Found 129 collections related to Theater -- United States

Philburn (Phil) Friedman (1921-1988) was an American stage manager. Friedman managed numerous Broadway and West Coast theater productions, many of them musicals, including Kismet (1953), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Pippin (1972), Chicago (1975), and Dancin' (1978). He worked with director, writer, and choreographer Bob Fosse for nearly 15 years, and played the part of the stage manager in Fosse's 1979 autobiographical film, All That Jazz. He also worked extensively with directors Cy Feuer and Abe Burrows. The Phil Friedman papers (1805-1979) document Friedman's general interest in theater and to some extent, his work as a stage manager. The collection holds programs, telegrams, photographs, biographical material, and scrapbooks containing images of stage actors from the early 1900s. less

Zero Mostel (1915-1977) was an American artist and actor of stage and screen, well known for his portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. The Zero Mostel scores contain Mostel's personal copies of published sheet music both related and unrelated to his acting career, as well as sheet music from Jim Brochu's play Zero Hour, a tribute to Mostel produced after his death. less

The Theatre Guild, established in 1919 by Theresa Helburn, Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, and Helen Westley, is an American theatrical association. Since its inception, the Theatre Guild has produced over 200 original theatrical productions, many of which have become Broadway classics. The Theater Guild records (1949-1952) document the Theatre Guild's administrative activities during the planning and execution of the production of Carousel at the Stoll Theatre in London in 1950, and Oklahoma! for the 1951 Berlin Arts Festival. less

C.K. Alexander (1923-1980) was an Egyptian actor, director, and composer. The C.K. Alexander papers date from 1943 to 1980 and document Alexander's acting career in the United States, and to some extent, his work as a director. The collection holds photograph albums and scrapbooks, scripts, and professional files. less

Anna Minot Warren (1918-2007) was a stage, screen, and television actress who performed under her maiden name, Anna Minot. Joseph Warren (1916-1993) was a stage, screen, and television actor. Both were self-described "journeyman actors." The collection (1931-2006) contains material related to their acting careers. The papers contain production files, photographs, posters, scrapbooks, scripts, and a sound recording. There is also a small amount of files related to Minot's work as a professional reader for the Theatre Guild and the Play of the Month Guild. less

John Mangano was a stage director, actor, writer, stage manager and theater administrator. The John Mangano papers, dating from around the 1940s to 1988, document Mangano's life and career through scripts, photographs, correspondence, art, writings, and programs. less

Robert Benchley, humorist, critic, actor, writer and director was born in 1889 in Worcester, Massachusetts. His writing career began as early as his college days as president of the LAMPOON, in which he wrote many articles. His reputation as a humorist grew when he became editor of the New York Tribune's Sunday Magazine. During the 1920's he was the dramatic editor for both Life Magazine and the New Yorker. His career also included writing, acting and directing for MGM. The Robert Benchley Papers consist of correspondence, photographs, clippings, scrapbooks, programs and reviews and document both the careers of him and his son, Nathaniel. less

The papers document the careers of Robert C. Schnitzer and Marcella Cisney, actors, producers, administrators, and educators. The American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA), The University of Michigan, The Theatre Guild American Repertory Company, and the University Resident Theatre Association are among their major affiliations represented in this collection. less

Lester Polakov, set and costume designer, was born in 1916. He began his career designing sets in summer stock from 1936-1940. From 1938-1941 he worked on Broadway shows as an assistant to designers such as Harry Horner, Boris Aronson, and Albert Johnson. In 1973 he designed the sets for Robert Wilson's play THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOSEPH STALIN. His other works include: THE EMPIRE BUILDERS; MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING; THE WINNER; and RIGHT YOU ARE, among others. He has also created designs for industrial stage shows, exhibitions, and films. From 1955-1958 he taught theatrical design at Columbia University, and from 1958 to the present he has been the director of the Lester Polakov Studio of Stage Design, now known as the Studio and Forum of Stage Design. The Lester Polakov Papers and Designs consist of papers, photographs, set designs, and technical drawings regarding his set designs for numerous productions. less

St. Clair Bayfield (John St. Clair Roberts), a character actor known for his many Shakespearean roles, was born August 2, 1875 in Cheltenham, England. After Mr. Bayfield died on May 19, 1967, his widow, Kathleen Bayfield, helped to establish an annual award in his name. The award, administered by Actors Equity Association, is given to an actor or actress in a non-featured role in a Shakespearean production. The St. Clair Bayfield collection contains clippings, correspondence, photographs, a poster, programs, scripts and other material that document Mr. Bayfield's acting career and the St. Clair Bayfield awards. less

Sandy M. Campbell, a professional actor from the mid-1940s through the end of the 1950s, knew and worked with a number of prominent stage and screen actors of the period, and corresponded with many of them. The Sandy M. Campbell correspondence spans 1939-1980, but the bulk of the material dates from the 1940s through the 1950s, the period when Mr. Campbell was active in the theater. Most of the correspondence consists of brief letters to him, though there is one letter written by him to Sarah Marshall. The strength of the collection is a large group of letters from actor Herbert Marshall (1890-1966) to his daughter, actress Sarah Marshall (Mrs. Karl Held), written between 1948 and 1959. Mrs. Held had these letters xeroxed, bound, and privately printed in 1980, and presented copies to family members and friends, including Sandy Campbell, to whom she inscribed a copy. Herbert Marshall is best known as the star of such films as ACCENT ON YOUTH (1935), FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940), and THE LITTLE FOXES (1941), and his letters cover a variety of topics. less

The Shepperd Strudwick Papers is composed of correspondence, newspaper clippings, programmes, memorabilia, scripts, and other material relating to the career of Shepperd Strudwick. The papers document in detail the rise of Strudwick's career from "The Carolina Playmakers'' to his nomination for a Tony award for TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WE GO. Included are financial statements and contracts giving salary information for the years 1952 to 1978. The collection also contains information about accusations by the Onandaga County American Legion that Strudwick was a communist and his reaction to those statements. Insight into his acting technique and his teaching career at the University of Detroit is also included. There is also information about the acting career of his third wife Margaret O'Neill. less

The Dalrymple Papers primarily consist of correspondence with individuals and organizations (financial and theatre related agencies) connected with both proposed and produced productions at City Center venues, the Brussels World’s Fair, the New York’s World Fair and with New York City Center staff. Documents that illustrate the practical business of running a theater company such as box office reports, requisitions, and guidelines, as well as a significant amount of production related material including casting information, production reports, programs, general publicity and clippings (most in scrapbook format) can be found within this collection. less

English character actor J. P. Wilson, known to friends and family as Josh, began his stage career in England where he toured for six years with Sir Frank Benson, and later appeared in a number of plays in the United States. Among J. P. Wilson's American stage credits were THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with Walter Hampden and Ethel Barrymore, ESCAPE with Leslie Howard, THE LAKE with Katharine Hepburn, MAGGIE THE MAGNIFICENT with James Cagney and Joan Blondell, and PYGMALION with Gertrude Lawrence and Raymond Massey. Consists primarily of letters to actor J. P. Wilson. Two letters to Wilson were written by Sir Frank Benson, with whom he toured England in his early professional days. Actor Walter Hampden, with whom Wilson had worked on stage, wrote him on June 5, 1955, six days prior to Hampden's own fatal stroke. Hampden speaks of his role in the new Lana Turner film DIANE at MGM, a role which was taken by Cedric Hardwicke after Hampden's death. Hampden's widow Mabel thanks Wilson for his condolence note. Also includes a few photographs, a menu, and a program for a 1901 cricket match. less

The Higgins Family papers consist of correspondence, contracts, photographs and hanging plots and document this family's career in the theater. The bulk of the collection is correspondence to Thomas R. Higgins from his friend actress Evelyn Russell who entertained in and wrote soldier shows for Special Services in Europe from 1945-1948. Letters (mostly from Germany) give insight into itineraries and experiences of soldier show performers. In a letter dated August 8, 1947, Russell recreates for Higgins the skits and lyrics for a show called "Who's On First". Also included are autographed photographs of Russell from the 1940s and headshots from the 1960s. Her letters dated 1960-1971 reflect her stage and television career and her life with her husband director/choreographer Joe Layton. less

The Harold Clurman papers contain notebooks and journals, director's annotated scripts, manuscript drafts and annotated typescripts of Clurman's books, and photograph scrapbooks documenting his career as a director, critic and writer. The materials span from 1935 through 1978 and give an interesting look at Clurman's work and thought process as a director. Notebooks contain his ideas on plot and character development, as well as casting notes and ideas for plays which he directed, while the scripts contain his director's annotations and compliment the notebooks for research and study of Clurman's techniques as a director. Drafts and typescripts of Mr. Clurman's three books: On Directing; All People Are Famous; and Ibsen show these works as they evolved. Finally, the photograph scrapbooks give a pictorial representation of specific plays including AWAKE AND SING and foreign productions of THE ICEMAN COMETH and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. less

Harold Clurman, director, author, teacher, critic, and occasional actor, was born Harold Edgar Clurman on September 18, 1901, in New York City, son of Samuel M. and Bertha (Saphir) Clurman. Mr. Clurman was co-founder of the Group Theatre (1931) and was made executive consultant of the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center. He became theater critic for "The Nation" in 1953 and also wrote for the "London Observer", "New Republic" and "Tomorrow Magazine". He married Stella Adler in 1943, he later married actress Juleen Compton. Mr. Clurman died in New York City on September 9, 1980. Harold Clurman's reviews contain handwritten drafts of his review column "Theatre", as well as book reviews. less

This collection contains the records of HB Playwrights Foundation and the personal and professional papers of its founders, actors Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen. The Foundation was formed in New York City in 1964 to allow a space for playwrights, actors, directors, and designers to develop their plays in an experimental environment free from commercial limitations. Material relating to the HB Playwrights Foundation includes extensive production material and a small amount of administrative files. Files relating to Berghof and Hagen consist of correspondence, appointment books, diaries, photographs and photo albums, production files, scrapbooks, and a small amount of personal material. less

This collection contains the records of HB Studio, an acting school founded by actor Herbert Berghof in New York City in 1945, and the personal and professional papers of Berghof and his wife, actress Uta Hagen. Material includes correspondence, administrative files, appointment books, diaries, photographs and photo albums, production files, scrapbooks, a small amount of personal material, and sound and video recordings. less

The Helene Champlain papers consist of her personal and professional correspondence and span the years 1932-1969. The largest portion of letters is from Peter Rollo, whom she corresponded with for over 30 years. These reveal important aspects of Rollo Peters' life and career. Correspondence from famous personalities consist largely of brief impersonal notes and include letters from Maurice Chevalier and Emlyn Williams. less

James Hanley (1901-1985) was a British playwright and novelist whose books often had seafaring themes, and whose plays included THE INNER JOURNEY and SAY NOTHING. He also co-edited a book on the singer Fyodor Chaliapin. James Hanley died on Nov. 11, 1985, at the age of 84. The James Hanley correspondence to William E. Hunt consists of nine letters from playwright Hanley to director Hunt, spanning April 1966 to April 1967. The central subject of the correspondence is a proposed staging of Hanley's play THE INNER JOURNEY to be adapted and directed by Hunt, but the production was aborted due to the illness of the leading actor. less