In 1935 Hallie Flanagan was chosen to lead the Federal Theatre Project (FTP). This project was part of the new Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs for unemployed people during the Great Depression. As the director of the FTP, Flanagan created jobs for over 12,500 performers, designers, and other theater professionals across the country. She also kept ticket prices low for the shows they staged, which meant that many people could afford to experience theater for the first time.