- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2000-043", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"18895", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"b20526343", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1862-1998", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1862/1998"}
{"value"=>"1970-1995", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1970/1995"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1862
- date_inclusive_end
-
1998
- keydate
-
1862
- date_start
-
1862
- date_end
-
1998
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"William E. Hunt papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"8.4 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"21 boxes, 1 oversized folder", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"id"=>"THE", "value"=>"Billy Rose Theatre Division"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"William E. Hunt (circa 1923-2000) was an American theater director. The collection dates from 1862 to 1998 and contains production files, scripts, scores, correspondence, programs, and professional files."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>William E. Hunt papers, *T-Mss 2000-043. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Hunt, William E.", "type"=>"persname", "role"=>"creator"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>William E. Hunt (circa 1923-2000) was an American theater director. He received a bachelor's degree in English from Johns Hopkins University and attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. Hunt directed over 100 Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, regional, and summer stock productions between the early 1950s and the 1990s. He ran the Red Barn Theatre in Northport, New York from 1953 until 1967, and designed the Off-Broadway theater, Theatre East, with Betty King in 1955. From 1983 to 1984, he directed the Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, Connecticut.</p> <p>In 1971, Hunt directed <span class=\"title\">Two by Tennessee</span>, a tryout production of Tennessee Williams's <span class=\"title\">Confessional</span> and <span class=\"title\">I Can't Imagine Tomorrow</span>, at the Maine Theatre Arts Festival. Among his more notable Off-Broadway productions are <span class=\"title\">Green Julia</span>; <span class=\"title\">The Sunshine Train</span>, for which he was nominated for an Obie Award; a dual production of James Prideaux's <span class=\"title\">Lemonade</span> and <span class=\"title\">The Autograph Hound</span>; a dual production of <span class=\"title\">Ludlow Fair</span> and <span class=\"title\">The Madness of Lady Bright</span> by Lanford Wilson; and <span class=\"title\">Friends and Enemies</span>, starring Eli Mintz. Between 1975 and 1985, Hunt conceived of and directed five productions of a musical revue about Jerome Kern. The production was staged under varying titles along the East Coast, including <span class=\"title\">Kern at the Gate</span> (1975 at the Village Gate), <span class=\"title\">Jerome Kern at the Hartman</span> (1978), <span class=\"title\">Just For Fun: The Music of Jerome Kern</span> (1979 at Off Center Theatre, New York City), and <span class=\"title\">Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern</span> (1983 at the Ivoryton Playhouse and 1985 at the Harold Clurman Theatre).</p> <p>William E. Hunt died in New York City in 2000.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection dates from 1862 to 1998 (bulk 1970-1995) and contains production files, scripts, scores, correspondence, programs, photographs, and posters for Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, stock, and regional productions that Hunt directed or produced between 1975 and 1995. The collection also contains professional files.</p> <p>Production files are arranged alphabetically by production title and document the planning, performance, and reception of plays and musicals Hunt directed or produced. Files may contain correspondence, contracts, budgets, invoices, stage plots, prop lists, synopses, song lyrics, programs, reviews, and publicity materials. Among the more robust files are those for <span class=\"title\">Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern</span>; <span class=\"title\">A Loud Bang on June the First</span>; <span class=\"title\">Get Happy: The Music of Harold Arlen</span>; and <span class=\"title\">Variable Lengths</span>. Researchers interested in scripts, scores, and correspondence pertaining to a particular production should consult those respective file groups in addition to the production files.</p> <p>Production files for the Jerome Kern musical revue are all filed under <span class=\"title\">Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern</span>. Included are programs, reviews, and other publicity materials for <span class=\"title\">Kern at the Gate</span> (1975); <span class=\"title\">Jerome Kern at the Hartman</span> (1978); <span class=\"title\">Just For Fun: The Music of Jerome Kern</span> (1979); and <span class=\"title\">Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern</span> at the Ivoryton Playhouse (1983), and the Harold Clurman Theater (1985). Budgets for the 1975 and 1985 productions are included, as well as box office statements for the 1985 production. Some materials in the files, such as song lists, scene outlines, lyrics, movement sequences, stage plots, and contact sheets, are undated and may pertain to more than one production of the show. Outgoing letters to lawyers regarding arbitration against the producer West Dobson during the 1985 production are present. Other correspondence relating to this and earlier productions is located in the correspondence files.</p> <p>Scripts in the collection consist of annotated typescript and published plays that Hunt directed or produced. The scripts are sometimes accompanied by programs, letters from authors, or contracts. The published scripts are heavily annotated and include such titles as <span class=\"title\">Gigi</span>, <span class=\"title\">A Loss of Roses</span>, <span class=\"title\">Lovers and Other Strangers</span>, <span class=\"title\">No Time for Comed</span>y, <span class=\"title\">Sleuth</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Man</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Come Back, Little Sheba</span>. Among the typescripts are those for <span class=\"title\">Miss Stanwyck is Still in Hiding</span>, <span class=\"title\">Prague Spring</span>, <span class=\"title\">Wash the Spider Out</span>, <span class=\"title\">Roberta</span>, and <span class=\"title\">The Midnight Run of Alvin Blum</span>.</p> <p>The bulk of the scores are for <span class=\"title\">Get Happy: The Music of Harold Arlen</span> and the Jerome Kern musical revue. Scores for songs by Jerome Kern consist of manuscripts and printed, annotated scores for songs like \"How'd You Like to Spoon With Me\"; \"Who? Sunny!\"; \"In Love In Vain\"; \"I Won't Dance\"; and \"Lovely to Look At.\" Scores for <span class=\"title\">Get Happ</span>y are manuscript, printed and published scores, some of which are accompanied by light cues and lyrics. Other musicals represented through the scores include <span class=\"title\">I Never Saw Another Butterfl</span>y and <span class=\"title\">Variable Lengths</span>.</p> <p>Correspondence documents production planning through letters with authors, producers, publicity representatives, and rights holders of plays and music. The letters discuss royalty and rights agreements, script changes and rewrites, locating and securing venues, advertising agreements, and casting for shows that Hunt directed, such as <span class=\"title\">As Time Goes B</span>y; <span class=\"title\">Clan Gathering</span>; <span class=\"title\">Spring at Marino</span>; <span class=\"title\">Perfect Pitch</span>; <span class=\"title\">Blest Quackers</span>; and various productions of the Jerome Kern musical revue. Some correspondence documents audience and critic receptions and ticket sales, such as that concerning <span class=\"title\">Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern</span>; <span class=\"title\">The Gin Game</span>; <span class=\"title\">Drawn to the Fire</span>; and <span class=\"title\">Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris</span>.</p> <p>Professional files contain employment contracts, theater lease agreements, and membership materials for the Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers and the Actors' Equity Association. Also included are Hunt's resumes, biographical profiles, and unpublished writings. Materials that relate to the Ivoryton Playhouse consist of newspaper clippings and administrative materials dating from 1983 to 1984.</p> <p>Programs in the collection are for shows that Hunt directed, most of which were Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway plays and musical revues. Photographs mostly consist of production stills and publicity photographs for <span class=\"title\">Perfect Pitch</span> and <span class=\"title\">Miss Stanwyck is Still in Hiding</span>. Also included are photographs of Hunt directing rehearsals and backstage, childhood photographs of Hunt, and headshots of actors. Clippings consist of one page of <span class=\"title\">The Programme: A Journal of the Drama, Music, Literature, Art, etc.</span> (volume VI, 1862) and two clippings from an 1887 periodical featuring opening night information for <span class=\"title\">Dandy Dick</span>. The collection also contains two opening night awards; posters; and original works of art, including a watercolor painting by Eddy Leight; and two collages by Clyde Wachsberger.</p> <p>The collection contains audiovisual material primarily consisting of sound recordings of productions. Inquiries regarding audiovisual material may be directed to the Billy Rose Theatre Division (theatre@nypl.org). Audiovisual materials will be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.</p>"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection is arranged by format.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by the Estate of William E. Hunt, 2001.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"type"=>"processing", "value"=>"<p>Compiled by <span class=\"name\">Robyn Hjermstad</span>, <span class=\"date\">2014</span></p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection contains audiovisual material. Inquiries regarding audiovisual material may be directed to the Billy Rose Theatre Division (theatre@nypl.org). Audiovisual materials will be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatre@nypl.org.</p>"}
- dsc_type
-
combined
- extent_statement
-
8.4 linear feet (21 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
- date_bulk_start
-
1970
- date_bulk_end
-
1995