American Themes.

As in the other arts, stylistic innovation, a focus on social issues, and a concern with American themes became hallmarks of Depression drama. Most notable, in some ways, was the degree of interaction between seemingly disparate groups. Radical workers' theaters like the Workers Laboratory Theatre, many of them founded by German refugees from fascism, flourished; the experimental Group Theatre had its splashiest success with a play written to benefit workers' theater, while producing other plays on Broadway; Broadway plays themselves tackled social issues such as the problems faced by tenant farmers — albeit in a typically cheerful manner. Although the first three years of the Depression saw no long-running hits, subsequent years were marked by both Broadway smashes and creative ferment in the smaller theaters.

The Group Theatre.

Founded by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Lee Strasberg in 1931, the Group...