When the Wind Blows: How Cradle Will Rock Contributed to the Fall of FTPMarc Blitzstein's Cradle Will Rock, published in 1938, attracted attention from the very beginning of its existence . He quickly won over the director and initial producers with his varied musical styles ranging from classical tunes to satirical ensemble numbers. However, this proletarian opera has achieved moderate infamy, not necessarily because of the quality of its content, but because of the manner in which it was created. What began as a government-sponsored production became a guerrilla effort to perform despite government censorship. This controversial play has resonated with both performers and audiences, and the actors' determination to showcase Blitzstein's work is largely a source of great fascination. Largely because of the perfect storm created by the lingering tensions of the First Red Scare and the Great Depression, The Cradle Will Rock and the events surrounding its debut contributed directly to the end of the Federal Theater Project. Many opponents of Roosevelt's New Deal called many of his efforts "wasted," meaning they had little substance and wasted money more than they fixed the economy. Art projects in particular have been subject to such ridicule. Considered a frivolous luxury in an era of poverty, the New York Times was one of many to assert that "their usefulness has been widely questioned", arguing that artists and communities would be better served if artists were paid to do more important things. tasks, such as repairing roads. However, Roosevelt and the man he commissioned to create federal work projects, Harry Hopkins, saw the value in funding and supporting the arts. After a myriad of attempts with varying levels...... middle of paper ......cism. In 1938, two pro-Nazi events led Congressman Martin Dies to reestablish the Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities, later called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). At first, Dies appeared to be investigating Nazi activities, but it quickly became clear that he was much more concerned with communism. Although not explicitly pro-communist, The Cradle Will Rock was pro-union and anti-capitalist in nature, which was more than enough for some to think that his propaganda efforts were simply more subtle. It tells the story of a steel strike in Steeltown, USA, whose residents depend on the factory but are desperate to unionize despite the capitalist Mr. Mister, who owns everything in the town. Blitzstein had written it in 1936, but by the time it was presented to Flanagan the following year, America was experiencing more strikes than in any previous year..