Archives West Finding Aid
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Sarah Nash Gates papers, 1974-2005
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Gates, Sarah Nash, 1949-2015
- Title
- Sarah Nash Gates papers
- Dates
- 1974-2005 (inclusive)19742005
- Quantity
- 3.19 cubic feet (5 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 6422 (Accession No. 6422-001)
- Summary
- Costume design illustrations of the University of Washington, School of Drama professor
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Open to all users.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Sarah Nash Gates (1949-2015) was a costume designer and a professor at the University of Washington (UW) School of Drama for 30 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees at Boston University in 1973, before completing a Master of Arts degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1974. After her initial graduate studies, Gates taught at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia, Stephens College, and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, in addition to freelance work. In 1984, she completed a Master of Fine Arts at Boston University, before accepting at teaching position at the UW, teaching costume design and its history. Gates served as the first female president of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) from 1992-1994 and was involved with the organization before and after her leadership role.
In 1994, she became the executive director of the School of Drama until her retirement in 2014, leading the department through the renovations of the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse, the creation of a design wing in Hutchinson Hall, the controversial production of "All Powers Necessary and Convenient" (written by Professor Mark Jenkins), and in 2010, a financial crisis resulting from state budget cuts that had campus wide impacts at UW. Her retirement was brief as she accepted a part-time role as the UW's interim divisional dean of the arts in the summer of 2015. However, she fell ill shortly after due to brain and lung cancer, which she ultimately passed away from on December 4, 2015.
Outside of her work at the UW, she also served as a founding board member of the Theatre Puget Sound, a board member of the 5th Avenue Theatre, and the president of the University/Resident Theatre Association (URTA). Throughout her career, she designed for the 5th Avnue Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, Seattle Opera, Pacific Performance Project, Tacoma Actor's Guild, A Contemporary Theatre (ACT), the Denver Center Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Opera Theatre, the Aspen Music Festival, and Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus.
(Sources: "In Memoriam: Sarah Nash Gates," USITT Sightlines, http://sightlines.usitt.org/archive/2016/01/InMemoriamSarahNashGates.asp; "Sarah Nash Gates, theater artist and leader, dies at 66," The Seattle Times, https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/theater/sarah-nash-gates-theater-artist-and-leader-dies-at-66/; "Treasured faculty member and theater professional, Sarah Nash Gates, loses battle with cancer," UW News, https://www.washington.edu/news/2015/12/08/treasured-faculty-member-and-theater-professional-sarah-nash-gates-loses-battle-with-cancer/; "Remembering Sarah Nash Gates," UW College of Arts & Sciences News & Events, https://artsci.washington.edu/news/2015-12/remembering-sarah-nash-gates; "Sarah Nash Gates," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Nash_Gates.)
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Original artwork and renderings of costume designs for various theatrical productions from approximately 1974-2005.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged in 4 series.
- Series 1, Theatrical Companies and Institutions, 1980-2000
- Series 2, Multiple Productions and Institutions, approximately 1974-2005
- Series 3, Theatrical Productions, approximately 1982-1983
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Theatrical Companies and Institutions, 1980-2000Return to Top
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is abbreviated as OSF, or also known as OSFA to signify the location of the theatre in Ashland, Oregon. The State University of New York at Fredonia (also represented as SUNY Fredonia) is also known as State University College, Fredonia, N.Y. (also represented as SUC Fredonia).
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/1 | A Contemporary Theatre (ACT): "Amadeus" 18 painted illustrations
|
1984 |
1/1 | A Contemporary Theatre (ACT): "Tea" 8 painted illustrations
|
1995 |
1/2 | Intiman Theatre Company: "The Second Mrs.
Tanqueray" 11 painted illustrations
|
1986 |
4/2 | Intiman Theatre Company: "A Doll's House" 6 painted illustrations
|
1987 |
4/3 | Intiman Theatre Company: "Crumbs from the Table of
Joy" 17 painted illustrations
|
2000 |
4/4 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "King
John" 32 painted illustrations
|
1985 |
1/3 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "The
Tempest" 16 painted illustrations
|
1986 |
1/4 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "The Member of the
Wedding" 24 illustrations
|
1987 |
4/5 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "Henry
IV" 37 illustrations
|
1988 |
4/6 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "Henry
IV" 27 illustrations
|
1989 |
5/1 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "Julius
Caesar" 15 painted illustrations
|
1991 |
5/2 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "Biederman and the
Firebugs" 6 illustrations
|
1992 |
5/3 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF): "Lips Together, Teeth
Apart" 12 painted illustrations
|
1993 |
1/5 | The Pennsylvania Opera Theater: "The Magic
Flute" 15 painted illustrations
|
1987 |
1/6 | Seattle Children's Theater: "The Secret
Garden" 15 painted illustrations
|
1988 |
1/7 | Seattle Children's Theater: "Pink and Say" 13 painted illustrations
|
1997 |
1/8 | Seattle Opera: "Salomé" 26 painted illustrations
|
1986 |
5/4 | Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mobile Outreach Bunch (MOB):
"Homegirl" 3 painted illustrations
|
1985 |
2/1 | State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia:
"Cabaret" 11 painted illustrations
|
1980 |
2/2 | State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia: "Hedda
Gabler" 7 painted illustrations
|
1980 |
2/3 | State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia: "Dear
World" 11 painted illustrations
|
1981 |
2/4 | State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia: "The
Consul" 10 painted illustrations
|
1982 |
2/5 | Tacoma Actor's Guild: "Miss Julie" 4 painted illustrations
|
1997 |
5/5 | University of Washington: "The Inspector
General" 6 illustrations
|
1983 |
2/6 | University of Washington: "Soeur Angelica" 3 painted illustrations
|
1983 |
5/6 | University of Washington: "Julius Caesar" 8 painted illustrations
|
1984 |
2/7 | University of Washington: "The Sea" 5 painted illustrations
|
1991 |
5/7 | University of Washington: "The Seagull" 14 painted illustrations
|
n.d. |
Series 2: Multiple Productions and Institutions , approximately 1974-2005Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/8 | Costume Designs 10 illustrations, 6 on board
Includes the following institutions and productions:Seattle
Children's Theatre, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (2005);State University of
New York (SUNY) at Fredonia, "Dear World" (1981);Wolf Trap Foundation,
"Showboat" (1980);"The Marriage" (1974);"The Nutcracker" (1974);"Richard III"
(1974).
Several works contain mold.
|
1974-2005 |
5/8 | Costume Designs 4 illustrations
Includes the following institution and production: State
University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia, "Hedda Gabler" (1980).
|
c. 1980 |
5/9 | Costume Designs 6 painted illustrations
Includes the following institution and productions: Ginderbread
Productions, "The Gin Game" (1980); "The Ghost Sonata" (1982).
|
1980-1982 |
2/9 | Costume Designs 8 illustrations
Unknown theatrical production.
|
c. 1986 |
2/10 | Costume Designs 11 painted illustrations
Includes the following institution and productions: Seattle
Opera, "Romeo and Juliette" (1988); "Faust"
|
c. 1988 |
Series 3: Theatrical Productions, approximately 1982-1983Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/1 | "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 4 painted illustrations
|
n.d. |
5/10 | "Faust" 8 painted illustrations
|
1983 |
5/11 | "Goodwoman of Setzuan" 14 illustrations
Two of the illustrations contain derogatory words, which are
sexist and racist, to describe an element of a costume design.
|
1983 |
3/2 | "Love Labor's Lost" 22 painted illustrations
|
1982 |
3/3 | "Love Labor's Lost" 25 painted illustrations
|
n.d. |
3/4 | "The Seagull" 9 painted illustrations
Includes the following instutions: Boston University and the
University of Washington.
|
c. 1983 |
3/5 | "The School for Scandal" 3 painted illustrations
|
1982 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- University of Washington. University Archives