- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"31.5 lf."}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"97 boxes"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1979-001", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21297", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1934-1970", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1934/1970"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1934
- date_inclusive_end
-
1970
- keydate
-
1934
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Maurice Evans papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts <span class=\"subarea\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, N.Y. 10023-7498</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Maurice Evans papers contain correspondence, production materials, photographs, programs and scripts that document his role as an actor, director and production."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Maurice Evans Papers, *T-Mss 1979-001, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Evans, Maurice, 1901-1989", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Maurice Evans, the actor-manager noted for his American classical productions, was born in Dorchester, England on June 3, 1901. He made his professional debut as Orestes in <span class=\"title\">The Oresteia</span> in Cambridge in 1926. After a succession of walk-on roles in the West End in the late 1920s, he joined the Old Vic Company in 1934, appearing in <span class=\"title\">Antony and Cleopatra</span>, <span class=\"title\">Much Ado About Nothing</span> and Shaw's <span class=\"title\">Saint Joan</span>. He received the notice of Katharine Cornell, who invited him to play the role of Romeo with her in <span class=\"title\">Romeo and Juliet</span> on Broadway in 1935. The following year he portrayed the Dauphin to her Joan in <span class=\"title\">Saint Joan</span>.</p> <p>Mr. Evans began his series of Shakespearean triumphs with his appearance in the title role of <span class=\"title\">King Richard II</span>, which established him as a major performer in 1937. He returned in Margaret Webster's production of <span class=\"title\">Hamlet</span>, the first full-length version to be presented in the modern American theatre. Branching out into comedy from romantic leads, Maurice Evans played Falstaff in the revival of <span class=\"title\">Henry IV, Part I</span> and Malvolio in <span class=\"title\">Twelfth Night</span>. In 1941 he starred with Judith Anderson in <span class=\"title\">Macbeth</span>.</p> <p>After obtaining American citizenship, Mr. Evans enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was promoted to major and put in charge of entertainment in the Central Pacific arena. Most notable from this period was his <span class=\"title\">G.I. Hamlet</span>, a special cutting of the text for soldier audiences, which he performed in New York after the war and took on national tour.</p> <p>Upon his return, Mr. Evans primarily distinguished himself in Shavian productions, staging and appearing in <span class=\"title\">Man and Superman</span>in 1947 and <span class=\"title\">The Devil's Disciple</span> in 1951. Ever expanding his repertoire, he starred in the commercial thriller, <span class=\"title\">Dial “M” for Murder</span>, in 1952, and had a singing role in George Abbott's <span class=\"title\">Tenderloin</span> in 1960.</p> <p>During the 1950's Evans' expanded his production empire by creating industrial shows under the auspices of his company, Maurice Evans Industrials, Inc. This was short-lived and lasted until 1959. He created the industrial show <span class=\"title\">Motorola</span> for <span class=\"corpname\">General Motors Corporation</span> and this traveled from New York to Boston and Canada.</p> <p>In the 1960s Maurice Evans brought his craft to mass media, where he received exposure for both classical and commercial work. <span class=\"title\">The Hallmark Hall of Fame</span> aired a series of his Shakespearean productions. His name became a household word with his role as Elizabeth Montgomery's warlock father on <span class=\"title\">Bewitched</span>. He was also seen in many films including <span class=\"title\">Planet of the Apes</span> and <span class=\"title\">Rosemary's Baby</span>. He returned to his native England in the late 1960s, where he died in Brighton on March 12, 1989.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The papers of Maurice Evans consist of production files, correspondence, financial records, scrapbooks and scripts, primarily documenting his American career as an actor and producer. The files are organized alphabetically in order to most effectively serve the researcher's need to represent his artistic progression. Fortunately, his office maintained comprehensive records, so that there is thorough indication of his productions' development, artistic issues and technical requirements.</p> <p>The collection is divided into five series: Scripts, Production Files, Scrapbooks and Maurice Evans Productions, Inc. and Maurice Evans Industrials. The script series includes copies of most of his plays from stage, screen and television. There are various versions of new plays (<span class=\"title\">Teahouse of the August Moon</span>), adaptations of classics for television, in addition to television series scripts used in Mr. Evans' later career. The production files form the majority of the material. From stagings ranging from <span class=\"title\">Hamlet</span> to <span class=\"title\">Man & Superman</span> to <span class=\"title\">Dial “M” for Murder</span>, there are records covering the evolution of each concept, casting considerations, design notes and sketches, as well as national touring files in many cases. The financial records document budgets and expenditures. The scrapbook series includes clippings from many of the Maurice Evans productions from as early as 1936 with the production of <span class=\"title\">St. Joan</span>. There is also one scrapbook of programs from the 1948-1949 tour of <span class=\"title\">Man & Superman</span>. The series on Maurice Evans Productions contains the minutes and bylaws of the organization dated 1938 and a budget and continuity for a film entitled <span class=\"title\">The World Is Young</span>. The series containing the records of Maurice Evans Industrials, Inc. shows working files for the Motorama production created for <span class=\"corpname\">General Motors Corporation</span> in 1958.</p> <p>The strength of this collection is in its breadth. The stamp of Mr. Evans' exuberant personality is evident, as his working methods, personal style and tireless energy clearly emerge. The fascination is in observing a 19th century-style actor-manager tailor his craft to the requisites of 20th century American audiences, both in terms of special adaptations of the classics (<span class=\"title\">G.I. Hamlet</span>), as well as the desire to boldly embrace the mass media as a forum for his expression.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Maurice Evans papers are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21297#c293599'>Series I - Scripts</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1937-1966</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>21 boxes 7 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of a comprehensive collection chronicling Mr. Evans' career. Of note are the various versions of original plays (<span class=\"title\">Dial “M” for Murder</span>, <span class=\"title\">Teahouse of the August Moon</span>); Shakespeare plays (<span class=\"title\">Hamlet</span>, <span class=\"title\">King Richard II</span>, <span class=\"title\">Macbeth</span>) in their stage and <span class=\"title\">Hallmark Hall of Fame</span> television adaptations; a series of U.S. Army entertainment scripts from World War II; as well as scripts from Maurice Evans' television appearances in the 1960s (<span class=\"title\">I Spy</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Man From U.N.C.L.E.</span>, etc.). In some cases miscellaneous rehearsal materials (cast lists, rehearsal schedules, light plots) have been included, where applicable.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21297#c293721'>Series II - Production Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1937-1956</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>57 boxes 20 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of the files primarily from the Maurice Evans Office. The majority of the contents are correspondence: Mr. Evans', his associate producers, general manager, press representative and legal counsel. In terms of the plays, themselves, there are files concerning casting, contracts, insurance, box office statements and scenic and technical matters. In addition, press files provide programs, reviews and clippings. Touring production files generally encompass similar materials broken down by city.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21297#c294840'>Series III - Scrapbooks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1936-1959</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21297#c294856'>Series IV - Maurice Evans Productions, Inc.</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1938</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box.25 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains the minutes and by-laws of Maurice Evans Productions, Inc. incorporated in 1938. Also included are ideas for a film production entitled <span class=\"title\">The World Is Young</span>.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21297#c294861'>Series V - Maurice Evans Industrials, Inc.</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1958-1959</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Alphabetical</p> <p>Included in this series are organizational files for Maurice Evans Industrials, Inc., the industrial arm of his production empire. Files include all production materials for the industrial show <span class=\"title\">Motorama</span>, created for General Motors Corporation.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Maurice Evans Papers are divided into 5 series and 10 sub-series:</p> <ul> <li> Series I. Scripts <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - Stage</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Screenplays</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Television</li></ul></li> <li>Series II. Production Files <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - Shakespearean Productions</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Army Entertainment Unit</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - City Center Productions</li> <li>Sub-series 4 - Broadway Productions</li></ul></li> <li>Series III. Scrapbooks <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - Stage Productions</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Television Productions</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Program Scrapbooks</li></ul></li> <li>Series IV. Maurice Evans Productions, Inc.</li> <li>Series V. Maurice Evans Industrials, Inc.</li></ul>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection was donated by Maurice Evans in 1979.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Additional scripts have been cataloged separately and can be located through the scripts card catalog</p> <p> <ul> <li>Award from Shakespeare Club of NY to Maurice Evans - 1951</li></ul></p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan; machine-readable finding aid created by Mary Ellen Rogan.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>An initial inventory was taken, as catalog cards were prepared for the various productions, correspondence was broken down by individuals and the boxes were assigned locator sequence numbers. Final processing of the materials was completed in 1992. According to Theatre Collection policy, Mr. Evans' production photographs and programmes were separated from the collection and added to existing production files.</p> <p>In 2003 the collection was given a new classmark. Old classmark numbers were 8-MWEZ 29100-29196.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Maurice Evans Papers, sound recordings and sheet music</p>", "type"=>"host"}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- extent_statement
-
31.5 linear feet.; 97 boxes
- date_start
-
1934
- date_end
-
1970