The Nobodies Who Were Everybody
Created and produced by Theater in Asylum
August 3-20, 2023 at the Jalopy Theatre
August 3-20, 2023 at the Jalopy Theatre
Photo by Shubhra Mishra
A national crisis. An economic catastrophe. Marches. Breadlines. Riots. The year is 1935 and the Great Depression is roaring. Six theater artists find themselves newly employed by the New Deal's Federal Theatre Project. Playing everybody from Macbeth to Mussolini on stage, these hardworking but unsung artists bond over their work on some of the Project’s great plays. But now in 2023, the Federal Theatre Project no longer exists, and hasn't for 84 years. What happened?
The Nobodies Who Were Everybody gives voice to the thousands of incredible artists, the "nobodies," who powered the Federal Theatre Project, and examines why it is still so difficult to give artists––and audiences––the support we all deserve.
The Nobodies Who Were Everybody gives voice to the thousands of incredible artists, the "nobodies," who powered the Federal Theatre Project, and examines why it is still so difficult to give artists––and audiences––the support we all deserve.
Cast
|
|
|
|
|
Adin Lenahan*
as Jericho |
|
*Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. Equity approved showcase.
Performance Photos
All photos by Shubhra Mishra
Special events:
- 7/17 - "The Hallie Testimony", a fundraiser for The Nobodies...
- 8/4 - Alums of TIA's previous work are welcome to share and celebrate our latest!
- 8/5 - Preshow barbershop quartet by Madhattan
- 8/6 - Opening night party in Jalopy Tavern following the show.
- 8/13 - Talkback moderated by The Anthropologists' Melissa Moschitto. Watch here.
- 8/20 - Closing night party in Jalopy Tavern following the show.
Team
- Created by Theater in Asylum
- Scripted and Developed by: Marcella Adams, Jessie Atkinson, Paul Bedard, Sarah Biery, Rashad Brown, Christopher DeSantis, Nadia Diamond, Ali Dineen, Liat Graf, Cody Hom, Addy Paul Jenkins, Adin Lenahan, Katie Palmer, Al Parker, Francine Pinheiro, Arisael Rivera, Dan Stearns, Cindy Wong
- Performed by: Marcella Adams (Clara), Jessie Atkinson (Catherine), Rashad Brown (Jo, music), Liat Graf (Ida), Addy Paul Jenkins (Theo), Adin Lenahan* (Jericho), Arisael Rivera* (Marco); and Brandon Otis (Theo fill-in)
- Directed by Paul Bedard & Katie Palmer
- Dramaturgy by Al Parker
- Designed by Gizel Buxton (scenic), Brynne Oster-Bainnson (costumes), and Dan Stearns (lights)
- Stage managed by Sarah Biery & Cody Hom
- Produced by Kathryn Appleton
- Marketing and PR by Charlotte Dow
- Loading Assistance from Brian Giallorenzo and Chad Kean
- Intimacy Directed by Liat Graf
- Photography by Shubhra Mishra
- Show graphic by Anita Rundles
- Thank you to IndieSpace, The Alliance of Resident Theaters/New York, The Brooklyn College Department of Theater, FORGE, Willie Johnson and Playdate at Pete’s, Pete’s Candy Store, The Episcopal Actors Guild, and The Fabulous Jalopy Theatre for helping usher this piece to production! Thank you Rick Fudge for cooking for the company! And thank you Talia, Lynette, Geoff, and Kristine for your incredible patience and support!
- Funding has been made possible by The Puffin Foundation, Ltd, The Actors Equity Foundation, and the incredible community of Theater in Asylum donors. This piece was rehearsed in part at the Episcopal Actors’ Guild through an invaluable in-kind donation of space.
The team for The Nobodies. Photo by Shubhra Mishra.
Theater in Asylum extends a huge thanks to these incredible organizations who supported this piece
|
|
|
|
Funding has been made possible by The Puffin Foundation, Ltd.
Thank you to our generous donors
and production sponsors!
Our incredible community of donors: Beverly Abegg, Laura Andersen, Eve & William Appleton, Trisha Beatty, Scott Bedard, Mike & Kelly Bedard, John Bell & Trudi Cohen, Judy Berger, The Boxcutter Collective, Farrah Crane, Andrew Boyd, Rachel Casparian, Colleen Christi, Katie Dagon, Alexis DePersia-Norelli, Jennifer Downes, Mary Downing, Martha Ferguson, Anastasia Fort, Lisa Fudge, Helen & Jeff Friedman, Kate Gazzaniga, Eric Grunin, Sarah Habib, Gethsemane Herron-Coward, Cody Hom, Willie Johnson, Martins Jukna-Parsons, Chad Kean, Samantha Keogh, Joshua Krugman, Marilyn Lawson, Marcia Lazer, Diana Levy, Maggie Low, Efrem Mallach, Victor Milione, Melissa Moschitto, Helen O'Rourke, Don Pflaster, Maxine Phillips, Austin Regan, Charles Rice, Jacob Rice, Mandy Robbins, Jess & Bryan Rosenberg, Bessie Taliaferro, Joseph Therrien, Aria Umezawa, Pandora & John Wohler, Anna Wright, Gennady Yusim, and 28 anonymous heroes. Thank you for a donation made in loving memory of Jeff Stone.
Production Sponsors:
Production Sponsors:
- Rehearsal space: Andy Boyd, Katie Bowman, Mariah Freda, Claudia Gutierrez, The Jenkins Family, Robert Gonyo, Chelsea Langford Socha, Kevin Winebold
- Printing: Laura Caparrotti, Joanna Gurin, The Jenkins Family
- Transportation: Inés del Castillo, Diana Levy
- Food at Rehearsals: Katie Dagon & Jeremy Brown, David Palmer
- Theater space: Matt Clemons, Lila & Sebastian Moschitto, Alex Reynolds, Jaclynn Swope
- Scenery & Props: David Palmer
- Costumes: Dan A & Amy L, Marilyn Lawson
Transparency
We at Theater in Asylum believe that transparency enables the sharing of power and responsibility. All collaborators on The Nobodies Who Were Everybody have access to the complete budget for this show, which is also summarized below. See more of TIA’s financial info here.
This production cost: $28,000
Pay: Full collaborators are paid $800 stipends. Partial collaborators (who joined only for performances) were paid $400 stipends. Hourly load-in and load-out labor was paid $25/hour.
Time: This piece had 126 hours of rehearsal across 4 weeks, followed by 15 performances across 3 weeks.
This production is funded by:
Net: We hope to net approximately $1,000 to seed future productions.
Donate to Theater in Asylum here. Thank you so much!
This production cost: $28,000
- Personnel: $13,150
- Space: $5,650
- Production: $7,867
- Contingency & Misc: $1,333
Pay: Full collaborators are paid $800 stipends. Partial collaborators (who joined only for performances) were paid $400 stipends. Hourly load-in and load-out labor was paid $25/hour.
Time: This piece had 126 hours of rehearsal across 4 weeks, followed by 15 performances across 3 weeks.
This production is funded by:
- TIA’s incredible community of donors: $16,500
- Private grants (The Puffin Foundation & The Actors Equity Foundation): $2,250
- Ticket revenue & donations: $10,500 (hopefully!)
- Public funding: $0
- Invaluable support and in-kind donations by The Episcopal Actors’ Guild and The Jalopy Theatre
Net: We hope to net approximately $1,000 to seed future productions.
Donate to Theater in Asylum here. Thank you so much!
Press
- Theater in Asylum's press release send June 8, 2023
- TDF Stages: "Why a Play About the Federal Theatre Project Is So Urgent Right Now"
- Interview with Katie Palmer, Paul Bedard, and Jessie Atkinson on Go See a Show
- Interview with Katie Palmer on Seize the Moment
Photo by Shubhra Mishra
Timeline & Development History
- August 27, 1935: The Federal Theatre Project (FTP) is established.
- June 30, 1939: The FTP is defunded.
- September 29, 1965: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is established.
- 1990: The "NEA Four" have their funding cancelled and the issue goes all the way to the Supreme Court with National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley. Following this, the Republican Party in Congress renews attacks on the NEA, drastically cutting its budget and permanently ending the funding of individual artists.
- 2016: Theater in Asylum hosts a Cold Reading of It Can't Happen Here, 80 years after its 21-theater, simultaneous premiere at FTP theaters around the country.
- 2016: Theater in Asylum hosts a Cold Reading of The Cradle Will Rock, 79 years after its controversial and semi-sanctioned FTP production.
- 2017 & 2018: Congress rejects Trump Administration budgets defunding the NEA.
- 2020: During the Covid-19 lockdown, Theater in Asylum begins exploring the FTP.
- July 29, 2020: Theater in Asylum hosts a Cold Reading of the Living Newspaper One-Third of a Nation, 82 years after its FTP production at Broadway's Adelphi Theatre.
- August 19, 2020: Theater in Asylum hosts a Cold Reading of the Living Newspaper Power, 83 years after its FTP production.
- April 21, 2021: Theater in Asylum hosts a Cold Reading of the Living Newspaper Spirochete, 83 years after its FTP production.
- April 23, 2022: Theater in Asylum hosts a Cold Reading of the Living Newspaper E=MC², 74 years after Hallie Flanagan's original production.
- Winter 2022: Theater in Asylum hosts a book club to read Susan Quinn's Furious Improvisation.
- May 13 & 14, 2022: Theater in Asylum produces The FTP Cabaret.
- Spring 2022: Theater in Asylum hosts a book club to read Kate Dossett's Radical Black Theatre in the New Deal.
- August 2022: Theater in Asylum convenes for a week-long workshop to develop a full-length show.
- January 18, 2023: A full-length reading of the now-titled The Nobodies Who Were Everybody is presented at Under St. Marks Theater.
- February 17, 2023: A revision of the full script is ready by the company.
- June 29, 2023: First rehearsal for the world premiere of the show.
- July 17, 2023: Theater in Asylum presents a reading of Hallie Flanagan's testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee ("The Dies Committee") at Pete's Candy Store to raise money for The Nobodies...
- August 3-20, 2023: World premiere of The Nobodies Who Were Everybody at The Jalopy Theatre.
Developmental Photos
All photos by Shubhra Mishra
Bibliography and Additional Gratitude
We extend special gratitude and appreciation to Susan Quinn and her book Furious Improvisation, which ignited our curiosities in this project. This piece is additionally informed by, and quotes from, the following sources:
Articles & Texts
Articles & Texts
- “Instructions for the Federal Theatre Project” by Hallie Flanagan
- “The Cheap Art Manifesto” by Peter Schumann
- The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein
- Injunction Granted by the staff of the Federal Theatre Project
- It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis and George C. Moffitt
- Macbeth by William Shakespeare
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
- One Third of a Nation by the staff of the Federal Theatre Project
- Power by Arthur Arent and the staff of the Federal Theatre Project
- Revolt of the Beavers by Oscar Saul and Louis Lantz
- Spirochete by Arnold Sundgaard and the staff of the Federal Theatre Project
- Street Scene by Elmer Rice
- Triple-A Plowed Under by Arthur Arent and the staff of the Federal Theatre Project
- Arena by Hallie Flanagan
- Drama was a Weapon: The Left-wing Theatre in New York 1929-1941 by Morgan Y. Himelstein
- The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre and the 30’s by Harold Clurman
- Furious Improvisation by Susan Quinn
- Free, Adult, Uncensored: The Living History of the Federal Theatre Project edited by John O’Connor and Lorraine Brown
- Hallie Flanagan by Joanne Bentley
- National Endowment for the Arts: A History 1965-2008 edited by Mark Bauerlein with Ellen Grantham
- No Applause - Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous by Trav S. D.
- Radical Black Theatre in the New Deal by Kate Dossett
- Shifting Scenes of the Modern European Theatre by Hallie Flanagan
- Stage Left by Jay Williams
- Thirty Years of Treason edited by Eric Bentley
- The Turbulent Years by Irving Bernstein
- Voices from the Federal Theatre edited by Bonnie Nelson Schwartz
- When Brooklyn was Queer by Hugh Ryan
- The Cradle will Rock by Tim Robbins
- Voodoo Macbeth by the USC School of Cinematic Arts