Scope and arrangement
The John Marriott Papers reflect Marriott's acting career in theater, movies and television commercials. The Personal Papers series, 1940-1977, consists of biographical information, news clippings, obituaries, personal correspondence from friends, and certificates.|||The bulk of the collection forms the series Acting Career, 1933-1976. There is professional correspondence containing letters from theatrical people informing Marriott of roles in plays, enclosing scripts that he should read, and other related issues (1933-1976). There are numerous reviews and other articles about his many performances. Marriott's roles with the Arena Stage are documented but only a few items represent his long affiliation with the Karamu Theater.|||Most of the series consists of play scripts for productions in which Marriott acted, including Broadway shows. Several were written by black playwrights such as Edward Branch, Philip Hayes Dean, Shirley Graham Du Bois, Steve Gordon, Langston Hughes and Loften Mitchell. Other material in this series includes screenplays, scripts for radio, television commercials and announcements that Marriott performed, and an article entitled "Keep It Small" that he wrote in 1954 for inclusion in a book "How to Act for Television" by William I. Kaufman.