Scope and arrangement
The Theater Guild records date from 1949 to 1952 and document the Theatre Guild's administrative activities during the planning and executing the production of Carousel at the Stoll Theatre in London in 1950, and Oklahoma! for the 1951 Berlin Arts Festival. This collection contains correspondence, invoices, licensing agreements, memorandums, and publicity files relating to these two productions.
The Carousel files relate to the production of Carousel at the Stoll Theatre in London, and include drafts of contracts, correspondence with Prince Littler of the Stoll Theatre, and interoffice correspondence dating from 1949 to 1950. Drafts of a licensing agreement between Rodgers & Hammerstein and the Stoll Theatre in London are present, as well as several abstracts of contracts relating to royalties distributed to the director, choreographer, and set designer for Carousel. The correspondence pertains to Designing Artists' contracts between Theatre Guild and Jo Mielziner, as well as the distribution of royalties, passport and travel logistics of cast and crew, and interoffice memorandums relating to the planning of the show.
The Oklahoma! files document the production of Oklahoma! for the Berlin Cultural Arts Festival in 1951. Included are files on budgets, travel and transportation, publicity, insurance, newsreel and radio coverage, and payroll, among others. Most of the files contain correspondence in addition to invoices, receipts, budgets, meeting minutes, and travel documents. The correspondence is comprehensive and documents many aspects regarding the planning and execution of the production in Germany, such as the establishment of conditions surrounding the televising of the production in Germany, press coverage, letters of congratulation, and interoffice correspondence relating to sending customs and passport information to the cast and crew. Primary correspondents are the directors for the Theatre Guild, Lawrence Lagner and Theresa Helburn, and secretary Warren Caro.
Also present is a limited amount of correspondence relating to the showing of Oklahoma! for the Hershey Theatre in Pennsylvania. The correspondence between Theatre Guild staff and the Hershey Theatre's manager, Harry C. Chubb, documents the Theatre Guild's pleasure with the success of the production.
Arrangement
Material is arranged alphabetically by production.