Established in 1935 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was the first federally supported theatre initiative in the United States. Its primary aim was to provide employment for thousands of unemployed theatre professionals during the Great Depression. Under the leadership of educator and playwright Hallie Flanagan, the FTP not only offered jobs but also revitalized American theatre by producing a diverse array of performances, including classical plays, children's theatre, and innovative productions known as "Living Newspapers," which dramatized current events to educate audiences. Notably, the FTP established 17 Negro Theatre Units across the country, providing a platform for African American artists and audiences. One of its most famous productions was the "Voodoo Macbeth" in 1936, directed by a then 20-year-old Orson Welles, which reimagined Shakespeare's play with an all-Black cast set in a Haitian context. Despite its cultural contributions and the employment it provided, the FTP faced political opposition due to its progressive themes and was defunded by Congress in 1939, bringing an end to this groundbreaking experiment in government-supported arts.