Theatre Collections at Special Collections in Performing Arts
Here is a list of collections of organizations that may be of use to researchers looking for scholarly or performance papers found in Special Collections in Performing Arts. To access these collections, please contact the curator.
The African Continuum Company Collection consists of business and administrative records, press materials, performance recordings, photographs, prompt books, scenic art, and other organizational documents outlining its history.
The American Society for Theatre Research is a professional, nonprofit organization that promotes research in the field of theatre history. The archives contains materials relating to the structure of the society, the initiatives of the committees, the publications, the annual conference, affiliated organizations and joint conferences, and the history of the society.
The New Playwrights' Theatre was founded in 1972 by artistic director Harry M. Bagdasian as a non-profit theatre in Washington, DC devoted to aspiring American playwrights. From 1972 to 1984, the Theatre produced 75 world premiere productions and over 200 readings of works-in-progress. The collection consists of scripts of original productions, compact discs, video discs, and books. This collection is unprocessed; an inventory is available upon request.
was a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of new playwrights in the DC area. This collection contains the records of the company before it disbanded, including scripts of various playwrights that were workshopped through the organization.
This collection contains the professional materials of The Studio Theatre such as financial documents, production materials, renovation and expansion documents, board minutes and information, awards, press materials, and photographs as well as pre-Studio and personal materials of the founding members.
The James J. Taylor Collection of the Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive (WAPAVA) documents a comprehensive range of theatre productions, nationally active local dance companies, and discussions featuring contemporary creative artists. Founded and sustained through the individual efforts of videographer Jim Taylor, WAPAVA began as a one-man-show on a small budget and now contains over a decade of performance practices and performing arts history in the Washington, DC area. By the time Taylor died in winter 2005, the collection he created had surpassed 400 titles and still continues to grow. Productions are found in the Libraries main catalog by doing an Advanced Search and including the term "WAPAVA" in a search field. The collection also includes programs, press kits, and other documents relating to these productions. Please contact the curator to view these additional materials.
The Congress on Research in Dance is an international community of dance researchers, scholars, teachers, and performers who seek to encourage, facilitate and disseminate dance scholarship.
the administrative, programmatic, performance, press, and visual records of the company, its members, and its related groups. Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, based in the D.C./Montgomery County, Maryland area, was founded by Liz Lerman in 1976. Liz Lerman Dance Exchange pursues a broad definition of dance as a multi-disciplinary art form that encompasses movement, music, imagery, and the spoken word.
founded on the University of Maryland campus in 1971 by Dorothy Madden and Larry Warren, performed contemporary dance in the DC and Baltimore metro areas until it disbanded in 1988. Its repertory embraced a wide variety of movement, styles, and theatrical concepts. The company also provided dance education through lecture demonstrations and master classes.
a modern dance company based at the University of Maryland, College Park, from 1978-1992. Founded and directed by university dance professor Meriam Rosen, the company began with informal performances of improvised movement, but gradually introduced more structured choreography, though still within a largely improvisational framework.
