- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"1.25", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"3 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1996-001", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21638", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1948-1990", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1948/1990"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1948
- date_inclusive_end
-
1990
- keydate
-
1948
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Josephine Nichols papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. <span class=\"subarea\">Billy Rose Theatre Division.</span></span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Josephine Nichols was an actress and a teacher of theater. This collection contains her papers from her long career, 1948-1990. The papers are business related, including programs, contracts and clippings."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Josephine Nichols Papers, *T-Mss 1996-001. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Nichols, Josephine", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Josephine Nichols was born Josephine Landsittel, November 11, 1913 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Clarence and Ola Landsittel. Her married name was Josephine Holtzschue but she was known professionally as Josephine Nichols throughout her career. Josephine Nichols graduated from Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1931. She went to receive her BFA, major in dramatic art from the <span class=\"corpname\">University of Oklahoma</span>.</p> <p>After graduating, she spent a year in California working with the <span class=\"corpname\">Pasadena Community Playhouse Productions</span>, acting in their productions while pursuing radio and advertising jobs. She moved back to the Midwest and spent the next ten years engaged in many forms of theater activities. Josephine Nichols directed several plays for the <span class=\"corpname\">Little Theatre of Wichita</span>, Kansas while radio acting for the local station. In 1943, she commentated <span class=\"title\">News for Women</span> in Wichita, Kansas. In 1945, Josephine Nichols moved to New York to join the group Stage for Action. While she was in the city, she took a course on radio announcing at <span class=\"corpname\">Columbia University</span>. Upon returning to Oklahoma, she worked as an instructor of speech at a local business college. Josephine Nichols returned to New York City to earn her M.A. in speech and communication from <span class=\"corpname\">Teachers College, Columbia University</span>in 1948.</p> <p>She became a teacher at <span class=\"corpname\">Adelphi College</span> in 1949. She was an instructor (adjunct professor) of speech and communication and the director of the Reader's Theater at Adelphi until 1955 at which time she asked for leave to pursue her own acting career. She remained the director of the Reader's Theater until 1966. Meanwhile, Josephine had been working on a Shakespeare Seminar program for Adelphi students that she was able teach at other institutions. In addition, she offered private lessons on Shakespeare as well. Josephine Nichols continued her theatrical education became a licensed teacher of the Alexander Technique. She also followed the Bahai' Faith, giving lectures at various locations. For one year, she took a guest lecturer position for a year at Temple University in 1976 where she taught speech and the Alexander Technique.</p> <p>After leaving Adelphi, Josephine Nichols' acted in touring productions, small theaters, off-Broadway productions and regional theater. She developed her own one-woman production called <span class=\"title\">Sonnets and Scenes from Shakespeare</span> which she took on tour to different venues in the United States including: The Hartford Stage Company and the Jewel Box Theatre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.</p> <p>Regional theater was a great part of Josephine's acting career. She was a member of the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco from 1966-1969 acting in several productions including: <span class=\"title\">A Delicate Balance</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Sea Gull</span>, and <span class=\"title\">The Crucible</span>. She later joined the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre from 1971-1973 acting in among others: <span class=\"title\">The Cherry Orchard</span>, <span class=\"title\">Scenes from American Life</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Cat among the Pigeons</span>. Her other regional appearances include: <span class=\"title\">The Show-Off</span> 1977, for the Seattle Repertory Theatre, <span class=\"title\">Foxfire</span> 1985, at the Missouri Repertory Theatre and <span class=\"title\">Les Liaisons Dangereuses</span>1988, at the Virginia Stage Company. In addition to regional theater, Josephine Nichols participated in summer and winter stock productions. She spent 6 seasons at the Totem Pole Playhouse, directed by William Putch, taking part in <span class=\"title\">Southwest Corner</span>1971 and other productions. She also took roles at the Meadow Brook Theatre, the Barter Theatre and Summerstage at Trinity College in Connecticut. Josephine Nichols's theater activities in New York included the Broadway production of <span class=\"title\">Skin of Our Teeth</span>, 1975 and <span class=\"title\">Clothes for a Summer Hotel</span> 1980 both directed by <span class=\"persname\">Jose Quintero</span>. She participated in several off-Broadway productions as well, including: <span class=\"title\">The Golden Six</span> 1958 and <span class=\"title\">Uncommon Women</span> 1977 by Wendy Wasserman.</p> <p>Josephine Nichols's work in film and television ran concurrently with her theater career. Her most noted roles in television include Mrs. Plumm in the televised version of <span class=\"title\">Uncommon Women</span> 1978, the Countess in <span class=\"title\">The Elephant Man</span> 1982, and matriarch Kate Marshall in NBC's soap opera <span class=\"title\">Texas</span> 1980-1982. In film, Josephine Nichols played the mother of James Caan in <span class=\"title\">Hide in Plain Sight</span> 1980. She had other roles in film productions of <span class=\"title\">Petulia</span> 1968 and <span class=\"title\">Riverrun</span>1968.</p> <p>Josephine Nichols's long career ended in retirement in the early 1990s. She died on February 17, 1996.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Josephine Nichols Papers consist of papers regarding her career. Any personal correspondence within the collection is related to a productions or other aspect of Josephine Nichols' career. There are clippings and programs from productions, notes on teaching and business related correspondence such as contracts for both her teaching and acting careers. The personal papers are generally business related: resumes, brief biographical sketches and notes. Although Josephine Nichols was a follower of the Bahai' Faith and a licensed teacher of the Alexander Technique, there are very few references to those aspects of her life. The bulk of the papers begin with Josephine Nichols's years at Adelphi College is 1949 and end in the 1990s at her retirement. Josephine's many notes on teaching her Shakespeare Seminar and acting her one-woman production <span class=\"title\">Sonnets and Scenes from Shakespeare</span> are in depth and detailed. A few of the productions have snapshots included.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Josephine Nichols papers are arranged in three series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21638#c318412'>Series I: Personal Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1949-1990</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>9 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains resumes, press blurbs, clippings and promotional materials used in the course of Josephine Nichols's career. There are a few papers from the courses she took and also included is a short (2 pg.) memoir by Josephine about her training in acting.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21638#c318423'>Series II: Teaching Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1948-1976</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>28 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains papers relating to the teaching career of Josephine Nichols. Contracts, correspondence and teaching notes are included. It is divided as follows:</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21638#c318458'>Series III: Productions</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1958-1990</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes (86 folders)</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains papers, clippings, programs, correspondence and contracts. Occasionally snapshots and ephemera are included. It is divided as follows:</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Personal Papers</li> <li>Series II: Teaching Papers <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - Adelphi College <ul> <li>Teaching</li> <li>Reader's Theatre</li></ul></li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Shakespeare Seminars</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Temple University</li> <li>Sub-series 4 - AETA (American Education Theatre Association)</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Productions <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - Broadway</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Off-Broadway</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Film</li> <li>Sub-series 4 - Television</li> <li>Sub-series 5 - Stock and Regional Theater</li> <li>Sub-series 6 - Touring and Miscellaneous Productions</li></ul></li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The papers were donated by Karl B. Holtzschue in 1996.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>B & W Headshots - 7 photographs, 5 negatives</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Blithe Spirit</span>/ Hartford Stage Company, 1971 - 2 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">The Cherry Orchard</span>/Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, 1973 - 4 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Democracy</span>/Barter Theatre, 1976 - 4 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Death of a Salesman</span>/ Meadow Brook Theatre, 1974 - 5 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Dodsworth</span>/ Berkshire Theatre Festival, 1978 - 3 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Foxfire</span>/ Missouri Repertory Theatre, 1985 - 1 photograph</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Hedda Gabler</span>/ Queens Festival Theatre, 1979 - 3 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Holy Ghosts</span> 1977 - 1 photograph</li> <li>, <span class=\"persname\">John Olon-Scrymgeour</span> in <span class=\"title\">Holy Ghosts</span>, 1977 - 1 photograph</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">The Importance of Being Earnest</span>/ Summerstage, 1978 - 1 photograph</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Ragged Mountain Elegies</span>/ Peterborough Players, 1983 - 3 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Scenes from American Life</span>/ Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, 1972 - 3 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">The Show-Off</span>/ Seattle Repertory Theatre, 1977 - 1 photograph</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Skin of our Teeth</span>, 1974 - 3 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Southwest Corner</span>/ Totem Pole Theatre, 1971 - 1 photograph</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">True West</span>/ Peterborough Players, 1984 - 3 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Uncommon Women</span>, 1977 - 4 photographs</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Visit to a Small Planet</span>, 1958 - 1 photograph</li></ul></p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Alicia Ackerman; Machine-readable finding aid created by Alicia Ackerman.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
1.25 linear feet (3 boxes)
- date_start
-
1948
- date_end
-
1990