{"value"=>"<p>The Show Files document much of Golden's work as a playwright, theatrical manager, and producer. Material predominantly consists of correspondence, with an emphasis on the developmental stages of production, such as discussions regarding scripts in progress and casting, and is rich in correspondence between Golden and the playwrights, actors, and directors with whom he worked, including Rachel Crothers, Samson Raphaelson, Austin Strong, Winchell Smith, and Gertrude Lawrence. Researchers interested in specific individuals should also consult Series I: Correspondence. Some show files also include dispatches from his touring companies illuminating the complicated logistics of a national tour. This is particularly evident in the files for Claudia and Susan and God, where the normal trials and tribulations of a road show were compounded by war-related restrictions and rationing.</p> <p>In addition to correspondence, some files contain other material generated over the life cycle of a production, including contracts, box office and royalty statements, budgets and inventories of props and costumes, press releases, and ephemera. The productions are unevenly documented; in some cases, a show may only be represented by a single program. Almost no material is present to represent Golden's early work as a songwriter, save for some correspondence relating to his popular 1916 song Poor Butterfly. No material, or a negligible amount of material, is present to represent the following productions: Thunder, The Midnight Rounders of 1921, Caught Wet, Savage Rhythm, and Riddle Me This. Most extensively documented are The Army Play by Play, Claudia, Lightnin', Skylark, Susan and God, Theatre, and Three's a Family.</p> <p>In addition to produced works, this series also includes files on productions that were under consideration or in early stages of development which were ultimately not produced for financial, artistic, or other reasons.</p> <p>Golden's shows often had extended runs, many had national tours, and some were revived decades after the original Broadway production; the files do not always reflect these circumstances. Lightnin', for instance, opened on Broadway in 1918, but the earliest related material in the collection dates from 1920, at which point the show had run for one thousand performances.</p> <p>The show files are arranged alphabetically by title. Some of Golden's plays had previews or out-of-town tryouts under one title, only to have the name tweaked or changed entirely either during its Broadway run or in subsequent productions; working and alternate titles have been noted when available.</p> <p>Additional coverage of Golden's productions, including underrepresented early works, can be found in Series IX: Scrapbooks, and in the Billy Rose Theatre Division's collection of visual materials documenting the career of John Golden, 1903-1954 (*T-Vim 2011-233).</p>"}