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Albert Joseph (A. J.) Esta Collection, 1928-2004
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Esta, Albert Joseph
- Title
- Albert Joseph (A. J.) Esta Collection
- Dates
- 1928-2004 (inclusive)19282004
- Quantity
- 7 cubic feet, (9 boxes)
- Collection Number
- OLPb025EST
- Summary
- The collection contains materials relating to A. J. Esta’s professional career as an actor, theater critic, and director from the 1950s through the early 1990s in addition to providing information about his personal life behind the scenes, which was also highly influenced by his theatrical pursuits. Journals, correspondence, photographs, production posters, reviews, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, and sheet music are among the sources that document the life of this longtime San Francisco resident.
- Repository
-
Lewis & Clark College, Special Collections and Archives
Aubrey R. Watzek Library
615 S. Palatine Hill Rd.
Portland, OR
97219
Telephone: 5037687758
Fax: 5037687282
archives@lclark.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection has no restrictions and is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
A.J. Esta was born in Butte, Montana in 1930 and earned his master’s degree from the University of Montana before moving to the East Coast to pursue an acting career. He later moved in the 1950s to San Francisco where he initially worked as an actor with Jules Irving and Herbert Blau’s Actor’s Workshop, a regional repertory company. Esta was eventually employed as a director for several local companies including the Playhouse, the Sons of Art, Theatre Artists of Marin, the Ross Valley Players, and the East Bay Children’s Theater. He additionally reviewed local theater productions for Drama-Logue, Back Stage, and Bay Times. A one-time member of the Critics Circle, Esta’s innovative works include the first all-male productions of “Hello Dolly” and “The Women.” His original musicals include “Saddle the Unicorn” and “COLEcuts” among others. Esta died at the age of 73 in Wheeler, Oregon while visiting family and friends.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Large portions of this collection consist of journals dating from 1976-2003 (although not every year in this range is included) and descriptions of productions—reviews, programs, and photos—mainly during the years 1953-1991. The videotapes (2) and computer disks (6) have not been viewed to date. Among the oversized items in the collection are posters and playbills that are of exhibition quality.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish, exhibit, broadcast, or quote from materials in the Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections requires written permission of the Head of Archives & Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
The Albert Joseph (A.J.) Esta Collection (OLPb025EST), Lewis & Clark College Aubrey Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections, Portland, Oregon.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged in two series—personal and professional—with journals arranged chronologically by date and productions alphabetically by title.
Location of Collection
Special CollectionsCustodial History
Donated to Lewis & Clark College in 2007 by Eunice Massey.
Processing Note
Processed in 2008.
Related Materials
The Lewis & Clark College Special Collections also holds the Kermit Sheets Papers. Sheets was a San Francisco theater contemporary of Esta's.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1930-2004Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Biographical
Birth certificate; death certificate; high school diploma; father's birth certificate
|
September 21, 1930-December 11, 2003 |
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence |
1964-2003 |
| 1 | 3 | Personal Memorabilia
Address book; card with prayer to St. Jude
|
undated |
| 1 | 4 | General Events
Programs; playbills
|
1956-1994 |
| 1 | 5 | Greeting Cards
Misc. greeting cards
|
undated |
| 1 | 6 | Poetry
Misc. poems; poems by friend to Esta
|
undated |
| 1 | 7 | Stationery
Letterhead for A.J. Esta, unused; letterhead for the Interplayers, unused
|
undated |
| 1 | 8 | Misc.
Misc. greeting cards; photographs of cats; playbills for Cats
|
undated |
| 2 | 1 | A. J. Esta Obituaries
Newspapers; photocopies of newspapers
|
2003-2004 |
| 2 | 2 | A. J. Esta Memorial
Cards; poems; newspaper clippings
|
2003-2004 |
| 2 | 3 | Correspondence re: Death
Printed emails
|
November, 2003-January, 2004 |
| 2 | 4 | A.J. Esta Funeral Guest Book
Memorial service guest book
|
February 2, 2004 |
| 2 | 5 | Memorial Services/Obituaries of A.J. Esta's Friends
Newspaper clippings; cards
|
1977-2002 |
Series 2: Personal Journals, 1976-2003Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 1 | Journal
Notebook
|
March 31, 1976-April 10, 1976 |
| 3 | 2 | Journal
Notebook
|
January 1, 1987-September 4, 1987 |
| 3 | 3 | Journal
Notebook
|
September 5, 1987-April 12, 1993 |
| 3 | 4 | Journal
Notebook
|
April 13, 1993-December 23, 1993 |
| 3 | 5 | Journal
Notebook
|
December 24, 1993-July 13, 1994 |
| 3 | 6 | Journal
Notebook
|
July 14, 1994-February 9, 1995 |
| 3 | 7 | Journal
Notebook
|
February 10, 1995-October 22, 1995 |
| 4 | 1 | Journal
Notebook
|
October 23, 1995-April 23, 1996 |
| 4 | 2 | Journal
Notebook
|
April 24, 1996-September 27, 1996 |
| 4 | 3 | Journal
Notebook
|
September 28, 1996-January 25, 1997 |
| 4 | 4 | Journal
Notebook
|
January 26, 1997-June 11, 1997 |
| 4 | 5 | Journal
Notebook
|
June 12, 1997-October 28, 1997 |
| 4 | 6 | Journal
Notebook
|
October 29, 1997-April 3, 1998 |
| 4 | 7 | Journal
Notebook
|
April 4, 1998-October 6, 1998 |
| 5 | 1 | Journal
Notebook
|
October 7, 1998-December 27, 1998 |
| 5 | 2 | Journal
Notebook
|
December 6, 1999-June 26, 2000 |
| 5 | 3 | Journal
Notebook
|
June 27, 2000-January 23, 2001 |
| 5 | 4 | Journal
Notebook
|
January 24, 2001-August 25, 2001 |
| 5 | 5 | Journal
Notebook
|
August 26, 2001-September 2, 2002 |
| 5 | 6 | Journal
Notebook
|
September 3, 2002-April 11, 2003 |
| 5 | 7 | Journal
Notebook
|
April 12, 2003-September 26, 2003 |
| 5 | 8 | Undated Journals
Notebook; papers
|
undated |
Series 3: Theater Materials, 1953-1991Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 6 | 1 | Absalom and Caine Mutiny
Review; photos
|
August, 1958-February, 1961 |
| 6 | 2 | Affair Exchange
Script; reviews
|
May, 1966 |
| 6 | 3 | Angel Street
Program
|
December, 1983 |
| 6 | 4 | BROUHaHa
Music; program; reviews
|
1963 |
| 6 | 5 | Carousel
Photos from 1955; program from 1982
|
1955-1982 |
| 6 | 6 | Chicken Little
Script
|
May, 1991 |
| 6 | 7 | Cole Cuts
Scripts; music; program
|
April, 1991 |
| 6 | 8 | (An Evening of Edna St. Vincent Millay
Program
|
January 7, 1979 |
| 6 | 9 | The Fantasticks
Script; program
|
1959-1960 |
| 6 | 10 | The Fifth Season
Photos
|
1953 |
| 6 | 11 | Hay Fever
Program; review; photos
|
February-March, 1966 |
| 6 | 12 | He Who Gets Slapped
Photos
|
March, 1966 |
| 6 | 13 | It's Me Again!
Program
|
June, 1969 |
| 6 | 14 | The Lady's Not for Burning
Programs; reviews; photos
|
1960-1975 |
| 6 | 15 | Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Program
|
undated |
| 6 | 16 | Light Up the Sky
Reviews; photo
|
May, 1965 |
| 6 | 17 | Listen to My Song
Script; program
|
1996 |
| 6 | 18 | A Little Night Music
Programs; reviews
|
1980-1981 |
| 7 | 1 | Long Day's Journey into Night
Review; photo
|
August, 1973 |
| 7 | 2 | Lysistrata
Script; programs; reviews; photos
|
November, 1965 |
| 7 | 3 | Misanthrope
Photos
|
August, 1976 |
| 7 | 4 | Musicians of Bremen
Script
|
1991 |
| 7 | 5 | National Anthem
Script; music; program; reviews
|
December, 1983 |
| 7 | 6 | Othello
Photos
|
undated |
| 7 | 7 | Ready or Not, It's Me
Program
|
July, 1967 |
| 7 | 8 | Royal Family
Review; photos
|
February-March, 1980 |
| 7 | 9 | Saddle the Unicorn
Script; reviews; photos
|
April, 1964 |
| 7 | 10 | Seesaw
Reviews
|
August, 1965 |
| 7 | 11 | Shakespeare, the Musical Revue
Script; reviews
|
May, 1987 |
| 7 | 12 | Shakespeare, the Musical Revue
Programs; reviews; photos
|
May, 1987 |
| 7 | 13 | The Sprayer and Essay on Friendship
Program
|
undated |
| 7 | 14 | Syncopated Justice
Script
|
undated |
| 8 | 1 | There's Language in Her Eye
Script
|
August, 1982 |
| 8 | 2 | Thurber and Friends
Program; review
|
March, 1987 |
| 8 | 3 | Thurber and Friends Photo Album
Photos
|
March, 1987 |
| 8 | 4 | Tin Types
Script; program; reviews
|
November-December, 1984 |
| 8 | 5 | Total Eclipse
Programs; reviews
|
April, 1974 |
| 8 | 6 | Turn of the Screw adaptation
Script
|
undated |
| 8 | 7 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Program; reviews; photos
|
October, 1966 |
| 8 | 8 | The Women
Reviews
|
May-June 1967 |
| 8 | 9 | East Bay Children's Theatre Association
Program; newspaper clippings, directories; bylaws
|
1985-1987 |
| 8 | 10 | Creative Artists Theatre, Inc.
Newsletter; bylaws; mission statement; invitation
|
April, 1982-May, 1987 |
| 8 | 11 | Interplayers
Program; reviews
|
1964-1966 |
| 8 | 12 | Lone Mountain Productions
Reviews; photos
|
1973-1974 |
| 8 | 13 | Mill Valley Center for Performing Arts
Programs; reviews; newspaper clippings; balance sheet
|
1967-1968 |
| 8 | 14 | "Sons of Art" Festival
Scripts; programs; reviews; photos
|
undated |
| 8 | 15 | Informal Theatre Information
Tour notes
|
undated |
| 8 | 16 | Unidentified Manuscripts |
undated |
Series 4: Posters, Photographs, and Oversized Materials, 1928-2004Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 9 | 1 | Unidentified Professional Photos |
undated |
| 9 | 2 | Carousel
Poster
|
September-October, 1982 |
| 9 | 3 | Chicken Little
Music
|
May, 1991 |
| 9 | 4 | A Little Night Music
Poster; music
|
July-August, 1981 |
| 9 | 5 | Lysistrata
Poster; photos
|
November, 1965 |
| 9 | 6 | Saddle the Unicorn
Poster
|
April, 1964 |
| 9 | 7 | Watercolor Greeting Cards
To Esta from unknown
|
undated |
| 9 | 8 | Identifed Personal Photographs |
undated |
| 9 | 9 | Unidentifed Personal Photographs |
undated |
| 9 | 10 | Josephine Johns Esta: Photograph |
1928 |
| 9 | 11 | Albert and Josephine Esta and friends: Photograph
From Albert and Josephine Esta to Mrs. Peter Rusk
|
1928 |
| 9 | 12 | Painting by A.J. Esta
Bridgeman Ranch, "the Yellow Bit"
|
undated |
| 9 | 13 | Floppy Disks
6 disks
|
undated |
| 9 | 14 | Celebrating A.J. Esta 1930-2003: Film
Film, in 2 formats
|
2004 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Theater -- California -- San Francisco.
Personal Names
- Blau, Herbert
- Esta, Albert Joseph--Archives
- Irving, Jules, 1925-
Geographical Names
- San Francisco (Calif.)
Aubrey Iglesias
2008
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
