Hallie Flanagan (27 August, 1889-23 July, 1969) was an American theatrical visionary, director, playwright, author, and director of the Federal Theater Project, a part of the Works Progress Administration.

Born Hallie Ferguson in Redfield, South Dakota, Flanagan was raised in Grinnell, Iowa. After attending Grinnell College, Hallie attended George Pierce Baker's influential 47 Workshop class at Harvard University. This class, one of the first of its kind at an American university, taught playwrighting. While at Harvard and later at Vassar College, Flanagan began developing her own ideas for experiemental theatre.

In 1926, Flanagan accepted a Guggenheim Fellowship to study theatre in Europe. While there, she met many of the most influential figures in theatre including John Galsworthy, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Edward Gordon Craig, and Lady Gregory. Returning to Vassar, she began to institute many of her new found ideas with the Vassar Experimental Theatre which she created.

With the onset of the Great Depression, and many people, including theatre folk, out of work, Franklin Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration to employ many of the unemployed. Among the many segments of this program was the Federal Theatre Project aimed at employing out of work entertainers. Flanagan was asked to lead this program in 1935.

Flanagan's vision for this program was to bring theatre to many people who had never witnessed it plus producing cutting edge theatrical material of the highest quality. This program involved creating children's theatre as well as 'living newspaper' plays that would reach out to the culturally unaware. Though the program produced fine works, some argued over messages being delivered by plays. Concerns over works with messages deemed to be communistic and socialistic plagued Flanagan and the Theatre Project. Flanagan was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1938. After four years, the Federal Theatre Project was shut down and Flanagan returned to Vassar.

In 1942, Flanagan accepted a post as head of the theatre department at Smith College and she remained there until her retirement.

Flanagan married twice, first to Murray Flanagan who died in 1918 and second to Philip Davis.

External Links

• Bio of Hallie Flanagan from a site on the Federal Theatre Project (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/fedtp/ftbrwn01.html)
• Transcript of Flanagan's testimony before the Dies Committee of the House Un-American Activities Committee, December 6, 1938 (http://fsweb.wm.edu/amst370/2001/sp4/hftrans.html)