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Put On A Play 

FDR created a series of programs called the New Deal to put people back to work. One of the programs, called Federal Project One, hired writers, directors, musicians and actors to put on plays and performances. Their work helped to lift the spirits of the audiences they performed for while giving them some much needed income.

Why not write and perform your own play or concert?
You and a group of your friends can have a lot of fun writing and performing your own play or putting on a concert for your other friends and family.

  • Would you perform a play or a concert?
  • What type of play would you write? A comedy? An adventure? A drama?
  • What characters would you create? 
  • What costumes would they wear?
  • What would be the time and setting of your play?

Download the official certificate to keep track of your achievements.

Share With Us:
Post a short clip of your play or concert with the hashtag #fdrsummer (Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook) so we can celebrate your achievements with you.

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During the Great Depression President Roosevelt knew creating jobs was a top priority. Jobs give people a sense of purpose and a paycheck they can use to buy things and thus stimulate a demand for goods and services. Nearly one out of every four people were without jobs during the Great Depression!

It is impossible to calculate the exact number of performances put on by the work of Federal One artists during the Great Depression, but we do know it employed over 13,000 artists and was active in 31 of the 48 states.

The Federal One Theater Project was directed on the national level by a college drama professor named Hallie Flanagan. From which of these colleges was she recruited to head the program?  

  1. The Juilliard School for Performing Arts
  2. Vassar College
  3. The Broadway Academy in NYC
  4. Shakespeare College

Summer Activity Quiz Answers»