Hallie, first lady of American Theater
This is a Readers Theater production of Hallie Flanagan: First Lady of the American Theater, a story which illuminates the life of the foremost female pioneer of American theater, Hallie Flanagan. Despite a string of difficult personal experiences as a young woman, Hallie became head of the theater department at Vassar College and was later asked by Eleanor Roosevelt to be the first female director of the Federal Theater Project (FTP).
Hallie changed the theater industry in the United States. She fought for equality and led a thriving Federal Theater Program under the Works Progress Administration during what would become a renaissance of American theatrical production. In 1939, the Federal Theater Project was investigated by the House of Un-American Activities, and Hallie was accused of propagating Communist ideas and agendas in her FTP productions. The program was halted suddenly ending an amazing era of innovative theater.
This fascinating story weaves through the personal struggles, professional triumphs and historical circumstances that Hallie endured through her illustrious career, and offers a glimpse into both the woman and the icon that is Hallie Flanagan.
