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Montana State University Theatre records, 1906-1997

Overview of the Collection

Title
Montana State University Theatre records
Dates
1906-1997 (inclusive)
Quantity
7 linear feet
Collection Number
2567
Summary
The MSU Theatre collection consists of materials dealing with specific productions, such as scripts, photographs, playbills, advertisements and other documentation. Other materials deal with the history of the general administration of the theatre program or its physical setting on campus.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English
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Biographical Note

In the early years of Montana State University, there was no formal degree program in the dramatic arts. The Alpha Psi Omega Society and the Sock and Buskin Club produced multiple plays annually in the first decade of the twentieth century. Eventually, professional development in terms of courses offered, minors, and finally a major being offered at MSC/MSU occured. Theater courses first appeared in the 1958-60 catalog, and theater first appeared as a separate minor (teaching) under the Department of Education in the 1962-1964 catalog. From 1962-1971 it appeared In the College of Letters and Sciences English Department as a Major Option. (Speech and Theatre Arts). In 1972 it became a separate department in L and S with 3 options and continues as a teaching minor in the Department of Education. In 1984 theater switched over to the College of Arts and Architecture with an addition of a "non" teaching minor being offered as well. A separate Media and Theatre Arts Department emerged in 1988 under the MTA option and listed a Motion Picture/Video/Theatre option for a major. By 2005 the teaching minor had ceased and in 2010 the word "theatre" is dropped from the option title and the department becomes the School of Film and Photography. At present courses are still offered as electives, but there are no options or minors still in existence. In the years when the college lacked a formal degree program in the dramatic arts, the students generally worked with a faculty advisor to facilitate the presentations. Alumni of note who were part of the MSU theater program over the years include Chet Huntley, Bill Pullman and Anthony Zerby. The location of the productions varied over time. Students generally put on about three to five plays per year, and a proper theatre and production facility was built in the Strand Union around 1957. In 2005 all production moved to the new state-of-the-art Black Box Theatre on the western side of the campus. Production evolved from simple box sets through advanced staging and lighting and to compact, durable traveling productions that tour for months at a time such as the Shakespeare in the Parks program.

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Content Description

The MSU Theatre collection consists of materials dealing with specific productions, such as scripts, photographs, playbills, advertisements and other documentation. Other materials deal with the history of the general administration of the theatre program or its physical setting on campus. Oversize materials pertaining to specific productions have been gathered in boxes 17-21. The collection is non-exhaustive with about 90% of the productions coming from 1906–1993.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1 Chronological Files 1906-1997

Series 2 Historical and Architectural files

Acquisition Information

The collection was assembled beginning in 2010 when a large, disorganized collection of MSU theatre ephemera was given to David Swingle (class of 65) to be sorted and organized into a workable archive that was worth preserving for future research on the MSU's theatre arts history. After a creating preliminary arrangement and inventory, Swingle donated the material to the MSU Library in 2014.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2016 July 8

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Theater

Geographical Names

  • Montana
  • Montana
  • Montana

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs
  • Photographs

Kim Allen Scott
2016

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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