page_title: Forest Theater
section_title: Great Depression
hierarchical_section_title: Forest Theater / Great Depression
caption_attribution_description: English: WPA workers rebuild the Forest Theatre in 1939. Monterey County, California.
context_page_description: The Forest Theater is an historic amphitheater in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Founded in 1910, it is one of the oldest outdoor theaters west of the Rockies. Actor/director Herbert Heron is generally cited as the founder and driving force, and poet/novelist Mary Austin is often credited with suggesting the idea. As first envisioned, original works by California authors, children's theatre, and the plays of Shakespeare were the primary focus. Since its inception, a variety of artists and theatre groups have presented plays, pageants, musical offerings and other performances on the outdoor stage, and the facility's smaller indoor theatre and school.
  In 1937, the property was deeded to the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea in order to qualify for federal funding and, in 1939, the site became a WPA project. The WPA rebuilt the outdoor theatre and created an indoor facility beneath the outdoor stage, the site re-opened as The Carmel Shakespeare Festival, with Herbert Heron as its Director, and, with the exception of the World War II years of 1943–44, the festival continued through the late-1940s. In 1949, Heron and twenty villagers started the first Forest Theater Guild.
context_section_description: The Great Depression struck and it affected all aspects of local life.  When repairs were needed and no money could be found from local donors, the idea of applying for Works Progress Administration money was proffered.  Funds were only available to government entities and the private non-profit Arts & Crafts Club was not eligible.  In 1937, it was decided to deed the Forest Theater to the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea in order to obtain WPA funds for major renovations, with the stipulation that the facility would be a public park and "continue outdoor theater performances."  Improvements to the facility included building new benches, laying a concrete foundation for the stage, and replacing the surrounding barbed-wired fences with a traditional grape-stake fence. The Forest Theatre was unused during the three years of renovations.
caption: Works Progress Administration workers rebuilding the Forest Theater in 1939.
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