- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1970-006", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"22657", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"b20784578", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1915-1969", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1915/1969"}
{"value"=>"1940s-1950s", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1940/1959"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1915
- date_inclusive_end
-
1969
- keydate
-
1915
- date_start
-
1915
- date_end
-
1969
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Mary Morris papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"5.9 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"15 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"id"=>"THE", "value"=>"Billy Rose Theatre Division"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Mary Morris (1895-1970) was an American stage actress. The collection, dated 1915 to 1969, holds clippings, correspondence, notes, playbills, posters, and writings."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Mary Morris papers, *T-Mss 1970-006. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Morris, Mary", "type"=>"persname", "role"=>"creator"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Mary Morris (1895-1970) was an American stage actress (not to be confused with the British actress Mary Morris, 1915-1988). In 1916, Morris made her professional stage debut with the Washington Street Players in San Francisco in The Clod. In 1923, she garnered critical acclaim for her role as Abbie in Eugene O'Neill's play, Desire Under the Elms.</p> <p>Her extensive stage works include Camille produced at the Morosco Theatre (1932); Double Doors (on stage and in the motion picture, 1933); Suspect produced at the St. Martin's Theatre in London (1937); The Father on Broadway (1949); and Musicarnival (1959).</p> <p>In 1937, Morris received tenure in the Drama Department of the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. She taught acting techniques; developed a program for aspiring actors under the auspices of the National Theatre Conference; directed and produced productions for the local theatres; and served on committees for The American National Theatre and Academy. She occasionally performed professionally on stage. Morris was reticent to discuss her personal life (Bulletin Index, dated October 10, 1958). Published biographical information is limited. She was married to R.V. Richard(sic) around 1919 and subsequently divorced. There was one child named Richard.</p> <p>Around 1960, Morris retired from the Carnegie Institute and returned to New York City. She died in New York City in 1970.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection, dated 1915-1969 (bulk dates 1940s-1950s), documents the performing career of American actress Mary Morris as well as her work as an educator at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. The collection contains clippings, letters, notebooks, notes, playbills, posters, and writings.</p> <p>The collection consists mostly of correspondence from friends, acquaintances, educators or other individuals in the performing arts. She received congratulatory telegrams for her acting and later her directing skills with regional theatres. Other correspondents wrote about current events on timely topics or events in their lives. The correspondence is alphabetically arranged.</p> <p>Several incoming letters offer information about her personal life and include letters from her son Richard as a young child. These letters were inter-filed with several letters from caretakers. An income tax statement indicates that she had been divorced. Morris also received letters from a friend in 1919 that addressed the envelope as Mrs. R.V. Richard (sic). The correspondence indicates that she wrote frequently to her friends but did not retain copies of personal letters.</p> <p>One issue that occasionally arose was the British actress Mary Morris having the exact same name. Actors Equity indicated in their correspondence that the other actor be known as Mary Morris of Great Britain.</p> <p>The files also document how Morris transitioned from an actor to an educator during the late 1940s through teaching acting to drama students and assuming the responsibility to develop theatrical programs to showcase aspiring actors under the auspices of the National Theatre Conference.</p> <p>These files document that she worked in consultation with George Freedley of the New York Public Library, the leading educator Sawyer Falk, and other educators.</p> <p>Morris retained typed copies of her work for the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, the National Theatre Conference and other related organizations. Documentation about these institutions is located throughout the collection.</p> <p>The writings of notes and notebooks created by Morris reflect her work as an educator. Morris's cursive style of handwriting renders her notes nearly illegible. The writings include notes that indicate one or several meetings were held by a committee on efficiency and economy during the late 1930s; notebooks and notes that focused on classroom exercises for students on acting; her thoughts on the portrait of an actress; a notebook on the play Richard the III; a notebook on an unidentified play during the year 1961; and some additional notes on Shakespeare and acting. Her notes and notebooks remain in their original location in the collection and do not necessarily reflect the other files in that particular box.</p> <p>The scripts document theatrical productions that reflect Morris's work as an actor and an educator. Most of the scripts were written by other playwrights. Morris's scripts are An Evening of Poetry and writing; Iasta's production of Electra by Sophocles, and Rodina Rehearsing Electra (single chapter).</p> <p>The Printed Matter consists of clippings documenting her performances in theatres in the United States and abroad in Great Britain; posters from the First Unitarian Church where she directed plays; playbills from the Carnegie Institute; playbills and from her performances.</p> <p>The MWEZ numbers represent the Library's former classification system. When requesting materials, please refer to the finding aid's box list.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by Estate of Mary Morris, 1970.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"type"=>"processing", "value"=>"<p>Compiled by <span class=\"name\">Valerie Wingfield</span>, <span class=\"date\">2015</span></p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information about obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatre@nypl.org.</p>"}
- dsc_type
-
combined
- extent_statement
-
5.9 linear feet (15 boxes)
- date_bulk_start
-
1940
- date_bulk_end
-
1959