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Creator
Muschamp, Catherine
Call number
*T-Mss 2002-034
Physical description
.4 linear feet (1 box)
Preferred Citation

Catherine Muschamp papers, *T-Mss 2002-034. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
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Catherine Muschamp was a British playwright, librettist, and actor whose plays were produced in Australia, Europe, and the United States. Muschamp's career spanned over forty years in the performing arts. Her plays include the Beheading, The Four Crowns and The Killing Game. The collection, dated 1971 to 1988, holds correspondence and photographs.

Biographical/historical information

Catherine Muschamp (1917-) was a British playwright, librettist and actor. Muschamp developed an interest in the theater from her father who performed as a circus clown. World War II and military service ended her career in vaudeville. Post-war, Muschamp's career would continue as a playwright, librettist, and actor for the next forty years. Her plays were produced in Australia, Europe and the United States. Muschamp's many works include The Beheading, The Four Crowns, and The Killing Game. Muschamp used several name credits: Catherine Lloyd-Thomas, Thomas Muschamp, and Catherine Muschamp. Muschamp currently resides in Europe.

Scope and arrangement

The collection, dated 1971 to 1988, holds letters addressed to M. David Samples and Wayne F. Maxwell from Catherine Muschamp. Her letters, dated 1976 to 1988, include information about the development of her plays, reviews by critics, and collaborations with Samples and Maxwell.

Plays that Muschamp wrote about include The Four Crowns (formerly titled The Plantagenets) and the Killing Game (a rewrite of the Game of Kings). Her letters indicate that the Killing Game was both critically and financially successful. The remaining materials are photographs from The Four Crowns, two studio photographs of Muschamp, and a program for The Beheading produced at the Apollo Theatre in London.

Arrangement

The collection is organized by format: biographical information, correspondence, photographs, and format.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The collection was maintained by M. David Samples.

Source of acquisition

Donated by M. David Samples, 1996 to 2006.

Processing information

Compiled by Valerie Wingfield, 2014

Related Material

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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 theatre@nypl.org.