Scope and arrangement
The Acting Company records, dating from 1968 to 2017, offer extensive documentation of the history of the Company through voluminous stage and technical notes and instructions; programs, promotional literature, administrative files, and clippings; and a comprehensive set of stage and promotional photography.
The largest portion of the collection consists of stage manager and technical production bibles containing detailed notes on staging, lighting, blocking, costumes, and props, as well as touring logs and, in some cases, photographs. They offer a deep look into theatrical production, in some instances for the same play produced in separate seasons, with different casts, directors, and crews.
Promotional and administrative files mainly contain programs for performances in New York and around the United States, as well as benefit programs, flyers, clippings, and brochures. Administrative correspondence and notes regarding the history of the company and production matters appear only for the early years (1968 to 1972), and for the 2003-2004 season.
A large set of photography documents productions from throughout the Company's history through dress-rehearsal or performance photographs used for promotion. Also present are two books of photographs of John Houseman's career, and a book of photos from the American National Theater and Academy's 1983-1984 season.
The collection also holds audio, film, and video recordings. They consist of full performances, performance excerpts, benefit galas, award ceremonies, rehearsals, incidental music, radio/television public service announcements, and interviews with actors.
The The Acting Company records are arranged in four series:
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1971-2017
This series, which comprises the largest portion of the collection, documents the Acting Company's production and touring process. It holds binders (referred to as "bibles") containing scripts annotated by the stage managers and technical crews, and used to guide the production crew through the performance. The bibles include stage directions and cues; stage designs; scene blockings; lighting plans; and other technical notes. Also present for some productions is information on props or costumes (including photographs); photographs of performances and touring life; tour logs noting the quality of a performance, problems, accidents, or other exceptional circumstances; correspondence between the director and producer, and between the company and local presenters; cast and crew contact lists; and programs and clippings. Some binders also have recordings of sound effects and incidental music, and scores for music performed.
Although there are more binders present from the 1970s, binders from later years are larger and contain more (and more varied) content.
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1968-2017
This series primarily contains a comprehensive set of programs for the Acting Company's productions and annual benefits. Also present are promotional flyers, subscription brochures, and clippings. The chronological arrangement of this material is preceded in the container list by a separate set of programs only, dating from 1972 to 1991.
In addition to programs, brochures, and flyers, files from 1968 to 1972 and the 2003-2004 season hold administrative correspondence.
The 1968-1972 files, which document the formation and development of the company, its opening season at City Center, and its summer 1972 residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), hold administrative correspondence between the Company and the Juilliard School, as well as SPAC; press releases; programs; clippings; and travel and logistical information.
The 2003-2004 season file includes letters between Margot Harley, artistic director, and playwrights, directors, and actors concerning plays, commissions, the functioning of the Company, and university theater programs.
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1972-2003
The photographs primarily document Acting Company productions, benefit galas, and staff. The bulk of the series consists of binders, arranged by season, containing complete sets of images of productions in dress rehearsals or performances for publicity purposes. The binders contain mostly slides, though prints and negatives are present as well for some productions. Actors from throughout the Company's history are featured in multiple productions.
The binders were numbered consecutively by season, though as time went on, seasons had to be housed in more than one, hence "Book 5, Part I", "Book 5, Part II", etc. A few binders received no numbers, but have been arranged with the other books based on their time range. Each binder in the container list has a note detailing the productions it documents. A few binders are devoted to photographs of the annual Acting Company benefits, or to pictures of staff.
Three binders have excerpts of productions from multiple seasons. They contain images duplicated from the other binders, but may represent those photographs favored for publicity purposes. These binders appear at the end of the chronological list as "mixed productions."
Also present is a book of photographs of American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) productions in 1983 and 1984, and two books of slides of John Houseman, compiled for a tribute event in 1986. These contain images of Houseman from around 1904 to the 1970s, and consist of photos of plays; film and television stills; film posters; and informal images of Houseman with producers and actors. The slides are individually numbered; Volume 143 has a list of slide numbers and their contents.
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1972-2015
Notable audio/video contents include the film Stages: Houseman Directs Lear (1981); performances of A Doll's House (1994), The Cradle Will Rock (1983), The Comedy Of Errors (2000), and The Tempest (2008); a workshop for Romeo and Juliet; and interviews with Kevin Kline and Margot Harley.