- unitid
-
{"value"=>"186304", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2023-003", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"b23267993", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1949-2017", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1949/2017"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Novella Nelson papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"41 boxes, 1 oversize folder", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"13.63 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Novella Nelson (1938-2017) was an actor, singer, and director who appeared on stage on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in regional theatres and cabaret venues, and on television and film. Nelson's papers, dated 1949 to 2017, reflect her professional and personal accomplishments and interests through correspondence, subject files, writings, poetry, photographs, scores, scripts, printed matter, and sound recordings."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Nelson, Novella", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Novella Nelson (1938-2017) was an actor, singer, and director whose professional career spanned more than 40 years. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, to James and Evelyn (Hines) Nelson. Nelson graduated from Brooklyn College in 1958, where she initially studied biochemistry but switched her major to theatre after being inspired by her theatre classes. While at Brooklyn College, Nelson also joined the historically Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta. After graduating, Nelson continued her theatrical education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, earning a degree there in 1961.</p> <p>Nelson's professional acting career began on the New York stage. Among her credits are the Off-Broadway <span class=\"title\">House of Flowers</span> (1968) and the original production of <span class=\"title\">Purlie</span> on Broadway in 1970. Nelson was featured in the Broadway productions <span class=\"title\">Caesar and Cleopatra</span> (1977), <span class=\"title\">The Little Foxes</span> (1981), and the Off-Broadway productions of <span class=\"title\">for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf</span> (2000) and <span class=\"title\">The Old Friends</span> (2013). She also appeared onstage at such United States regional theatres as the Alley Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, and the Yale Repertory Theatre, and also at the Almeida Theatre in London, England. Nelson's film roles include <span class=\"title\">An Unmarried Woman</span> 1978), <span class=\"title\">The Cotton Club</span> (1984), <span class=\"title\">Green Card</span> (1990), <span class=\"title\">The Bonfire of the Vanities</span> (1990), <span class=\"title\">A Perfect Murder</span> (1998), <span class=\"title\">Antwone Fisher</span> (2002), and <span class=\"title\">A Walk Among the Tombstones</span> (2010). Her television credits are numerous, with roles on such popular shows as <span class=\"title\">30 Rock</span>, <span class=\"title\">Kojak</span>, <span class=\"title\">Law and Order</span>, <span class=\"title\">A Man Called Hawk</span>, <span class=\"title\">One Life to Live</span>, <span class=\"title\">Sex and the City</span>, and <span class=\"title\">The West Wing</span>.</p> <p>By the late 1960s, Nelson had also begun building a career as vocalist, self-releasing her album <span class=\"title\">Novella Nelson</span> on the Arcana label in 1970. She frequently appeared in cabarets, nightclubs, and other venues performing standards, pop, blues, jazz and gospel. Nelson's credits include a guest appearance with Jazz musician Freddie Hubbard at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, performing at the Village Vanguard and Reno Sweeney in Greenwich Village, at the New York Philharmonic Hall celebrating the \"Gershwin Years,\" and also as an activist at a benefit performance for the Human Rights Campaign in 1989.</p> <p>In the early 1970s, Nelson joined the Public Theatre in New York City as a director and a consultant to Joe Papp, where she was closely involved in many important productions and also built stronger connections with Black theatre artists. Among her most significant productions at the Public was the premiere of Sonia Sanchez's play <span class=\"title\">Sister Son/Ji</span>, which Nelson directed in 1972. Nelson left the Public in in 1975 to resume performing full-time. During this period, Nelson also established close relationships with other members of the Black Arts Movement, including Ellis Haizlip and Nikki Giovanni.</p> <p>In addition to her directing work at the Public, Nelson's directing credits include <span class=\"title\">Run'ers</span> (Henry Street Settlement's New Federal Theatre, 1978), <span class=\"title\">Boesman and Lena</span> (Players Theatre, 1980), <span class=\"title\">Lucky</span> (Naked Angels, 1989), <span class=\"title\">Brothers and Keepers</span> (American Music Theatre, 1990), <span class=\"title\">Bailey Café</span> (Hartford Stage, 1994), and <span class=\"title\">The Shadow Catchers</span> (New York Theatre Workshop, 1997). She was also the Associate Director for the 1991 Broadway revival of <span class=\"title\">Mule Bone</span>.</p> <p>Throughout her adult life, Nelson was also a poet and journal writer. Nelson died of cancer in Brooklyn, New York, in 2017. She is survived by her daughter Alesa Blanchard-Nelson.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Novella Nelson papers, dated 1943 to 2017, reflect the multi-faceted career of Novella Nelson as an actor, singer and director. The collection holds Correspondence, Subject Files, Writings by Nelson, Photographs, Scores and Sheet Music, Scripts, Printed Matter, Educational Files, poetry, photographs, scores, scripts, printed matter, and Sound Recordings.</p> <p>The General Correspondence Files and the Subject Files reflect the individuals who were friends, creative performance artists, and fans.</p> <p>The Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by name, and feature frequent correspondents including Ilunga Adelle (television producer and actor), George Blanchard (ex-husband, lighting and stage director), Duke Ellington School of the Arts (Nelson agreed to be a commencement speaker), and Nikki Giovanni (poet and director). Nelson's work helping others is documented in the Art at Argus files, a 1970's community-based program in the South Bronx whereas Nelson and painter Jose Padilla developed the artistic talent of children during the deterioration of the South Bronx. The Public Theatre files reflect Nelson's work as artistic director for the New York Shakespeare Film Festival during the first half of the 1970s. Much of the material was directed to Joseph Papp about the Festival's operations. Another subject of interest is the preparation and release of Nelson's self-titled album.</p> <p>The Writings are mostly poetry and musings by Nelson. These daily introspective writings are a mixture of narrative and poetic. During the 1970's, Nelson wrote insightful thoughts on a daily basis which were not as frequent in later years. There are overlapping dates and the arrangement is not in strict chronological order. Other writings include Nelson's daybooks or notebooks used to jot down notes, numbers, or ideas. There is also a congratulatory book with compliments from well-wishers for the production <span class=\"title\">Having Our Say</span> directed by Nelson in 1995.</p> <p>The bulk of the Photographs are black and white commercial prints. The photographs are of Nelson from high school to her career as a professional actor and singer. A group of photographs titled \"Events, Films and Theatrical Productions\" extensively document Nelson's work in <span class=\"title\">Boesman and Lena</span>, <span class=\"title\">Digging Eleven</span>, <span class=\"title\">For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Little Foxes</span>, <span class=\"title\">Oedipus</span> (Nelson was hoisted above the stage), <span class=\"title\">A Perfect Murder</span>, <span class=\"title\">Purlie</span>, <span class=\"title\">A Raisin in the Sun</span>, and <span class=\"title\">South Pacific</span>. There are also images present from Nelson's extensive singing engagements.</p> <p>A scrapbook created by Nelson highlights her work during the 1960s and 1970s. This includes the 1965 production <span class=\"title\">In White America</span>, a performance which garnered many positive reviews.</p> <p>The Scores and Sheet Music files reflect Nelson's career as a musician. These files hold many of the songs that she sang in productions or in musical performances. Nelson collaborated with other musicians, most prominently with Phil Moore (1918-1987), a Jazz pianist, arranger, and conductor. Moore collaborated on her album <span class=\"title\">Novella Nelson</span>.</p> <p>The Scripts and Writings by Others is a small section that holds scripts of productions that Nelson performed, directed, or were sent to her for review.</p> <p>Printed Matter is arranged into four groups: Playbills and Promotional Materials, Novella Nelson in Concert, Reviews, and Posters. The Playbills and Promotional Materials cover several decades of Nelson's work in small theatres, Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, and abroad. The playbills include <span class=\"title\">Big White Fog</span> (performed in London), <span class=\"title\">Bailey's Café</span>, <span class=\"title\">Boesman and Lena</span>, <span class=\"title\">Brothers and Keepers</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Cider House Rules</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Crucible</span>, <span class=\"title\">Les Femmes Noires</span>, <span class=\"title\">Five Rooms Of Furniture</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Life Of Henry the V</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Odyssey</span>, <span class=\"title\">Purlie</span>, <span class=\"title\">A Raisin in the Sun</span>, and <span class=\"title\">The Root Woman</span>. The files also document workshops, readings, and other events where Nelson was invited to present.</p> <p>The Educational Files hold Nelson's education materials from grammar school through college. Of interest is \"The Eastern Senior\" yearbook in which Nelson indicates that her career goal was to be a biochemist at Brooklyn College (Page 29), playbills, and a diploma from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.</p> <p>The sound recordings include a tribute to Nelson for the production <span class=\"title\">A Raisin in the Sun</span>, and a recording of the song \"Heading For Nowhere\" by Jack Segal and Marvin Fisher.</p> <p>Be advised, several titles listed here include words that can be harmful and offensive.</p>"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection is arranged into the following groups: Correspondence, Subject Files, Writings by Nelson, Scores and Sheet Music, Scripts, Printed Matter, and Education Files.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection was donated by Novella Nelson's daughter, Alesa Blanchard-Nelson, in 2022.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by <span class=\"name\">Valerie Wingfield</span> in <span class=\"date\">2023</span>.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Inquiries regarding audio and moving image materials in the collection may be directed to the Billy Rose Theatre Division (theatre@nypl.org). Audio and moving image materials may be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1949
- keydate
-
1949
- date_end
-
2017
- date_inclusive_start
-
1949
- date_inclusive_end
-
2017
- extent_statement
-
13.63 linear feet (41 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Novella Nelson papers, *T-Mss 2023-003. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}