I picked up Voices from the Federal Theatre from the library shelf because I’m interested in the Federal Theatre. I didn’t realize that it was an attempt to do a Studs Terkel book on the topic, and although it isn’t very successful at that, it does interview the man himself. I hadn’t known that he was involved in the Federal Theatre; I forget that he was an actor at all.
I also learned that Jules Dassin was in the Federal Theatre. I hadn’t known much about him at all, really, and I just saw Topkapi a week or two ago (now that’s a strange movie). It turns out Mr. Dassin came out of the Yiddish theater, which is not terribly surprising, I suppose. Considering how fascinating I find that period in American theater, I know very little about it, really. I’ve never read Conjur Man Dies or It Can’t Happen Here. I would like to get hold of a copy of Revolt of the Beavers (it turns out Jules Dassin was a good beaver on Broadway) but I’m not sure it’s available.
Thank you,
-Vardibidian.