communicate information about contentious Depression-era issues to the general public. Posted by Allie RickardShadow of the Plowman. Photograph, 1935. WPA Federal Theatre Project, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington D.C. -- source link
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