When PBS’s Artbound show was researching for a program on the WPA (Works Administration Program), they called Stacy Brightman for some information, and they got more than they bargained for…
For Stacy did her doctoral dissertation on just that topic and is something of an expert on the subject. PBS then asked if they could interview her for the program, and the result can be seen here or by clicking on the image above.
FDR created the WPA, otherwise known as the New Deal, as a way to provide paying jobs to millions of unemployed Americans recovering from The Great Depression. Over 140 projects were completed by the WPA in Los Angeles alone. This episode highlights many of these works still standing and asks the question what would a WPA look like if it still existed today?
Stacy gave her interview, fittingly, on the Ebell Theatre stage. To accompany the segment, there are some extraordinary archival photographs of the Ebell Theatre (sadly, not our archives.) Well worth a watch!
The program was aired October 19. If you don’t wish to see it in its entirety, Stacy appears at 35 minutes.
