- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"3 lin. ft.", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"4 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2003-054", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21744", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1960-2002", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1960/2002"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1960
- date_inclusive_end
-
2002
- keydate
-
1960
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Christopher Scott papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company"}
- 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"=>"Correspondence and writings of Christopher Scott and Charles Ludlam and publicity and other records of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company illuminate the underground theater scene in New York City, primarily from the 1960s through the 1980s."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Christopher Scott Papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, *T-Mss 2003-054. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Scott, Christopher, 1945-2002", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Christopher Scott helped found the Ridiculous Theatrical Company with actor/playwright Charles Ludlam in 1967. Scott (1945-2002) met Ludlam at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, Long Island in 1961 when he was a sophomore and Ludlam a senior. After Ludam was expelled from the school's Drama Club, they founded the Student Repertory Theatre in a loft above a liquor store in Northport, Long Island with Scott's mother paying the $25 a month rent.</p> <p>Charles Ludlam (1943-1987), a satirist, wrote, staged and acted in 29 plays, inventing a completely new comic theater. His Ridiculous Theatrical Company emerged in the 1960s in a Greenwich Village basement breaking all the conventional rules of the stage. Campy and outrageous, with roots in vaudeville, old movies and gothic novels, and an openly gay sensibility, the theater was a dynamic force in 1970s and 80s New York. Successful works by Ludlam included <span class=\"title\">Bluebeard</span>,<span class=\"title\">The Mystery of Irma Vep</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Turds in Hell</span>. Ludlam, who usually appeared in his own plays, both as male characters and in drag, had probably his greatest acting success in the title role in <span class=\"title\">Camille</span>. A recipient of various fellowships and awards, he was also a character actor in film and television and taught and staged productions on college campuses. When he died of AIDS in May 1987, his obituary was on the front page of the <span class=\"title\">New York Times</span>and over a thousand people attended his memorial service. His partner and featured performer, Everett Quinton, kept the Ridiculous Theatrical Company going with new plays and Ludlam revivals until financial problems forced him to disband it in 1996.</p> <p>Christopher Scott worked in various capacities at the theater, serving as an actor, business manager, publicist and patron during its formative years. As his background was in the fine arts, he designed sets and publicity for productions, and took publicity photos of the actors. From 1978-1981, he served as executive director of the company, but left after the failure of <span class=\"title\">Love's Tangled Web</span>. Aside from the theater, Scott's professional career was as an advisor and consultant to art and cultural agencies such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York City Commission of Cultural Affairs as well as to individual artists and designers.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection contains correspondence, mainly personal letters by Ludlam to Scott, scripts and notebooks by Ludlam, writings by Scott including his memoirs of working with Ludlam, and records of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, primarily publicity such as mock-ups and art work by Scott for printed material and the programs and fliers themselves, as well as photographs and clippings and a small amount of correspondence, minutes and reports. There are also a few items from Playhouse of the Ridiculous, a predecessor to the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, and oversize material including posters for productions and biographical articles on Ludlam.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Christopher Scott papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company is arranged in eight series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c450983'>Series I: Personal correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1964-1989 and n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>5 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Personal correspondence of Christopher Scott includes an interesting file of handwritten letters Ludlam wrote to him between 1964-1971 and possibly earlier, personal letters he received from others, photocopies of a letter he wrote to Ludlam and one he wrote to his parents, and letters to Scott on using his photographs.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c450989'>Series II: Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1962-2002 and n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>12 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Manuscripts are by Charles Ludlam, Christopher Scott and Peter Golub.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c451006'>Series III: Ridiculous Theatrical Company correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1967-1987</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Professional correspondence of Christopher Scott and Charles Ludlam on matters at the Ridiculous Theatrical Company as well as general fundraising appeals.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c451010'>Series IV: Ridiculous Theatrical Company administrative Records</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1978-1988</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>4 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of minutes from two meetings, an annual report with financial statements, a grant application and other administrative files such as phone numbers and patron lists primarily from the period when Christopher Scott was executive director of the Company.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c451015'>Series V: Ridiculous Theatrical Company publicity</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1967-1992</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>14 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of working files such as mock-ups for ads and programs, and photographic prints, contact sheets and negatives, as well as the final printed version of the publicity such as posters, fliers, programs and ads and listings clipped from newspapers.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c451038'>Series VI: Magazine articles and newspaper clippings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1967-1981</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>6 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes a profile of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, reviews of its productions, biographical information and photographs of Charles Ludlam from age 17 to his death, and miscellaneous clippings on the theater.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c451045'>Series VII: Playhouse of the Ridiculous</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1966-1970</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Playhouse of the Ridiculous material consists of a few programs and press releases.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21744#c451048'>Series VIII: Oversize materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1967-1989</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>7 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes mock-ups and artwork by Christopher Scott for publicity for Ridiculous Theatrical Company productions, posters and two periodicals containing articles on Charles Ludlam and Christopher Scott.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Personal correspondence</li> <li>Series II: Writings <ul> <li>Sub-series 1- Scripts by Charles Ludlam</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Notes and Notebooks by Charles Ludlam</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Manuscripts by or about Christopher Scott</li> <li>Sub-series 4 - Manuscripts by Peter Golub</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Ridiculous Theatrical Company correspondence</li> <li>Series IV: Ridiculous Theatrical Company administrative records</li> <li>Series V: Ridiculous Theatrical Company publicity <ul> <li>Sub-series 1- Mock-ups</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Photographs</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Printed publicity</li></ul></li> <li>Series VI: Magazine articles and newspaper clippings</li> <li>Series VII: Playhouse of the Ridiculous</li> <li>Series VIII: Oversize materials</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Christopher Scott Papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company were given to the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts by Michael von Uchtrup in November 2003.</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 Elisabeth Elkind; Machine-readable finding aid created by Elisabeth Elkind.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
3 linear feet (4 boxes)
- date_start
-
1960
- date_end
-
2002