On Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 at 7:30pm EST, CLASSIX and Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts partnered to host an event to explore the Negro Units of the Federal Theater Project and examine the lessons, ambitions, and failures of the New Deal as it relates to our current experience and thinking. 

This event included excerpts from a dynamic mix of plays from the era, Theodore Ward’s “Big White Fog,” as well as “Natural Man” by Theodore Browne and “Liberty Deferred” by Abram Hill and John Silvera, and was accompanied with a panel conversation composed of Professor Autumn Womack (Princeton University), Professor Kinohi Nishikawa (Princeton University), and archivist and dramaturg Arminda Thomas (CLASSIX). The conversation was moderated by Professor Michael Dinwiddie (New York University) and concluded with a Q&A.

WATCH HERE

The team

Panelists: Michael Dinwiddie (NYU), Kinohi Nishikawa (Princeton), Arminda Thomas (CLASSIX/Dramaturg), Autumn Womack (Princeton)

With excerpts of scenes from the Negro Units directed by: Christina Franklin, Kimille Howard, Dominique Rider

Plays:

Natural Man by Theodore Browne

Liberty Deferred a living newspaper by Abram Hill and John Silvera

Big White Fog by Theodore Ward

Featuring: James Edward Becton*, Jason Bowen*, Bjorn DuPaty*, Andrew Goebel, Danté JeanFelix*, Nuri Hazzard, Galen Ryan Kane*, Sharina Martin*, Yusef Miller*, Joshua E. Nelson*, Petronia Paley*, Grace Porter, Brian Pollock, Sarah Alice Shull, Kedren Spencer*

Produced by CLASSIX and Princeton University

Line Producer: Stephanie Rolland

Stage Manager: Carmelita Becnel*

Assistant Stage Manager: Robert Del Colle

Program Associate: Victoria Davidjohn

*Appearing through an Agreement between CLASSIX and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.