THE PLAYBOOK A Story of Theater, Democracy, and the Making of a Culture War

Versatile narrator Gabra Zackman maintains an even, judicious tone while tracing the rocky history of the Federal Theatre Project. From 1935 to 1939, that New Deal program employed thousands of out-of-work actors and reached millions of Americans who had never seen a live play before. It was eventually axed by conservative politicians for its allegedly Communist bias. Happily, the Federal Theatre fostered the next generation of playwrights and performers. Columbia professor Shapiro is himself a highly effective narrator, as evidenced by a production of Shakespeare's sonnets he recorded years ago. But his unvarnished style might have sounded harsh here, where the author's judgments are so frank and unsparing. Zackman effectively moderates and balances this powerful, incisive story--making the listener's own outrage all the stronger. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2024]