John Hunter Booth's Created Equal: a Federal Theatre model for patriotism

[...]through much of the first act, Booth presents a series of episodes that demonstrate the way in which the Constitution actually cut off access to equality for most Americans because it was conceived of, by, and for the benefit of its most wealthy citizens. [...]it supports his argument that a go...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Journal of American drama and theatre 2012-04, Vol.24 (2), p.67
Main Author:	Sweigart-Gallagher, Angela
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	1900-1999 African Americans American Constitution American history American literature Audiences Authors Booth, John Hunter Booth, John Hunter (1886-1971) Christianity Constitutions Created Equal Declaration of Independence-US Democracy drama English Literature Equality Federal Theatre Project Government archives Library collections Medium and Register Nation building National identity patriotism Political Rhetoric regional culture Rhetoric and Figures of Speech Sermons The English Language Theater Twentieth Century Working class
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Summary:	[...]through much of the first act, Booth presents a series of episodes that demonstrate the way in which the Constitution actually cut off access to equality for most Americans because it was conceived of, by, and for the benefit of its most wealthy citizens. [...]it supports his argument that a government guided solely by the original Constitution harms American citÍ2ens, an argument that Booth elaborates on in the scenes that address the inequitable treatment of African-Americans. [...]the play suggests that Roosevelt's work programs would bring about the democracy promised by the Declaration of Independence: 2nd MAN GROUP: [...]none of the scripts I reviewed from the Library of Congress or George Mason contain any direct references to Hoover, the RFC, or the Bonus Marchers, making it likely that Russell's comments are based on a version now lost. 54 In his "Playreader Report for Created Equal? dated 14 January 1938, Tyler recommended replacing the final scene, a now lost scene in which the Schuyler family was interviewed, with a final scene (much like the one present in the versions reviewed here) in which the crowd reappears, giving the audience an opportunity to "see them [the crowd] straining onward toward the goal of greater democracy, so that the play would end on a tremendous crescendo of mass movement and emotion."
ISSN:	1044-937X 2376-4236