- unitid
-
{"value"=>"18675", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1994-026", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"b19657129", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1959-1987", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1959/1987"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Claire Nichtern papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"32 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"12.72 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Claire Joseph Nichtern (1920-1994) was an American producer of Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals in the second half of the twentieth century. The Claire Nichtern papers (1962-1987) document her professional career. The bulk of the collection consists of production files for Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals produced by Nichtern, who was president of Warner Theatre Productions from 1979-1985. The collection also contains a small amount of office files, scripts, and posters. There is very little personal material in the collection."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Nichtern, Claire", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Claire Joseph Nichtern (1920-1994) was an American producer of Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals in the second half of the twentieth century. Nichtern was born in New York City to Fred Joseph and Rebecca Brumer Joseph. The family moved to New Jersey when Nichtern was a child and she returned to New York City shortly after her graduation from Union High School in 1936. Nichtern held various administrative positions before marrying Sol Nichtern, with whom she had two children, David and Judith. In addition to her role as a mother, Nichtern assisted her husband in the management of his pediatrician practice.</p> <p>In 1954, Nichtern attended New York University where she took an aptitude test that revealed she was ideally suited to work in theater. Buoyed by these results, Nichtern left school to work as a switchboard operator at the Phoenix Theater. She sat in on castings and rehearsals, and was soon promoted to casting director, a position she held until 1958, when she left the Phoenix to assist the general manager at the Playwrights Company. The following year she returned to the Phoenix as production coordinator. In 1961, Nichtern began producing her own plays, under Claire Nichtern Productions. Her first production was the musical <span class=\"title\">The Banker's Daughter</span>. Though the production was not a financial success, it was well received and cemented Nichtern's love of theater production. The next year, she produced a double bill of one-act plays from emerging playwright Murray Schisgal, <span class=\"title\">The Typists</span> and <span class=\"title\">The Tiger</span>, starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. This billing was both a critical and financial success, and began her longstanding professional working relationships with Schisgal, Jackson, and Wallach. Throughout her career, Nichtern would option and produce three more Schisgal plays including <span class=\"title\">Jimmy Shine</span> (1968-1969), <span class=\"title\">Luv</span> (1964-1967), and <span class=\"title\">Twice Around the Park</span> (1982-1983). <span class=\"title\">Luv</span>, directed by Mike Nicols, and starring Wallach, Jackson, and Alan Arkin, ran for three years and garnered a 1965 Tony Award nomination for Best Play and Tony Award for Best Producer of a Play.</p> <p>Throughout the 1970s, Nichtern worked in various capacities for theatrical companies and organizations around New York City. She was a producer in residence and director of admissions at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts from 1970 to 1973, associate director at Circle-in-the-Square in 1973, a production consultant for the ETC Theatre Company in 1974, director of creative affairs at both Warner/Regency and the William Morris Agency from 1978 to 1979, before landing the position of president of Warner Theatre Productions, a position she held until her retirement in 1985. While at Warner Theatre Productions, she produced over thirty plays include <span class=\"title\">Fifth of July, Pump Boys and Dinettes</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Crimes of the Heart</span>, which won a Pulizer Prize for playwright Beth Henley.</p> <p>Nichtern had divorced Sol Nichtern in 1966, and was for a short time was married to Herbert Kallem. In addition to her Tony Award, Nichtern recieved six other Tony nominations, four Drama Desk nominations, and was a three-time recipient of Antoinette Perry awards for production. Nichtern died in New York City in 1994.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Claire Nichtern papers (1959-1987) document the professional career of producer Claire Nichtern. The bulk of the collection consists of production files for plays and musicals produced by Nichtern. The collection also includes a small amount of office files, scripts, and posters. The collection contains one sound recording: a demo pressing of the musical version of the play <span class=\"title\">Luv</span>. There is very little personal material in the collection.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Claire Nichtern papers are arranged in four series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18675#c133094'>Series I: Office Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1959-1985</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The office files are arranged alphabetically by folder title and reflect the various theater companies and organizations Nichtern worked for, and the professional organizations she belonged to. The correspondence regards Nichtern's personal and professional lives, which often overlapped. Notable correspondents include the poet and longtime friend Cid Corman, Nichtern's mentor Sir Tyrone Guthrie, and Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach. The publicity file contains clippings regarding Nichtern's career. Photographs consist of both publicity photographs and more causal snapshots of productions, award shows, and other events. Subjects include Vinnette Carroll, Frances Fuller, Moses Gunn, Arthur Miller, Paul Newman, Shauneille Perry, and Murray Schisgal.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18675#c133115'>Series II: Production Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1962-1986</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The projection files are arranged alphabetically by production and represent plays and musicals that Nichtern independently produced, as well as productions she produced at Warner Theatre Productions. The files primarily contain contracts and financial material. The contracts are detailed and include agreements made with theaters, directors, actors, and playwrights. The financial material consists of operating budgets, correspondence with investors, statements of receipts, final reports, and tax forms. Additional material includes correspondence, photographs, programs, and reviews. The <span class=\"title\">Crimes of the Heart</span> files document a two-year national tour and contain correspondence between Nichtern and tour manager, Alexander Holt. The files on <span class=\"title\">Luv</span> include photographs of the original cast members Alan Arkin, Anne Jackson, and Eli Wallach, as well as touring cast members Tom Bosley, Herbert Edelman, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Dorothy Loudon.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18675#c133174'>Series III: Scripts</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1977-1987</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The scripts are arranged alphabetically by title. The majority of the scripts are clean copies. The <span class=\"title\">Emperor of Atlantic</span> script includes reader reports from a staff member at Warner Theatre Productions.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18675#c133207'>Series IV: Posters</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1980</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The posters are arranged alphabetically by title. Though the posters are primarily of productions Nichtern produced, there are also posters from plays and musicals developed by other producers.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by Judith Nichtern in 1994.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Compiled by Susan Malsbury.</p> <p>Material was reboxed and refoldered as necessary. Select photographs and posters were removed from frames.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Inquiries regarding the audio recording in this collection should be directed to the Billy Rose Theatre Division (theatre@nypl.org). Audio material will be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.</p>"}
- revisiondesc
-
{"value"=>"edited notes about audio recording; corrected biographical note; added subjects", "date"=>"2025-05"}
- date_start
-
1959
- keydate
-
1959
- date_end
-
1987
- date_inclusive_start
-
1959
- date_inclusive_end
-
1987
- extent_statement
-
12.72 linear feet (32 boxes)
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Claire Nichtern papers, *T-Mss 1994-026. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}