Casting call

Look closely around Boston or any major city in the United States and you'll probably find a plaque commemorating the Works Progress Administration for building sidewalks and parks as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to help pull the nation out of the Great Depression. Susan Quinn's new book, "Furious Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art Out of Desperate Times," tells a lesser-known story of the Federal Theatre Project, which helped buoy the arts community around the same time. Quinn will speak about the book and present clips from the National Archives of the Federal Theatre, with a special introduction from historian Howard Zinn. 7 p.m. $5. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 617-566-6660. brooklinebooksmith.com