Loading...
Creator
Minot, Anna
Call number
*T-Mss 2012-064
Physical description
6.69 linear feet (17 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
Preferred Citation

Anna Minot and Joseph Warren papers, *T-Mss 2012-064. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

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.

Biographical/historical information

Anna Minot Warren (1918-2007) was a stage, screen, and television actress and a self-described "journeyman actor" who performed under her maiden name, Anna Minot. She grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was active in the theater group at her high school, the Buckingham School. Minot went on to study theater at Vassar College, under the tutelage of Hallie Flanagan.

Minot moved to New York in 1939 and had her first professional role in American Jubilee at the New York World's Fair. She began appearing in small roles on Broadway including The Strings, My Lord, Are False (1942); The Russian People (1942); the first production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh (1946); An Enemy of the People (1950); and Ivanov (1966). Minot also traveled extensively throughout her career, performing in regional and summer stock productions across the United States. In the late 1940s and early 1950s she was a regular on Television Playhouse specials, Ford Theater, and Studio One. From 1958 to 1971, she appeared in soap operas, including Edge of Night, A World Apart, and As the World Turns.

In addition to her professional theatrical work, Minot was a play reader for both the Theater Guild and the play submission organization, the Play of the Month Guild. She was also active with Plays for Living, a not-for-profit drama group that produced plays on social issues for schools and community groups. Minot married actor Arthur Franz in 1945 and had one son. The couple divorced soon after, and she married actor Joseph Warren in 1950.

Joseph Warren (1916-1993) was a stage, screen, and television actor. Warren was from Foxboro, Massachusetts, where he attended high school at the Leland Powers School. He briefly joined the Air Force before attending the University of Denver. Warren made his Broadway debut in Barefoot in Athens (1951). Other Broadway credits included One Bright Day (1952); The Advocate (1963); Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1966); Borstal Boy (1970); The Lincoln Mask (1972); Little Black Sheep (1975); and Monday After the Miracle (1982). Warren appeared in multiple television shows as a character actor throughout the 1950s to the 1980s. He had a regular role on The Jackie Gleason Show from 1967 to 1969, and recurring roles on Dallas and All My Children.

Minot and Warren were founding members of the Pearl Theater Company and often appeared in multiple productions together. The New York City-based Company was founded in 1984 by Shepard Sobel and Joanne Camp and focused on producing classical theater. Warren died in New York City in 1993, and Minot died in 2007 in Nevada.

Scope and arrangement

The Anna Minot and Joseph Warren papers (1931-2006) contain material related to their acting careers. The papers contain production files, photographs, posters, scrapbooks, and scripts. The majority of the collection is arranged by format and represents both of their careers, with the exception of the production files which were previously arranged by actor. 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. The collection primarily documents Minot's and Warren's work in theater, with the exception of television scripts and photographs that relate to Minot's soap opera appearances.

The production files for Minot and Warren are arranged in chronological order by actor. Minot's files span from the 1940s to 2006. The earlier files consist of programs, news clippings, and contracts. Some of the programs are signed by cast members and include notes to Minot. The later files, from 1984 to 2006, are particularly rich and document Minot's work with the Pearl Theater Company, including Richard III, The Rivals, and The Country Wife. These files include cast lists, research notes, drafts of outgoing letters, and a photo album from The Rivals. In addition to the general chronological run, there is a file of Minot's contracts from the Actors Equity Association, a notebook with vocal instruction exercises and lyrics, a miscellaneous file containing novelty Playbill cards and an autograph book, and a file of stage manager reports from Plays for Living. Warren's files span from 1940 to 1987 and consist of programs, news clippings, invitations, and contracts, often in the casual form of a letter from the company manager.

The photographs are composed of multiple headshots of Minot and Warren throughout their careers, often accompanied by resumes. The headshots and resumes document the journeyman nature of both their careers—the continuous process of auditioning for new parts. In addition to the headshots, there are snapshots from the Ice Man Cometh, Edge of Night, and A World Apart, and of various cast members backstage at unidentified productions. There are also snapshots of Minot and Warren on vacation. There is one file of headshots and resumes of other actors.

The posters are for productions that Minot and Warren were in, including Aristocrats; Getting Out; Ivanhov; The Lincoln Mask; Richard III; Long Days Journey into Night; Monday After the Miracle; Philadelphia, Here I Come; and a hand-drawn Adam and Even (sic) poster for a performance at St. Cecilia's Church in New York City. The scripts are heavily annotated and include both published and unpublished scripts, including several scripts for Plays for Living and television scripts for A World Apart. The latter scripts are numbered and have the rehearsal and taping schedule on each cover.

The collection contains three scrapbooks that represent Minot's early career, including her high school performances at the Buckingham School, at Vassar College, and her appearances in both Broadway and regional theater. They consist of programs, news clippings, note cards and telegrams, and photographs. The files related to Minot's work as a professional reader for the Theatre Guild and the Play of the Month Guild and are composed of script critiques and invoices.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by format.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The collection was retained by Anna Minot Warren. The production files appear to have been arranged by a library school student prior to donation.

Source of acquisition

Donated by Anna Minot Warren.

Processing information

Compiled by Susan Malsbury, 2013

The original order was maintained. Loose material was foldered and the entire collection was rehoused in boxes. The scrapbooks are fragile and care should be used when examining them. One scrapbook is restricted pending conservation treatment.

Using the collection

Location

Billy Rose Theatre Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatrediv@nypl.org.