Barry Witham papers, approximately 1931-2020

Barry Witham was born in Newcastle, Maine, 1939. He was the second of four children of the Rev. Cecil Witham and Afton Bates. He was educated at Tufts College (B.A. Magna Cum Laude 1961), the University of Iowa (M.A., 1964) and Ohio State University (PH. D., 1968).

Witham was Professor Emeritus of theatre history at the University of Washington School of Drama. He published in numerous professional journals and read papers at national and international conferences. He is co-author of Uncle Sam Presents, a memoir of the Federal Theatre Project and editor of Theatre in the United States: A Documentary History. His book, The Federal Theatre Project: A Case Study, (Cambridge, 2003) was honored as "an outstanding academic title" by Choice Magazine. Professor Witham also worked for four years as a professional dramaturg at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. He was a member of the National Theatre Conference and of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. In 2002, he was honored by the University of Washington with a Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2003 he was the recipient of the Betty Jean Jones Award for teaching excellence by the American Theatre and Drama Society. His 2013 book, A Sustainable Theatre: Jasper Deeter at Hedgerow, won the John W. Frick award for best book on American theatre and drama. Witham passed away in December 2022.

Sources:

UW School of Drama. Accessed: March 2024, https://drama.washington.edu/people/barry-witham

The Seattle Times Obituary, "Barry Witham." Accessed: March 2024, https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/barry-witham-1086914297