The Playbook - A Story of Theatre, Democracy and the Making of a Culture War

From the ''Winner of Winners'' of the Baillie Gifford Prize, a timely and dramatic story of a utopian American experiment, and the self-serving politicians that engineered its downfall. 1935 . As part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt''s progressive New Deal, the Work Progress Administration is created to support unemployed writers, artists, musicians and actors. The Federal Theatre Project, a major part of that programme, begins to stage critically acclaimed, subsidised and groundbreaking productions across America, including Orson Welles''s directorial debut, a landmark modern dance programme and shows that sought to tell the truth about racism, inequality and the dangers of fascism. 1938 . An opportunistic Texas congressman, Martin Dies, head of the newly formed House Un-American Activities Committee, successfully targets the Federal Theatre, exploiting rising tensions over communism and creating a new political playbook based on sensationalism, misinformation and fear - a playbook that has proved instrumental in our current culture wars. From one of the world''s great storytellers, The Playbook is an invigorating re-enactment of a terrifyingly prescient moment in twentieth-century American cultural history.

Product details

• Authors: James Shapiro, Shapiro James
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.05.2024
• EAN: 9780571372768
• ISBN: 978-0-571-37276-8
• Dimensions: 165 mm x 243 mm x 33 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Theatre, ballet; History of Ideas, POLITICAL SCIENCE / General, HISTORY / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Drama, HISTORY / Social History, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / United States / 20th Century, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / History & Criticism, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Politics & government, Social and cultural history, United States of America, USA, Politics and government, History of the Americas, History of Performing Arts