Federal Theatre Project, 1935–1939

Rania Karoula teaches contemporary Scottish and modernist drama in the Department of English Literature and Centre for Open Learning at the University of Edinburgh. In addition to her work in libraries and archives, she interned at Oran Mor, Glasgow, with David MacLennan, one of the founders of the 7:84 company. She has organized theatrical workshops with leading Scottish and international dramatists, performers, academics and musicians. Her recent article, “From Meyerhold and Blue Blouse to McGrath and 7:84: Political Theatre in Russia and Scotland”, was considered for the 2019 R. D. S. Jack Prize by the International Society for the Study of Scottish Literatures.

Rania Karoula's study of the Federal Theatre Project is a landmark piece of research. Reading this path-breaking contribution to theatre history one gets the sense both of the FTP's political fervour and its innovative aesthetic approach. Anyone interested in the way art and politics intersected in the twentieth century – and might still intersect now – will be fascinated by this compelling volume.

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction - What was the Federal Theatre project?1. A Theatre is Born2. The Living Newspaper Part 1: 1935-1937 – The revolution begins3. The Living Newspaper Part 2: 1937-1939 – How not to sing for your supper4. The Negro Unit: Electrifying Harlem, electrifying the nation5. The Children’s Theatre: Playing with Pinocchio and the beavers6. The Federal Dance Project: Dance, Race, Greek tragedy and Helen Tamiris7. The legacies of the Federal Theatre ProjectEpilogue: Was it all worth it? The legacy of the FTP in contemporary performance.Archival MaterialBibliographyIndex