Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections & Archives Research Center
University
Archives
121 The Valley
Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
Phone:
541-737-2165
Email:
archives@oregonstate.edu
Web:
http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/archives
RG
180
Oregon State University. Dept. of Speech
Communication.
University Theatre Records
1925-2009
6 cubic feet
6 boxes, including 2 oversize boxes, and 3
map folders
1 microfilm reel
The University Theatre Records document
dramatic stage productions at Oregon State University beginning in the
1920s and consist predominantly of play files and theater
posters.
Materials in English.
Historical Note:
Dramatic productions began at Oregon Agricultural College in the 1890s;
the Mask and Dagger Club was formed in 1912 "to encourage and promote
dramatic work." A theater program was formally established in 1920 as part
of a new Public Speaking and Dramatics Department (now the Speech
Communication Department). Dramatic productions were presented at the
Majestic Theater in downtown Corvallis and a small theater in Benton Hall
until 1950 when a campus structure was remodeled into the Mitchell
Playhouse. The University Theatre moved to Withycombe Hall in 1991 after
Mitchell Playhouse was declared unsafe.
The University Theatre Records document drama productions at Oregon
State University beginning in the 1920s. The bulk of the collection
consists of play files for individual plays and posters publicizing
performances and annual theater seasons. About 40 of the posters are
original painted artwork. The records also include programs, scripts,
publications, and materials documenting the summer theater program in the
early 1970s.
Collection is open for research.
The records are arranged in 9 series: I. Play Files, 1928-1965; II.
Play Lists, 1929-1988; III. Scripts of Plays, 1931-2009; IV. Summer
Theater, 1972-1973; V. Programs, circa 1925-2009; VI. National Collegiate
Players Fraternity (Drama Honorary), circa 1925; VII. Posters, 1935-2009;
VIII. Plans for Stage Switchboard, 1949; and IX. Publications,
1999-2009.
University Theatre Records (RG 180), Oregon State University Archives,
Corvallis, Oregon.
List
of posters available online.
Materials in the collection were received in numerous transfers from
1970 through 2009.
Additions to the collection are expected.
The
C.B.
Mitchell University Theater Scrapbooks document theater
productions at Oregon State College during the 1920s through early 1950s.
Materials pertaining to drama activities prior to 1920 are available in
the
Feronian
Literary Society and Mask and Dagger Club Records (RG 042).
Extensive photographs of the dramatic productions at Oregon State comprise
the University Theater Photographs (P 112). Some additional information
about theater and dramatics at Oregon State is part of the Speech
Communication Department Records (RG 181) as well as the
Memorabilia
Collection.
Mask and Dagger Club (Oregon Agricultural
College)
Oregon State
Agricultural College. Dept. of Public Speaking and Dramatics.
Oregon State
University. Dept. of Theatre.
Oregon State
College. Dept. of Speech.
Oregon State
University. Dept. of Speech.
College and school drama,
American--Oregon--Corvallis.
Drama--Study and
teaching--Oregon--Corvallis.
Posters.
Colleges and
Universities
Performing Arts
Student Life
Oregon
Corvallis
Series I
Play
Files
1928-1965
The Play Files document the promotion, rehearsals, and performances of
stage productions by the University Theatre and include rehearsal
schedules; information pertaining to scenery and costume rentals, ticket
sales, and attendance; programs and publicity; invoices and budgets;
newspaper clippings; correspondence; and seating charts. The files are
arranged chronologically. Play files for 1928-1950 are only available on
microfilm; files for later productions are available in original paper
form.
reel 1
1
The Kelly Kid, the Monkey's Paw, and For
Distinguished Service
May 4, 1928
reel 1
The Devil in the Cheese
December 7-8, 1929
reel 1
2
Hell Bent for Heaven
May 23-24, 1930
reel 1
3
The Dover Road
November 22-23, 1930
reel 1
4
Cock Robin
Feb. 18-19, 1930
reel 1
5
Merchant of Venice
March 6-7, 1931
reel 1
6
Youngest
May 1931
reel 1
7
Beyond the Horizon
April 1932
reel 1
8
Little Prison and The Land of Heart's
Desire
Nov. 17, 1932
reel 1
9
There's Always Juliet
Nov. 24-26
reel 1
10
Wurzle-Flummery and 'Op-
'o-Me-Thumb
February 16, 1933
reel 1
11
Death Takes a Holiday
March 9-11, 1933
reel 1
12
Rose O' Plymouthtown
May 4-6, 1933
reel 1
13
Summer Session Play
July 21, 1933
reel 1
14
Bread
December 1933
reel 1
15
Both Your Houses
March 9-10, 1934
reel 1
16
Career for Mother, The Finger of God, and
The Mayor's House
November 23,
reel 1
17
No More Frontier
May 1-2, 1935
reel 1
18
Tables and Chairs, Are Men Superior, and
Society Column
July 29, 1935
reel 1
19
The Kelley Kid and The Clock Struck
One
November 21,1935
reel 1
20
The Climbers and Maizie
February 6, 1936
reel 1
21
The Man who Married a Dumb Wife
March 11, 1936
reel 1
The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife and Cabbages
July 24, 1931
reel 1
22
The Streets of New York
December 13-14, 1935
reel 1
23
Three Cornered Moon
March 6-7, 1936
reel 1
24
The Ivory Door
May 8-9, 1936
reel 1
25
Mansions and Lavender and Red
Pepper
reel 1
26
Laburnum Grove
Dec. 3-4, 1936
reel 1
27
Grandma-Old Style
Dec. 10, 1936
reel 1
28
R.U.R.
March 5-6, 1937
reel 1
29
Aladdin
April 19, 1937
reel 1
30
Ladies of the Jury
May 7-8, 1937
reel 1
31
First Lady
Dec. 10-11, 1937
reel 1
32
The Ship
Feb. 11-12, 1938
reel 1
33
School for Scandal
May 6-7, 1938
reel 1
34
Act Your Age
July 25, 1938
reel 1
35
High Tor
Dec. 2-3, 1938
reel 1
36
The Monkey's Paw, Cabbages, and For
Distinguished Service
Feb. 14, 1939
reel 1
37
George and Margaret
March 3-4, 1939
reel 1
38
Tovarich
May 12-13, 1939
reel 1
39
Cross My Heart
July 24, 1939
reel 1
40
Mystery at Greenfingers
Dec. 1-2, 1939
reel 1
41
Spring Dance
March 1-2, 1940
reel 1
42
The Precious Stream
May 1940
reel 1
43
Stage Door
May 23-24, 1940
reel 1
44
Sunday Costs 5 Pesos and The Wonder
Hat
1940
reel 1
45
Going Places
July 29, 1940
reel 1
46
Susan and God
Dec. 6-7, 1940
reel 1
47
What a Life
Dec. 12-13, 1940
reel 1
48
Lillion
March 7-8, 1940
reel 1
49
You Can't Take it with You
April 5, 1941
reel 1
50
In a House Like This
May 9-10, 1941
reel 1
51
Night Must Fall
May 22-24, 1941
reel 1
52
So This is Hollywood
July 28, 1941
reel 1
53
Our Town
Nov. 12-13, 1941
reel 1
54
George Washington Slept Here
Dec. 5-6, 1941
reel 1
55
Ever Since Eve
July 20, 1942
reel 1
56
Glamour Preferred
May 8-9, 1942
reel 1
57
Goodbye Again
April 16-18, 1942
reel 1
58
Dark Victory
march 6-7, 1942
reel 1
59
Arsenic and Old Lace
Dec. 3-4, 1942
reel 1
60
Fly Away Home
March 4-5, 1943
reel 1
61
Craig's Wife
May 7-8, 1943
reel 1
62
Young April
Dec. 9-11, 1943
reel 1
63
Personal Appearance
March 17-18, 1944
reel 1
64
Letters to Lucerne
Dec. 7-8, 1944
reel 1
65
The Torchbearers
March 1-2, 1945
reel 1
66
Mrs. Partridge Presents
May 11-12, 1945
reel 1
67
Snafu
Dec. 6-7, 1945
reel 1
68
Outward Bound
March 7-8, 1946
reel 1
69
Holiday
May 10-11, 1946
reel 1
70
Blithe Spirit
Nov. 15-16, 1946
reel 1
71
Dear Ruth
Dec. 5-6, 1946
reel 1
72
Purple Doorknob, China Pig, and Wisdom
Teeth
June 6, 1946
reel 1
73
East Lynne
Feb. 7-8, 1947
reel 1
74
The Little Foxes
March 6-7, 1947
reel 1
75
The Haunted House
May 23-24, 1947
reel 1
76
I Remember Mama
May 8-10, 1947
reel 1
77
Foot-Loose
July 22, 1947
reel 1
78
Apple of His Eye
Nov. 14-15, 1947
reel 1
79
Claudia
Dec. 4-5, 1947
reel 1
80
Joan of Lorraine
Feb. 13-14, 1948
reel 1
81
The Scarecrow
March 4-5, 1948
reel 1
82
State of the Union
May 6-8, 1948
reel 1
83
Squaring the Circle
May 4-5, 1948
reel 1
84
The Cat and the Canary
July 20, 1948
reel 1
85
A Murder has Been Arranged
Nov. 12-13, 1948
reel 1
86
Papa is All
Dec. 2-3, 1948
reel 1
87
Room Service
Feb. 18-19, 1949
reel 1
88
MacBeth
March 3-4, 1949
reel 1
89
Years Ago
May 5-7, 1949
reel 1
90
Dulcy
May 20-21, 1949
reel 1
91
Storm in a Teacup
Nov. 10-12, 1949
reel 1
92
Thunder Rock
Dec. 1-3, 1949
reel 1
93
The Bat
Feb. 16-18, 1950
reel 1
94
Androcles and the Lion
March 2-4, 1950
reel 1
95
Hay Fever
May 4-6, 1950
reel 1
96
The Far Off Hills
May 25-27, 1950
reel 1
97
Green Pastures
Dec. 7-9, 1950
1
The Milky Way
February 15-17, 1951
1
There Shall be No Night
March 1-3, 1951
1
Heaven Can Wait
May 24-26, 1951
1
Berkeley Square
May 3-5, 1951
1
Arsenic and Old Lace
November 1-3, 1951
1
The Winslow Boy
November 28-29 and December 1, 1951
1
Born Yesterday
February 7-9, 1952
1
The Cradle Song
March 6-8, 1952
1
Autumn Garden
May 1-3, 1952
1
June Moon
May 22-24, 1952
1
Harvey
November 6-8, 1952
1
Double Door
December 4-6, 1952
1
The Male Animal
February 12-14, 1953
1
Our Town
March 5-7, 1953
1
Two Blind Mice
April 30 and May 1-2, 1953
1
Playboy of the Western World
May 21-23, 1953
1
Good-Bye My Fancy
November 5-7, 1953
1
Elizabeth the Queen
December 3-5, 1953
1
Blithe Spirit
February 11-13, 1954
1
Taming of the Shrew
March 4-6, 1954
1
The Man Who Came to Dinner
April 29-30 and May 1, 1954
1
Ten Little Indians
May 20-22, 1954
1
Good House Keeping
August 4-6, 1954
Summer session.
1
Affairs of State
November 4-6, 1954
1
Heart Break House
December 2-4, 1954
1
The Country Girl
February 10-12, 1955
1
Sabrina Fair
March 3-5, 1955
1
My Three Angels
May 5-6, 1955
1
The Torchbearers
May 26-28, 1955
1
Bell, Book, and Candle
November 3-5, 1955
1
Night Must Fall
December 1-3,1955
1
The Late George Apley
February 9-11, 1956
1
The Glass Menagerie
March 1-3, 1956
1
The Solid Gold Cadillac
May 3-5, 1956
1
The Curious Savage
Mary 24-26, 1956
1
Time Out for Ginger
August 1956
1
Present Laughter
November 1-3, 1956
1
Oklahoma
November 28-30, 1956
1
Life with Father
February 7-9, 1957
1
The Desperate Hours
February 28 and March 1-2, 1957
1
The Guest Cottage
May 23-25, 1957
1
The Parlor Story
July 31 and August 1, 1957
2
Teahouse of the August Moon
November 7-9, 1957
2
Antastasia
May 2-4, 1957
2
Dial "M" for Murder
December 5-7, 1957
2
The Crucible
February 13-15, 1958
2
The Fourposter
March 6-8, 1958
2
The Late Christopher Bean
May 1-3, 1958
2
See How They Run
May 22-24, 1958
2, 5
Lo and Behold
August 6-7, 1958
2
Ladies in Retirement
November 6-8, 1958
2
Mary of Scotland
December 4-6, 1958
2
Rain
February 12-14, 1959
2
Visit To A Small Planet
March 5-7, 1959
2
Life With Mother
April 30, May 1-2, 1959
2
The Lady Chooses
May 21-23, 1959
2
A Room Full of Roses
August 5-6, 1959
2
Witness for the Prosecution
November 5-7, 1959
2
Annie Get Your Gun
December 1-5, 1959
2
Third Best Sport
February 11-13, 1960
2
Antigone
March 3-5, 1960
2
Mister Roberts
May 5-7, 1960
2
Be Your Age
August 3-4, 1960
2
The Importance of Being Earnest
May 26-28, 1960
2
Girls in 509
November 3-5, 1960
2
The Seed and the Thorn
December 1-3, 1960
2
The Great Diamond Robbery
February 9-11, 1961
2
Separate Tables
March 2-4, 1961
2
Picnic
May 4-6, 1961
2
She Stoops to Conquer
May 25-27, 1961
2
Nude with Violin
July 27-29, 1961
2
Three Men on a Horse
November 2-4, 1961
2
The Knight of the Burning Pestle
November 30, December 1-2, 1961
2
Inherit the Wind
February 8-10, 1962
2
The Great Sebastians
March 1-3, 1962
2
The Diary of Anne Frank
May 3-5, 1962
2
Arms and the Man
May 24-26, 1962
2
Pool's Paradise
August 2-3, 1962
2
Speaking of Murder
November 1-3, 1962
2
R.U.R.
November 29-30, December 1, 1962
2
Jacques Cartier
December 7, 1962
2
A Streetcar Named Desire
February 7-9, 1963
2
Critic's Choice
February 28, March 1-2, 1963
2
The Great White Swan
March 6, 1963
2
The Silver Whistle
May 2-4, 1963
2
Shadow and Substance
May 23-25, 1963
2
An Evening of Albee
August 1-2, 1963
2
Happiest Millinaire
November 7-9, 1963
2
The Aspern Papers
December 5-7, 1963
2
Six Characters in Search of an Author
February 6-8, 1964
2
Private Lives
March 5-7, 1964
2
Little Mary Sunshine
April 30, Map 1-2, 1964
2
Come Back, Little Sheba
May 21-23, 1964
2
Kind Sir
August 5-6, 1964
2
Hamlet
December 1-5, 1964
3
Papa is All
February 11-13, 1965
3
A Man for All Seasons
March 4-6, 1965
3
Mary, Mary
May 13-15, 1965
3
The Seven Year Itch
November 4-6, 1965
3
Seasons of 1964-1965
1964-1965
3
One Acts
1964-1965
3
Series II
Play Lists
1929-1988
Series II consists of lists of plays performed by the the University
Theatre.
Series III
Scripts
of Plays
1931-2009
Series III includes scripts of several plays performed at Oregon State
in the 1930s and in 2009 with annotations and performance notes.
3
The Two Vagabonds
1931
3
Without First Aid
1934
3
School for Scandal
1938
3
The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
2009
3
Shakespeare's Journey
2009
3
Series IV
Summer Theater
1972-1973
Series IV documents the Summer Theater Program in 1972 and 1973 and
includes budgets and funding requests, brochures, newspaper clippings,
reports, correspondence, and records of funding provided by the Oregon
Arts Commission.
Series V
Programs
circa 1925-2009
Series V includes programs of theater performances at Oregon State,
primarily during the 1920s-1930s and 1990s-2000s.
4
1926-1943
4
Undated
circa 1920s-1930s
4
The Mikado
2008
4
The Laramie Project and My Name is Rachel Corrie
2009
4
1994-2007
3 folders
4
One Act Festivals
1995-2004
5
Playbill for Streets of New
York
1935
5
Series VI
National Collegiate Players
Fraternity (Drama Honorary)
circa
1925
Series VI consists of the charter certificate for the Oregon State
College chapter of the National Collegiate Players drama honorary
society.
Series VII
Posters
1935-2009
2 oversize boxes and 3 map folders
Series VII consists of more than 200 posters promoting individual
University Theatre productions as well as theater seasons. Most of the
posters are printed items smaller than 20x24 inches. The series also
includes about 40 original painted posters (about 30 inches by 45 inches)
for productions in the 1950s and 1960s. Several of these posters include
8x10 b/w portrait photographs of lead cast members. A list of posters
included in the collection is available
online.
*
Series VIII
Plans for Stage
Switchboard
1949
1 map folder
Designed by Northern School Supply of Portland, Oregon; 1 sheet.
Series IX
Publications
1999-2009
The Publications include the annual newsletter for theater arts at
Oregon State and several issues of the
Northwest Theater Review, a regional
journal of works by or about Northwest theater scholars and practitioners,
published by the Northwest Drama Conference.
4
Northwest Theater
Review
2004-2007
Edited by George Caldwell, OSU Speech Communications professor. An
article in the 2005 issue by Marion O. Rossi, Jr., and Charlotte J.
Headrick examines Shakespeare plays staged at Oregon State University.
4
Entra'acte
1999-2009
Newsletter of the theater arts at Oregon State University, published
annually in the fall.