AHJ_ah400077 Inventory of the William Missouri Downs papers, 1972-2023 Downs (William Missouri) papers Processed by Jamie J. Greene University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2016

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Jamie J. Greene November 2016 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Downs, William Missouri William Missouri Downs papers 1972-2023 400077 3.55 cubic ft. (5 boxes) + 32.60 GB University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English William Missouri Downs was an American playwright, director, author, and professor of playwriting and screenwriting. Collection contains scripts written by Downs, correspondence, programs and playbills, awards, published letters to the editor, newspaper clippings, photographs, and books authored by Downs regarding his career as a playwright, screenwriter, and professor. Biography of William Missouri Downs

William Missouri Downs was an American playwright, director, author, and professor of playwriting and screenwriting. He was born on July 12, 1955 and grew up in Bay City, Michigan. He received his B.A. from the University of Michigan, an M.F.A. in acting from the University of Illinois, and another M.F.A. in screenwriting from U.C.L.A. Downs started as a script secretary on NBC’s “Moonlighting” then moved up to a staff writer on “My Two Dads,” “Amen,” and “Fresh Prince Of Bel Air.” He has written and published several plays including “Women Playing Hamlet,” “The Exit Interview,” “Mad Gravity,” and “How To Steal A Picasso.” He wrote and published books about playwriting, screenwriting, and the theatre, they include: “Naked Playwriting: The Art, The Craft, and the Life Laid Bare,” “Playwriting: From Formula to Form,” and “The Art Of Theatre: Then and Now”. Downs has also taught playwriting and screenwriting as a professor at the University of Wyoming, Department of Theater and Dance.

 Scope and Content

Collection contains published and unpublished scripts written by Downs, correspondence, programs and playbills, awards, published letters to the editor, newspaper clippings that mention Downs and the plays that he had written or directed, photographs from his high school years to modern day, pay stubs from his time writing in Hollywood, and the books that he authored and co-authored.

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

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There are no known other archival collections created by William Missouri Downs at the date of processing.

This material was received from William Missouri Downs from 2016-2023.

The collection was processed by Jamie J. Greene in November 2016 and updated in October 2023.

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Access Terms University of Wyoming. Department of Theatre and Dance University of Wyoming -- Faculty Playwriting -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- United States Motion picture authorship Screenwriters -- United States Television writers -- United States Wyoming -- History -- 2000- Screenplays Plays (performed works) <?xm-replace_text {Title as Subject}?> Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Performing Arts Colleges and Universities Wyoming 3Awards1995-2016 Biographical Information: Digitalahcdm_400077_001A Writer's Life, William Missouri Downs2023 Digitalahcdm_400077_001Downs Resume2023 3Books:1995-2016 3"The Art of Theatre: Then and Now" by William Missouri Downs, Lou Anne Wright, and Erick Ramsey2010 3"Scenariusz Filmowy" by Robin U. Russin and William Missouri Downs2005 3"Screenplay, Writing the Picture" by Robin U. Russin and William Missouri Downs2012 3"Naked Playwriting: The Art, The Craft, and The Life Laid Bare" by Robin U. Russin and William Missouri Downs2004 Digitalahcdm_400077_001Diary2009-2023 3Hollywood1988-2016 1Letters and miscellaneous1980-2015 3Letters to the Editor2006-2012 Manuscripts:2021-2023 2Early writing 1980'sundated Digitalahcdm_400077_001Novel drafts2021-2023 3Play scripts2006-2015 2Television writing and UCLA scripts1986-2016 Digitalahcdm_400077_001TV and unpublished plays2016-2023 1Unpublished scriptsundated Digitalahcdm_400077_001Women Playing Hamlet drafts2012-2013 Newspaper clippings:1977-2017 3-5Miscellaneous1977-2017 3Early years1972-1989 3Wyoming1993-2015 3 and Digitalahcdm_400077_001Photographs1974-2023 3-4 and Digitalahcdm_400077_001Programs and playbills1979-2023 4 and Digitalahcdm_400077_001Promotional materials (posters, flyers, etc.)2005-2023 Digitalahcdm_400077_001Teaching Evaluations2012-2022 Video: Digitalahcdm_400077_001Angry Psycho Princess2022 Digitalahcdm_400077_001Fascism the Musical2017 Digitalahcdm_400077_001A Merry Fascist Christmas2023 Digitalahcdm_400077_001Books on Tape (Mr. Perfect)2017 Digitalahcdm_400077_001Life on My Knees2023 Digitalahcdm_400077_001The Exit Interview2019