Staff Picks

Maryland Dance Ensemble in How Long, Brethren?
November 30 and December 1, 2007
Madeline Bell, Artist Services Coordinator

Somewhere along their journey, my grandparents, both born and bred in Michigan, settled in Greenbelt, Maryland, a small town birthed by the WPA. The brainchild of FDR, and the pet project of Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt was built to create jobs for blue-collar workers and homes for lower-middle class families, which were scarce during the 1930s. Even though my grandparents weren't among the pioneer families, the history of Greenbelt is a huge part of my family history.

How Long Brethren? is another product of the WPA, having been created by Helen Tamiris, the principal choreographer for the Federal Theatre Project. (As the proud owner of a B.A. in Theatre, I am still in awe that artists were paid by the U.S. government to create.) Seeing a result of the WPA on stage will be a brand new experience for me, and I am looking forward to seeing if How Long Brethren? will give people the same feeling of the era in which Greenbelt was born, an era in which the government supported the dreams of artists, blue-collar workers and others who thrived because of its support.

I am especially eager to see two members of the Artist Services Hosting Crew, Nicole Bryan and Monica Warren Schaeffer, dance in this piece. They have been working on How Long Brethren? since the end of August and I can see a similar "Greenbelt" pride in them when they talk about their work. As a third generation Greenbelter, I have always felt like I own a little piece of history. Despite the lack of road signs declaring it an historical landmark, How Long Brethren? is – like Greenbelt – a special look into the past. Now, Nicole and Monica will each own a little piece of history, too.

For information on the November 30-December 1 performances, click here.

To read Liz Dawson's student blog about participating in How Long, Brethren?, click here.

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