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Creator
Distler, Paul A., 1937-
Call number
*T-Mss 1996-022
Physical description
2.1 linear feet (5 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Paul A. Distler collection of American Theatre Association materials, *T-Mss 1996-022. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

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

The Paul A. Distler collection of American Theatre Association materials chiefly dates from 1968 to 1987 and holds publications, conference programs, and materials related to the organization's fiftieth anniversary in 1986.

Biographical/historical information

The American Theatre Association (ATA) was founded in 1936 as the American Educational Theatre Association; the name was changed in 1972 when the organization was restructured. The group promoted theater and theater education, with emphasis on children's theater, theater in secondary schools and colleges, and community theater.

Paul A. Distler was a professor of theater and director of the School of Arts at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He served as American Theatre Association (ATA) president in 1977, and remained active as a member of the ATA until its dissolution in 1986. He is Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theater at Virginia Tech.

Scope and arrangement

The Paul A. Distler collection of American Theatre Association materials chiefly dates from 1967 to 1987 and holds publications, conference programs, photographs, correspondence, and a small number of notes. Publications date from 1968 to 1987, and include an incomplete run of ATA's Theatre News, as well as publications from other groups within the ATA such as Children's Theatre Review, The Secondary School Theatre Journal, and American College Theatre Festival Playwriting Awards Newsletter. A small number of publications from other theater organizations are also present. The collection holds correspondence, notes, photographs, and slides related to the work of the ATA Golden Anniversary Committee. Photographs and slides consist of images of conferences and events, Winifred Ward, and officers through ATA's history. While most of the early photographs are later copies, the collection also holds a small number of original photographs from the 1950s.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three categories: American Theatre Association Golden Anniversary material, Conference Programs, and Publications.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by Paul Distler, 1996.

Processing information

Compiled by Kit Fluker, 2014

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.