Scope and arrangement
The Joshua Ellis papers date from 1981 to 1990, with some material from 1975. The papers consist of clippings and promotional materials for productions, theater companies, and individuals whom Ellis represented through Solters/Roskin/Friedman and through his own press agency.
Reviews and articles, press releases, publicity photographs, and theater programs make up the bulk of the collection. Reviews and articles consist of newspaper and magazine clippings; transcripts of reviews and press coverage from radio and television are also present. Clippings sometimes have highlighting, annotation, or other markings. Photographs consist of prints and slides; the majority of photographs are cast member headshots, scenes from productions, and publicity shots of actors in costume. The collection includes some drafts and preparatory materials for print advertisements, articles, and souvenir programs. The papers also hold memoranda concerning press schedules, press coverage, and expenses.
The best-represented productions in the collection are Big River, Meet Me in St. Louis, and The King and I with Rudolf Nureyev. Other productions in the collection include Blame It on the Movies, The Cemetery Club, Into the Woods, Lend Me a Tenor, Aaron Sorkin's Making Movies, Orpheus Descending, Shenandoah, and Truly Blessed: A Musical Celebration of Mahalia Jackson. Shenandoah materials include photographs from the 1975 production in addition to material from the 1989 revival that Ellis represented. Scripts are present for Meet Me in St. Louis, The Cemetery Club, and Truly Blessed, and sheet music is present for Into the Woods. There is one folder of material from the 1981 national tour of Peter Pan, consisting of proposed advertising budgets and promotional schedules.
Ellis's clients included producers Ed Mirvish and David Mirvish. The collection holds photographs of the two, programs from their productions, and articles and press releases about them and about two theaters they owned, the Royal Alexandra in Toronto and the Old Vic in London. There is a small amount of material related to the Non-Traditional Casting Project, consisting of press releases, clippings, schedules, and notes for a 1990 conference, and published transcripts from a 1986 conference. The collection also holds files regarding several theater companies that Ellis represented.
A small number of audio and video recordings are present in the collection. Recordings consist of promotional material and press coverage. Inquiries regarding audio/visual materials in the collection may be directed to the Billy Rose Theatre Division (theatrediv@nypl.org). Audio/visual materials will be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically by production title or client name. Clippings for The King and I with Yul Brynner are grouped with the Royal Shakespeare Company clippings, and can be found under the latter file heading.