Found 214 collections related to Theater -- New York (State) -- New York

Jerome "Jerry" Mayer (1910?-1965) was a director, producer, playwright and stage manager, who, though born in Kansas City and based primarly in New York, also served as Managing Director of the Honolulu Community Theatre of Honolulu, Hawaii, from 1956 to 1959. Born into a wealthy family, Mayer was just out of Yale when he first worked on Broadway, as assistant stage manager for the Alfred Lunt-Lynn Fontanne production of ELIZABETH THE QUEEN (1930). In 1933 he took part in a Theatre Festival Tour of the Soviet Union conducted by Harold Clurman. By his mid 20s Mayer was producing such Broadway plays as NOAH (1935) and GOOD HUNTING (1938), the latter of which he also directed. He wrote a play, GOODBYE IN THE NIGHT (1940), which was produced and directed by George Abbott but ran for only eight performances. In later years Mayer worked in Puerto Rico and Australia as well as Hawaii. At the Honolulu Community Theatre Mayer staged eighteen plays and musicals, but he returned to New York in 1960, and directed several plays for the Westchester Arts Festival, Chappaqua, N.Y., between 1961 and 1964. On February 23, 1965, Jerome Mayer was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Manhattan and died without regaining consciousness on March 4, at the age of 55. The Jerome Mayer papers consist mostly of correspondence pertaining to theatrical activities in Honolulu, Hawaii, especially the East-West Center of Hawaii University. In his later years, after he had returned to New York from Hawaii, director-producer Mayer attempted to raise funds to start a new theater troupe in Honolulu. The majority of the collection pertains to these efforts, which appear to have been unsuccessful. Also in the collection is a detailed itinerary of the Theatre Festival Tour of Soviet Russia, May 18 to July 7, 1933, conducted by Harold Clurman under the auspices of The Open Road, Inc. Mayer was present on this tour, and saved a Russian hotel bill as well as two postcards to friends written during the trip. There is also paperwork pertaining to NOAH, Mayer's first Broadway production. less

Joel Grey (1932-) is an American actor, singer, dancer and director, working in theatre and film from the 1950s through the present. The Joel Grey Papers contain publicity and general production files, scripts, photographs and memorabilia on stage productions Joel Grey appeared in. There are also production materials on television, radio and film projects he did and solo acts/personal appearances. less

J. Edward Bromberg, actor, director, and producer, was part of the Civic Repertory Theatre, the Group Theatre, and the Actors' Laboratory Theatre as well as a leading character actor in motion pictures. His papers contain scripts, correspondence, playbills, press releases, and clippings that document his career. less

H. A. Condell was a stage and costume designer in Germany and in the United States. He received his early training under the notable Max Reinhardt and his early work was under the auspices of the Berlin Civic Opera and the non-Aryan theater (also known as the Jewish Kulterbund), of which he was co-founder. Condell emigrated to the United States in 1938. His first major production after emigrating was SAINT JOAN directed by Erwin Piscator and starring Luise Rainer. In 1944 he began his affiliation with the New York City Opera which continued until his death in 1951. Besides working as a designer, Condell also taught stage design at the Dramatic Workshop and the Technical Institute where he was art director under Erwin Piscator. The H.A. Condell Papers consist of correspondence, contracts, publicity and promotional materials. His papers reflect Condell's professional career as a stage and costume designer for opera and theater in Germany and the United States from 1929 until his death. less

Elsie Janis (1889-1956) was a performer in musical comedy, vaudeville, and motion pictures, and also a composer and screenwriter. Born Elsie Bierbower in Columbus, Ohio, March 16, 1889, Elsie Janis made her stage debut at the age of eight in THE CHARITY BALL, and quickly rose to popularity in vaudeville as "Little Elsie." She made her Broadway debut in THE VANDERBILT CUP in 1906, and also appeared in THE HOYDEN (1907), THE FAIR CO-ED (1909), THE SLIM PRINCESS (1910) and THE LADY OF THE SLIPPER (1912). Silent film appearances by Elsie Janis included THE CAPRICES OF KITTY (1915), 'TWAS EVER THUS (1915) and THE IMP (1919). Known as the "Sweetheart of the A.E.F" for entertaining Allied troops during World War I, Elsie Janis continued performing in vaudeville through the 1920's. After talking pictures were introduced she contributed songs and dialogue to several films, including MADAME SATAN (1930) and THE SQUAW MAN (1931) for Cecil B. DeMille, and REACHING FOR THE MOON (1931) for Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Aside from a brief return to the screen in WOMEN IN WAR (1940), Elsie Janis retired from show business after the death of her mother in 1932. She died in Los Angeles on February 26, 1956. The Elsie Janis diaries consist of five yearbook volumes covering the years 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, and 1928, with one page devoted to each day. Most entries are written in ink, a few in pencil. The latter portion of the volume for 1920 is water-damaged. Elsie Janis was intimate with many of the stage and screen notables of her day, but references to them are sketchy. Her journal entries are brief and superficial, and read more like those found in datebooks than in diaries. less

The Empire Theatre stood at 1430 Broadway at 40th Street in New York City from 1892 until its demolition in 1953. Artistic home to theatrical producer Charles Frohman (1860-1915), the theatre opened on Jan. 25, 1893, with the production THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME. Frohman's Empire Theatre Stock Company produced a number of star performers. After Frohman's death, the Empire continued its successful operation as a booking house, hosting LIFE WITH FATHER among other hits. TIME OF THE CUCKOO was the Empire's last production. The theater's location was a major factor in the northward shift of New York's theater disrict from Union Square to Times Square. The Empire Theatre records span 1911-1953, and consist of box office statements, sales reports, promotional materials, a pay sheet for backstage crew, and other items related to the operations of the theater. Materials are sketchy, random and incomplete. less

Harold Richard Atteridge (1886-1938) was a playwright who wrote musical shows for the theatre in New York City. Collection consists of correspondence, accounts and other papers, 1909-1939, relating to Atteridge's career and business dealings. Subjects include royalties, copyright, and requests for Atteridge to write lyrics and scenes for new plays. less

The Henriques family, a mercantile family originally from Portugal, lived in England, Scotland, Nova Scotia, and the U.S. Collection consists of correspondence, legal papers, cash and account books, receipts, newsclippings, tracts, writings, and other documents representing four generations of the Henriques family. Bulk of the papers pertains to Philip Henriques's various business ventures in Nova Scotia and New York City, as well as his membership in the Methodist Church. Correspondence, 1740-1831, is mostly between Jane Henriques, the principal heir to the estate of her father, David Lopes Henriques, and attorney James Murray and between Jane and her brother Philip. David Lopes Henriques's papers, 1732-1777, consist of estate papers, ship insurance policies, and other documents. Janet Henriques's papers, 1745-1759, are primarily legal papers. Also, some papers of Jane Henriques, 1759-1796, and Jacob Lopes Henriques, 1732-1777; medical recipes and prescriptions for the family; and school and navigation books belonging to Philip Jr. and William. less

Collection consists of correspondence and other papers of Hyde. Includes correspondence with French actors and dramatists, and correspondence while Hyde was in Paris acting as foreign agent for the New Theatre in New York City. Topics include the building of the theater, financial and policy matters, and choosing and producing plays. Also, documents relating to the organization of the New Theatre. Correspondents include Winthrop Ames, Gabriel Astruc, Eugène Brieux, Lucien and Sacha Guitry, Jean Richepin, and Henry R. Winthrop. less

Director James Light (1894-1964) veteran of the Provincetown Players and its offshoot, the Experimental Theatre Company, was best known for his work with Eugene O'Neill, staging the original productions of THE EMPEROR JONES, THE GREAT GOD BROWN, and others. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, James Light came to New York in 1917, after graduating from Ohio State University, intending to pursue additional studies at Columbia. Through a chance meeting with George Cram Cook, artistic director of the Provincetown Players, Light was cast in a small role in Susan Glaspell's play CLOSE THE BOOK. Soon he left acting behind, and by 1920 was an associate director. He staged the premiere production of Eugene O'Neill's THE EMPEROR JONES that year, and later presented O'Neill's ALL GOD's CHILLUN GOT WINGS and THE GREAT GOD BROWN. James Light also directed E. E. Cummings' HIM, Virgil Geddes' THE EARTH BETWEEN, and Paul Green's IN ABRAHAM'S BOSOM. He later served as Dean of the Drama Faculty at The New School for Social Research in New York and taught at Yale University. James Light died in New York City on Feb. 11, 1964, at the age of 69. The two James Light typescripts are titled THE PARADE OF MASKS and A NEW MARIONETTE THEATRE. In his 11 page essay THE PARADE OF MASKS, which is undated, Light writes about the the use of masks in various Provincetown Players productions of Eugene O'Neill's plays. A NEW MARIONETTE THEATRE, also undated, is unfinished, ending mid-sentence on Page 7. less

Jane Cowl (1884-1950) was an actress, playwright and theatrical producer. She appeared in her most famous acting roles in the 1920s and 1930s and co-authored several plays during this period with Jane Murfin. During World War II she was co-director of the Stage Door Canteen, an entertainment center for U.S. servicemen and women in New York City. She also hosted a radio program in the 1940s. Collection consists of correspondence, financial papers, diary, and biographical materials collected by Cowl. Correspondence, 1923-1948, is with noted playwrights, directors, actors, and theater managers; other correspondence, 1943-1946, concerns her charitable work with disabled veterans and underprivileged children. Also, diary written during Cowl's first trip to Europe in 1907 in which she described the European stage; materials she collected for a planned autobiography; and personal financial accounts. less

Gladys Malvern was an author who wrote articles and several books about the theater, including biographies of performers Joseph Jefferson, Katharine Cornell, and Harry Lauder, as well as dancer Anna Pavlova. The majority of the Gladys Malvern papers consists of an undated and untitled 87-page typescript on the history of world theater, from the Greeks and the Elizabethans to the modern era. The typescript, which is heavily emended, appears not to have been published. Internal evidence suggests that it was written in 1945. Also in the collection is a 12-page typescript of an article about actress Helen Hayes, written during the spring of 1944 and submitted to AMERICAN GIRL magazine. Malvern corresponded with Hayes' secretary prior to writing the piece, and that correspondence is included. Also present are four 2-page pieces apparently written for a radio series which featured celebrated New York restauranteur George Rector, in which Rector reminisces about famous theater people he has known such as Sarah Bernhardt and Eddie Foy. It is unclear whether the pieces were ever broadcast. Three letters written to Malvern during 1957 are also included, and concern her conversion to the Christian Science faith. less

Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, writers of stage, screen, television and radio were both born in Ohio. They met in New York where they were pursuing careers in broadcasting. Among the founding fathers of Armed Forces Radio, they created and adapted many stories for radio. Later they entered the world of commercial broadcasting for both radio and television. In the 1940s they began writing plays. Among their best known works are Auntie Mame, Mame, Inherit the Wind and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail . The Lawrence and Lee papers consist of their early correspondence and writings from broadcasting including Armed Forces Radio and commercial radio and television as well as production files and scripts from many of their major works. Also included are project ideas, other writings and speeches, scrapbooks and some photographs. The papers document their careers up until the mid-1960s. Missing from the collection are their works after this date. less

The Leland Hayward Papers reflect the activities of Hayward’s business office during his active years as a theatrical, motion picture and television producer. The majority of the collection relates to the various works Hayward produced in those three media, represented by correspondence, scripts, production materials, photographs, scrapbooks and financial records. The papers also include office files and some personal photographs. less

The Leopold Badia papers consist of a variety of materials reflecting a long acting career, including contracts, salary stubs, portions of scripts, sheet music, some correspondence, and a complete radio script from 1945. Contracts for stock productions make up the bulk of Leopold Badia's papers, but there are also several "sides" representing his character's lines from plays, including SPEAK EASY and THE GENTLEMAN FROM ATHENS, and brief notes from colleagues such as José Ferrar, Fredric March, and Sam Levene. The radio script is from a series called ONE MAN'S DESTINY, celebrating the lives of prominent people. This episode is devoted to New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. less

Lep Solomon served as treasurer of the Sam H. Harris Theatre, the Music Box Theatre, and of the Lambs Club in a career lasting from the 1910s into the 1950s. Solomon also served as president of the Treasurers Club of America, and was manager of City College of New York's Lewisohn Stadium. Although he was based in New York throughout his life, Lep Solomon happened to be visiting his daughter in Beverly Hills, Calif., when he died suddenly in August of 1957, at the age of 69. The majority of the Lep Solomon papers consist of documents related to his membership in the Lambs Club. There is also material concerning his other activities and affiliations, such as a certificate proclaiming Solomon's lifetime membership in the Actors' Fund of America. Of interest are several lengthy sheets of paper signed for Lep Solomon by his fellow members of the Lambs Club on special occasions. The earliest of these documents dates from 1931, and includes the autographs of Joe E. Brown, William Gaxton, Smith & Dale, and Harry Blackstone. Later examples, given to Solomon prior to travel or as Get Well messages during hospitalizations, include signees DeWolf Hopper, Fred Stone, Thomas Meighan, Ed Begley, Pat O'Malley and Royal Dano. Also in the collection is a special program printed on cloth for a one-night-only benefit performance for the Relief Fund of the Treasurer's Club of America. The performance took place at the Hudson Theatre on April 6, 1924, and featured Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice, Jack Benny, Robert Benchley, Jack Buchanan, and others. less

Johnson-Liff Associates was a casting agency, founded by Geoffrey Johnson and Vincent Liff in 1975, and dissolved in 2002. This collection contains office records, such as audition notes, casting ideas, headshots, resumes and submissions relating to films, television programs and theatrical productions cast by Johnson-Liff Associates. less

The Manhattan Theatre Club was founded in 1970 by Albert E. Jeffcoat, Margaret Kennedy, Philip Barber and A. Joseph Tandet. In 1972, Lynne Meadow was hired as Artistic Director. In 1975, Barry Grove was hired as Managing Director. Due to their working relationship, one of the most long-standing in the non-profit community, the Manhattan Theatre Club produces "works of the highest quality by both established and emerging American and international playwrights" (website quote)-e.g. Bad Habits, Crimes of the Heart, Ain't Misbehavin', The Singular Life of Alfred Nobbs, and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. Correspondence with financial and theatre related agencies, artistic personnel connected with both proposed and produced productions, and with Manhattan Theatre Club staff makes up a considerable portion of this collection. This collection also contains papers that illustrate the practical business of running a theater company such as literary office reports, meeting minutes, and guidelines, as well as a significant amount of production related material including casting information, production reports, programs, and general publicity. less

Maria Astrova, also known as Marie or Masha Solomonik, was an actress who studied with Stanislavki, toured Europe, then came to New York in 1940, where she and her husband Alexandre Solomonik were central figures in the Theatre of Russian Drama, a troupe which performed in Russian. During her time with the Moscow Art Theatre in the 1920s, Maria Astrova toured Europe as a member of the Prague Troupe. She left in 1930 to settle in Paris, and married Alexandre Solomonik there the following year. She continued acting with a troupe in Paris until she and her husband moved to Brussels. As the war approached, the couple moved to London, then emigrated to the United States in 1940. During the 1940s Maria Astrova and her husband staged Russian drama in New York, Astrova as an actress and Alexander Solomonik as producer and chief financial backer of the Theatre of Russian Drama. The Maria Astrova papers consist primarily of newspaper clippings from Russian language newspapers of the 1940s and 1950s, mostly Russky Golos as well as the Novoye Russkoye Slovo, in which the productions and activities of the Theatre of Russian Drama are described. In addition to the newspaper clippings, there are two programs from performances of works by Gogol, MARRIAGE (1944) and THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (1949), featuring Maria Astrova. Aside from one 1970 clipping, all other news material dates from between 1941 and 1952. There is one brief letter in Russian, dated 1952, from Vladimir Zelitsky, director of the Theatre of Russian Drama. There is a booklet dated 1946 with text in Russian and a number of pictures of dancers. There is also a watercolor of three costume designs, with two swatches of fabric attached. less

The Living Theatre was founded by Judith Malina and Julian Beck in 1947. The records consist of scripts and related performance papers. Also included are business papers, financial records, clippings, diaries, photographs and correspondence. There is little material reflecting the personal lives of Malina and Beck. less