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Whitworth Theatre's fall production, The Cradle Will Rock, is a musical satire about union organization and societal corruption. Written in 1937 by Marc Blitzstein as part of the Federal Theatre Project, the play takes a critical look at corporate greed, media, and the arts. Due to the play's controversial content, the federal government tried to shut it down on its opening night. The acting company, under the direction of a young Orson Welles, found a new location, and the actors, who were banned by their unions from performing on stage, performed the show to a packed house from their seats throughout the theatre. The play became an instant hit.
"This play is a brilliant exposé of hypocrisy and oppression that remains relevant to this day," says Diana Trotter, the play's director and professor of theatre at Whitworth. "Today's global economy is once again wrestling with labor issues, whether it's job outsourcing, pay equity for workers in developing countries, or, especially in the last few months, the tension between Main Street and Wall Street."
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