English
Willamette University Archives and Special Collections
Mark O. Hatfield Library
900 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97301
archives@willamette.edu
http://library.willamette.edu/archives/
Robert Putnam Willamette University Theatre collection
Putnam, Robert
WUA110
2 linear feet
2 boxes
1947-2005
Robert Putnam was an Assistant Professor in the Drama Department at Willamette University from 1953-1974. The collection contains programs, photographs, and other materials related to the productions he was involved with during his career and after his retirement.
Materials are in English.
Mark O. Hatfield Library
Arranged in chronological order. Undated material was processed again and dated, but the folders remained in the order in which they were first processed.
Robert "Bob" M. Putnam was born June 22, 1918. He earned his undergraduate degree in Dramatic Arts from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. He married Jeanette Ruth Hershey on January 7, 1944. Putnam served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. When Putnam returned to the United States, he earned his master's degree in radio speech from the University of Wisconsin.
Robert Putnam started working at Willamette University in the 1953-1954 school year as an Assistant Professor in the Speech and Drama Department. He directed many of the Drama Department's productions between 1953 and 1974. It was common for him to produce four to five shows a year. He not only directed and produced, he also designed and built sets and costumes, occasionally acted, sold tickets, oversaw the technical aspects of productions, and handled publicity.
Between 1974 and 1980, Putnam managed the Smith Auditorium. He retired in 1980 as an Associate Professor of Theatre with 27 years of service. In 1954, during his tenure at Willamette, he helped found the Pentacle Theatre, the successful Salem community theatre. Robert Putnam died on July 5, 2007.
This collection is open to researchers.
Library acts as "fair use" reproduction agent.
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[Identification of item], Robert Putnam Willamette University Theatre collection, Archives and Special Collections, Mark O. Hatfield Library, Willamette University.
Robert Putnam was an Assistant Professor in the Drama Department at Willamette University from 1953-1974. The collection contains programs, photographs, and other materials related to the productions he was involved with during his career. There are also programs from Willamette University Theatre productions after Putnam retired.
Willamette University
Willamette University. Department of Theatre
Kresge Theatre Playhouse (Willamette University)
M. Lee Pelton Theatre (Willamette University)
G. Herbert Smith Auditorium (Willamette University)
Theater
Performing Arts
Colleges and Universities
Photographs
playbills
theater programs
Blithe Spirit program
1947 January
1
1
Our Town program
1949 December
1
2
Religious Emphasis Week Program
1950 February
1
3
The Man Who Would be Sick program
1950 Spring
1
4
The Winter's Tale program
1950 December
1
5
Murder In The Cathedral program
1951 February
1
6
School for Scandal program
1951 May
1
7
Night Must Fall program
1951 November
1
8
Papa Is All program
1952 February
1
9
Christ's Way Today?
1952 February
1
10
Twelfth Night program
1952 April-May
1
11
The Happy Time program
1952 November
1
12
The 1953-54 Season of W.U. Theatre flyer
1953-1954
1
13
The Glass Menagerie program
1953 February
1
14
Pygmalion program
1953 March
1
15
Good News program
1953 April-May
1
16
Hay Fever program and other materials
1953-November
1
17
The 1954-55 Season of the W.U. Theatre flyer
1954-1955
1
18
Electra program and other materials
1954 February
1
19
Seven Keys to Baldpate program and other materials
1954 April
1
20
She Stoops to Conquer program and other materials
1954 December
1
21
The 1955-56 Season of W.U. Theatre flyer
1955-1956
1
22
Shadow and Substance production materials
1955 March
1
23
Lo And Behold! production materials
1955 May
1
24
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1956-57 Season flyer
1956-1957
1
25
The House of Bernarda Alba program
1956 March
1
26
Curious Savage production materials
1956 November
1
27
Plautus production materials
1956 December
1
28
The WU Theatre Announces its 1957-58 Season flyer
1957-1958
1
29
The Victors production materials
1957 March
1
30
Don Juan production materials
1957 May
1
31
Trial by Jury production materials
1957 October
1
32
Thunder Rock production materials
1957 December
1
33
The WU Theatre Announces its 1958-59 Season flyer
1958-1959
1
34
An Evening of One-Act Plays program
1958 January
1
35
Summer and Smoke production materials
1958 February-March
1
36
Squaring the Circle production materials
1958 May
1
37
Menaechmi production materials
1958 October
1
38
The WU Theatre Announces its 1959-60 Season flyer
1959-1960
1
40
An Evening of One-Act Plays program
1959 January
1
41
One-Act Plays materials
1959 March
1
42
Out of the Frying Pan production materials
1959 May
1
43
One-Acts
1959 May
1
44
Varsity Varieties, "Armchair Holiday"
1959 October
1
45
Death Takes a Holiday production materials
1959 November
1
46
The Perfect Fool: The Marriage of Figaro
1959 November
1
47
Two Short Operas materials
1959 November
1
48
Tender Trap materials
1959 November
1
49
The Sign of Jonah production materials
1959 December
1
50
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1960-61 Season flyer
1960-1961
1
51
An Evening of Theatre program
1960 January
1
52
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial production materials
1960 March
1
53
Othello production materials
1960 April
1
54
The Circle production materials
1960 May
1
55
Annie Get Your Gun production materials
1960 November
1
56
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1961-62 Season flyer
1961-1962
1
57
An Evening of Theatre program
1961 January
1
58
Two One-Act Plays materials
1961 May
1
59
Royal Gambit production materials
1961 March
1
60
The Crucible production materials
1961 March
1
61
Angel Street production materials
1961 May
1
62
Look Homeward, Angel production materials
1961 November
1
63
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1962-63 Season flyer
1962-1963
1
64
Ghosts production materials
1962 March
1
66
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Memorandum
1962
1
65
Twelfth Night production materials
1962 May
1
67
Varsity Varieties, Parents Weekend program
1962 October
1
68
The Swan production materials
1962 November
1
69
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1963-64 Season flyer
1963-1964
1
74
The Just Assassins production materials
1963 March
1
71
See How They Run production materials
1963 May
1
72
The Devil and Daniel Webster production materials
1963 November
1
75
Misalliance production materials
1963 December
1
76
An Evening of Theatre program
1963 January
1
70
An Evening of Theatre program
1963 May
1
73
An Evening of Theatre production materials
1964 January
1
77
The Wingless Victory production materials
1964 March
1
78
A Midsummer Night's Dream production materials
1964 May
1
79
An Evening of Theatre article clippings
1964 May
1
80
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1964-65 Season
1964-1965
1
81
Varsity Varieties program
1964 October
1
82
Blithe Spirit production materials
1964 November
1
83
An Evening of Theatre materials
1965 January
1
84
The Lady's Game program
1965 January
1
85
Hippolytus production materials
1965 February
1
86
The American Dream program
1965 April
1
87
An Evening of Theatre
1965 May
1
88
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1965-66 Season flyer
1965-1966
1
89
Laura production materials
1965 May
2
1
Once Upon a Mattress production materials
1965 December
2
2
An Evening of Theatre program and article clippings
1965 December
2
3
Willamette Dancers Spring Concert program
1968 Spring
2
21
Dirty Hands production materials
1966 February
2
4
The Second Annual Festival of Contemporary Arts materials
1966 April
2
5
An Evening of Theatre materials
1966 May
2
6
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1966-67 Season flyer
1966-1967
2
7
On the Town, Varsity Varieties program
1966 September
2
8
Tiny Alice production materials
1966 November
2
9
The Physicists production materials
1966 December
2
10
An Evening of Theatre materials
1966 December
2
10
Braggart Warrior production materials
1967 February
2
12
Finian's Rainbow production materials
1967 April
2
13
An Evening of Theatre article clippings
1967 May
2
14
Varieties program
1967 October
2
15
Three by Albee production materials
1967 October
2
16
The Death of Bessie Smith programs
1967 October
2
17
All's Well That Ends Well production materials
1967 November
2
18
Let's Get a Divorce production materials
1968 February-March
2
19
Mary, Mary production materials and correspondence
1968 April
2
20
The W.U. Theatre Presents Its 1968-69 Season
1968-1968
2
22
The Associated Students of W.U. Present Varieties
1968 October
2
23
Pygmalion production materials
1968 November
2
24
Marian Fuller, Senior Recital program
1969 January
2
25
The Four Fake Spirits production materials
February 1969
2
26
The Willamette Dancers program
1969 Spring
2
27
Becket production materials
1969 April
2
28
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1969-70 Season
1969-1970
2
29
Wait Until Dark production materials
1969 November
2
30
Antigone program
1970 February
2
31
The Chinese Wall production materials
1970 March
2
32
Is There Life After Birth? programs
1970 March
2
33
Tartuffe production materials
1970 April
2
34
An Evening of Theatre materials
1970 May
2
35
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1970-71 Season
1970-1971
2
36
King Lear production materials
1970 November
2
37
News clippings, articles, and notes
1953-1980
2
71
The Armagh Cup production materials
1971 February
2
38
What Fools These Mortals Be program
1971 March
2
39
The Love of Four Colonels production materials
1971 April
2
40
Evening of Theatre materials
1971 April-May
2
41
The W.U. Theatre Announces its 1971-72 Season flyer
1971-1972
2
42
Celebration production materials
1971 October
2
43
J.B. production materials
1971 November
2
44
Willamette Dancers Present
1971 Fall
2
45
Ten Little Indians production materials
1972 February
2
46
Mission! Impossible Theme, Willamette Dancers program
1972 April
2
47
Inherit the Wind production materials
1972 April
2
48
W.U. Theatre mailer
1972-1973
2
49
The Boy Friend program
1972 October
2
50
Prometheus Bound production materials
1972 November
2
51
Jacques Brel Is-- tickets
1972 November
2
52
My Three Angels production materials
1973 March
2
53
Willamette Dancers Present flyer
1973 APril
2
54
Experimental Theatre program
1973 April
2
55
W.U. Theatre mailer
1973-1974
2
56
Man of La Mancha program and correspondence
1973 September
2
57
Abelard and Heloise production materials
1973 November
2
58
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs program
1974
2
59
Tom Paine production materials
1974 February
2
60
You Can't Take It With You production materials
1974 April
2
61
Willamette Dancers Present program
1974 April
2
62
Kent Wells, Senior Recital flyers
1974 April
2
63
W.U. College of Music and Theatre performance schedule
1974 October
2
64
Godspell program
1974 October
2
65
Crimes of the Heart program
1974 October
2
66
The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail program
1974 November
2
67
Slow Dance on the Killing Ground program
1975 February
2
68
Two Gentlemen of Verona program
1976 October
2
69
Child's Play program
1980 November
2
70
The Learned Ladies program
1981 February
2
72
The National Health program
1981 November
2
73
Jurgen! program
1982 June-July
2
74
Blood Wedding program
1994 November
2
75
Waiting for the Parade program
1995 February-March
2
76
The Cherry Orchard program
1995 April
2
77
Dancing at Lughnasa program
1995 October
2
78
Othello program
1995 November
2
79
The Broken Jug program
1996 February-March
2
80
Immigrants and Innocents program
1996 March
2
81
Once in a Lifetime program
1996 April
2
82
Fefu and her Friends program program
1996 November
2
83
The Sea program
1997 March-April
2
84
Boys' Life program
1997 April-May
2
85
On the Verge program
1997 October
2
86
As Freedom is a Breakfastfood program
1998 March
2
87
Romeo and Juliet program
1998 October
2
88
Arcadia
1998 November
2
89
Oleanna program
1998 December
2
90
The Body Eclectic program
1999 March
2
91
A Flea in her Ear program
1999 April-May
2
92
Lysistrata program
1999 November
2
93
A Bright Room Called Day program
2000 February
2
94
You Can Never Tell program
2000 April
2
95
A Doll's House program
2000 October
2
96
How I Learned to Drive program
2000 November
2
97
The Bald Soprano program
2001 February
2
98
Art in Action program
2001 March
2
99
The Good Person of Sichuan program
2001 October
2
100
Quilters program
2001 November
2
101
Stop Kiss program
2002 February
2
102
...And we Dance program
2002 March
2
103
All My Sons program
2002 April
2
104
The Diviners program
2002 October
2
105
Big Love program
2002 November
2
106
From Within program
2003 February
2
107
Savage in Limbo program
2003 February-March
2
108
Moveable Feast program
2003 March
2
109
The Taming of the Shrew
2003 April
2
110
Theatre 2003-2004 Season mailer
2003-2004
2
111
Our Country's Good program
2003 November
2
112
The Promise program
2004 March
2
113
Three Farces and a Funeral program
2004 April-May
2
114
A Lie of the Mind program
2004 December
2
115
Sueno program
2005 September
2
116
Alice in Willametteland program
1960 October
2
117
A Delicate Balance program
circa 1970-1975
2
118
Forty Carats program
1973 December
2
119
Kiss Me Kate program
1955 October
2
120
Mame program
1970 October
2
121
Macbeth
1955 November
2
122
Mr. F. photographs
circa 1950s
2
123
The Two Executioners
undated
2
124
Does not appear to be a Willamette production of this play.
This Land is Our Land program
1965 October
2
125
Production for Parent's Weekend.
Willamette Dancers Present...program
1971 April 23-24
2
126
Willamette Dancers Present...program
1973 April 26-28
2
127
Addressed of Drama Alumni
undated
2
128
Photographs from plays
circa 1959-1960
2
129
Includes photographs from Lysistrata, A Phoenix Too Frequent, Othello, and others.
Unknown plays photographs
undated
2
130
Includes an envelope reading: "These are snaps of shows just before I came to Willamette. Given at North High and in Waller Hall at W.U.".
Miscellaneous unannotated photographs
circa 1960s
2
131
Includes photographs of a renaissance-era play.
Miscellaneous annotated photographs
1952-1957
2
132
Annotated with either the play or the name of the people in the photographs, some include dates.