Halls, Richard, Artist, George McEntee, and Sponsor Negro Theatre Project. WPA Federal Theatre presents "The case of Philip Lawrence" A new play based on Geo. McEntee's "11 PM": A Negro Theatre Production / / rh monogram. [NYC: Federal Art Project, or 1937] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/95511001/.
The source is valuable to the classroom because it provides students with the opportunity to analyze a different type of text. Often, instruction focuses on analysis of written text. Having an image as an entry point can spark discussion about its underlying message. In this case, the teacher can ask students to infer what the play might be about and offer evidence to support their inferences. There are also details about the location—New York City, specifically Harlem. A teacher of a course in English language arts, on Black history, or in theatre could use this source. The Negro Theatre served as an outlet for Black playwrights and the plays often dealt with racial and social issues. Art teachers can also use this source to discuss artist choice, why certain shapes are used, and color composition.
The poster is advertising a play called “The Case of Philip Lawrence.” A New York Times review of the play is available in the archives. The play is about a young African American man who cannot find gainful employment. Eventually he is accused of murdering his white neighbor. He faces the death penalty for his actions.
The source is a poster advertising a play called “The Case of Philip Lawrence.” The play premiered between May/June of 1937. The play is produced by the Negro Theatre and premiered at the Lafayette Theare, located on 7th Avenue, on West 131st Street. The United States had been going through the Great Depression, while African Americans continued to migrate north. Harlem had the highest population of African Americans in the United States at that time. Franklin D. Roosevelt was serving a second term.
- What is the first thing you notice when you look at the poster?
- What do you think this play is about?
- What objects are significant in the poster?
- Who are the characters in this play?
- How do you think this play connects to the racial and social issues of the 1930s?
New York State Next Generation Learning Standards for ELA
11-12R2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas in a text and analyze their development, including how they emerge and are shaped and refined by specific details; objectively and accurately summarize a complex text.
- Students can use context clues from the poster to develop a central idea of the play being advertised.
RH5: Analyze in detail how a complex primary source (text, image, map, graphic, etc.) is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the source contribute to the whole.
- Students can analyze why the artist uses specific details, such as colors and objects, in the poster.
Teachers can use this poster to support other texts, particularly plays by August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry. Students can be introduced to Black American plays and some of the themes that the playwrights develop. The source can be an entry point and used as an image hook. Students can analyze the poster and its features such as colors, shapes, and objects. Students can then make inferences about the play: Who are the main characters? What is the plot? What is the conflict? What evidence can they take from the post to support their ideas? This source can also be used for interdisciplinary teaching of art and ELA.
- Some may object to the nature of a play that centers African American culture. They may question why a play has all Black characters and Black themes.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- To combat this, teachers can refer to NCTE’s Educators’ Right and Responsibilities to Engage in Antiracist Teaching as well as NCTE’s Position Statement on Supporting Teachers and Students in Discussing Complex Topics.
- “Come Along”: A poster from a different play that the students can analyze.
- “Halimuhfack”: A sound recording by Zora Neale Hurston singing “Halimuhfack.”
- “‘The Case of Philip Lawrence' Done in Harlem by the Negro Unit of the Federal Theatre”: A 1937 review of The Case of Philip Lawrence in The New York Times.
- “Weaving Art into Literacy Instruction”: A resource that supports teachers incorporating art into literacy instruction.
- Visuals & Vocab Tree: A resource for image hooks.