The Negro Theatre Unit of the Federal Theatre Project was formed in 1935, under the distinguished actress Rose McClendon.
She advised national director Hallie Flanagan that the project should begin under experienced direction and selected producer John Houseman as co-director of the unit.
Their partnership was never realized; it was soon apparent that McClendon was not well, and she made only a few formal appearances before she became critically ill in December 1935.

Regarding the unit's name, Houseman later wrote, "the word 'black' was taboo. '
Negro' was in official and general use though there was some ideological disagreement as to whether it should be spelled with a small or a capital N."
Houseman had established his credentials as general manager of the all-black production, Four Saints in Three Acts (1934).
 On the advice of composer Virgil Thomson, Houseman divided the unit into two sections, between which the project members themselves could choose and could switch between from one production to another.
One section was devoted to original black-themed contemporary drama. "
The other," Houseman wrote, "would devote itself to the performance of classical works of which our actors would be the interpreters, without concession or reference to color."

"For this fine scheme to work," Houseman wrote, "there was one essential condition — that the quality of these 'classical' productions be exceptionally high.
It would be fatal to undertake the risky and difficult business of producing Shakespeare in Harlem until I had found a director of whose creative imagination and power I was completely confident."

Houseman invited his recent collaborator, the 20-year-old Orson Welles, to join the project.
Welles declined at first, since the work would cut into his lucrative radio career and he feared being put back into insolvency, but his young wife Virginia persuaded him to take the job.
In the autumn of 1935, Welles called Houseman after he and Virginia had an inspiration.
Welles proposed staging an all-black production of Macbeth, transposed from Scotland to a mythical island setting inspired by 19th-century Haiti and the fantasy world of The Tempest.
The idea offered creative advantages in music, costumes and settings — and the ability to make the role of witchcraft credible to modern audiences by substituting Haitian voodooism.
The production was universally known as the Voodoo Macbeth in advance of its presentation.

At Welles's request Houseman stayed away from early rehearsals, leaving him able to concentrate on the first two Negro Theatre Unit productions, both from the contemporary wing.
Walk Together Chillun, written and co-directed by actor Frank Wilson, was the modestly received first production, presented in February 1936.
The second was Rudolph Fisher's Conjur' Man Dies, a comedy-mystery starring Dooley Wilson (and directed by Joseph Losey) that was a smash hit.

The settings and costumes were designed by Nat Karson.
Welles and Karson researched Directoire style, uniforms of the Napoleonic era, and tropical vegetation.
The sets and costumes were executed by the Federal Theatre Workshop at a cost of $2,000.

The lighting was created by Abe Feder, later regarded as a founder of lighting design profession.
Feder had a difficult relationship with Welles, whom he believed was too young and ignorant of the practicalities of theatre; he continued to hold this opinion when interviewed decades later.

Welles also faced some difficulties in asserting authority with the black cast and crew, but he won them over with his energy and warmth, and pleased everyone by cramming the rehearsal space with food and drink.
Black cast and crew members interviewed decades later said that Houseman and Welles had their full confidence.

"I never would have amounted to anything in the theatre if it hadn't been for Orson Welles," Canada Lee recalled. "
The way I looked at acting, it was interesting and it was certainly better than going hungry.
But I didn't have a serious approach to it until … I bumped into Orson Welles.
He was putting on a Federal T
The Negro Theatre Unit of the Federal Theatre Project was formed in 1935, under the distinguished actress Rose McClendon. She advised national director Hallie Flanagan that the project should begin under experienced direction and selected producer John Houseman as co-director of the unit. Their partnership was never realized; it was soon apparent that McClendon was not well, and she made only a few formal appearances before she became critically ill in December 1935.
Regarding the unit's name, Houseman later wrote, "the word 'black' was taboo. 'Negro' was in official and general use though there was some ideological disagreement as to whether it should be spelled with a small or a capital N."
Houseman had established his credentials as general manager of the all-black production, Four Saints in Three Acts (1934).  On the advice of composer Virgil Thomson, Houseman divided the unit into two sections, between which the project members themselves could choose and could switch between from one production to another. One section was devoted to original black-themed contemporary drama. "The other," Houseman wrote, "would devote itself to the performance of classical works of which our actors would be the interpreters, without concession or reference to color."
"For this fine scheme to work," Houseman wrote, "there was one essential condition — that the quality of these 'classical' productions be exceptionally high. It would be fatal to undertake the risky and difficult business of producing Shakespeare in Harlem until I had found a director of whose creative imagination and power I was completely confident."
Houseman invited his recent collaborator, the 20-year-old Orson Welles, to join the project. Welles declined at first, since the work would cut into his lucrative radio career and he feared being put back into insolvency, but his young wife Virginia persuaded him to take the job. In the autumn of 1935, Welles called Houseman after he and Virginia had an inspiration. Welles proposed staging an all-black production of Macbeth, transposed from Scotland to a mythical island setting inspired by 19th-century Haiti and the fantasy world of The Tempest. The idea offered creative advantages in music, costumes and settings — and the ability to make the role of witchcraft credible to modern audiences by substituting Haitian voodooism. The production was universally known as the Voodoo Macbeth in advance of its presentation.
At Welles's request Houseman stayed away from early rehearsals, leaving him able to concentrate on the first two Negro Theatre Unit productions, both from the contemporary wing. Walk Together Chillun, written and co-directed by actor Frank Wilson, was the modestly received first production, presented in February 1936. The second was Rudolph Fisher's Conjur' Man Dies, a comedy-mystery starring Dooley Wilson (and directed by Joseph Losey) that was a smash hit.
The settings and costumes were designed by Nat Karson. Welles and Karson researched Directoire style, uniforms of the Napoleonic era, and tropical vegetation. The sets and costumes were executed by the Federal Theatre Workshop at a cost of $2,000.
The lighting was created by Abe Feder, later regarded as a founder of lighting design profession. Feder had a difficult relationship with Welles, whom he believed was too young and ignorant of the practicalities of theatre; he continued to hold this opinion when interviewed decades later.
Welles also faced some difficulties in asserting authority with the black cast and crew, but he won them over with his energy and warmth, and pleased everyone by cramming the rehearsal space with food and drink. Black cast and crew members interviewed decades later said that Houseman and Welles had their full confidence.
"I never would have amounted to anything in the theatre if it hadn't been for Orson Welles," Canada Lee recalled. "The way I looked at acting, it was interesting and it was certainly better than going hungry. But I didn't have a serious approach to it until … I bumped into Orson Welles. He was putting on a Federal T
Voodoo Macbeth