Theatre Department, 1948-2020 | Earl H. and Anita F. Hess Archives and Special Collections

By Elizabeth McIlhenney ’19

Collection Overview

Title: Theatre Department, 1948-2020

ID: RG02/EC III A.2.1

Extent: 9.33 Linear Feet

Arrangement: Series 1: Senior Projects, 2008-2019 Series 2: Production Photographs and Videos, 1994-2020 Series 3: Production Posters (1992-2021) Series 4: Sock and Buskin Materials Series 5: Production Promotional Materials (1948-2019)

Date Acquired: 06/14/2021

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consists of materials from the Elizabethtown College Theatre Department, with dates ranging from 1948 to 2020. Included are materials from the department’s activities, including programs, tickets, photographs, and promotional posters from Elizabethtown College productions. These productions include both the typical productions, as well as children’s plays. There are also materials and programs for theatre productions at nearby colleges and universities, Broadway in New York City, and visiting productions that came to Elizabethtown, put on by outside troupes. There are records from classes that were offered through the Theatre Department. This includes posters, flyers, tickets, photographs, and programs from senior projects between the years of 2008 and 2019. Additionally, there are varied materials from senior projects and student organizations. These student clubs and organizations include Sock and Buskin, the theatre club; E-Motion, the college’s dance club; as well as Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society.

Collection Historical Note

The presence of theatre on Elizabethtown College’s campus began in the 1920s, beginning as a “literary society” called the Homerians, when they began to present Shakespeare productions, including a production of Macbeth in April 1927. In 1932, the theatre club, Sock and Buskin, was founded, and they began to sponsor productions as well. During this early period of the 20th century, theatre productions continued to be produced solely by student organizations. This changed in 1987, when the Theatre Department was established and began to offer classes such as Acting and Stagecraft. In 1993, a theatre minor was offered by the department. 10 years later, in 2003, a theatre major was added. After nearly twenty years, it was decided that as of the 2020-2021 academic year, the theatre program would be discontinued. The college ceased to offer a theatre major or minor.

Administrative Information

Repository: Earl H. and Anita F. Hess Archives and Special Collections

Acquisition Source: Theatre Deparment

Related Materials: Additional Theatre Department materials including programs, negatives, and newsletters are contained in RG02/EC III A.2, Box 6.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Senior Projects, 2008-2019],
[Series 2: Production Photographs and Videos, 1994-2020],
[Series 3: Production Posters, 1992-2021],
[Series 4: Sock and Buskin Materials, 1972-2003],
[Series 5: Production Promotional Materials, 1948-2019],
[All]

Series 2: Production Photographs and Videos, 1994-2020

This series contains photographs and videos in a variety of formats. These photographs and videos are of the department’s productions, with dates ranging from 1994 to 2020. The formats include hard copy photograph prints, slides, CDs, and DVDs. The photographs that are available to view on CD and DVD are also available digitally with limited exceptions. Two CDs, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2013) and Company (2014), are only partially transferred and must be viewed in-person.

Box 2

Folder 1: Unknown, undated photos of productions
Folder 2: The Dining Room, Spring 1994
Folder 3: Fashion! Or Life in New York City, Fall 1997
Folder 4: Jesus Christ Superstar, part 1, Spring 1998
Folder 5: Jesus Christ Superstar, part 2, Spring 1998
Folder 6: The Heidi Chronicles, Spring 2000
Folder 7: The Wrestling Season, Fall 2001
Folder 8: Crimes of the Heart, Fall 2001
Folder 9: Piece of my Heart, Spring 2002
Folder 10: Godspell, Spring 2003
Folder 11: Feiffer’s People, Spring 2004
Folder 12: Metamorphosis, Fall 2004
Folder 13: Lonestar/Laundry & Bourbon, Spring 2005

Box 3

Item 1: The Diary of Anne Frank, April 16, 2008
Item 2: The Tempest, 2009
Item 3: The E-Town New Playwrights Fest, 2009: (6 CDs)
Item 4: Cabaret, November 3, 2010
Item 5: Red Herring, February 9, 2011
Item 6: Dream Play, April 13, 2011
Item 7: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, November 2, 2011
Item 8: From Up Here, February 15, 2012: (2 CDs)
Item 9: Lysistrata, April 26, 2012
Item 10: A Streetcar Named Desire, November 6, 2012
Item 11: Distracted, February 20, 2013
Item 12: A Comedy of Terrors, November 6, 2013
Item 13: These Shining Lives, February 19, 2014
Item 14: A Murder is Announced, April 23, 2014
Item 15: The Importance of Being Earnest, February 18, 2015
Item 16: Ajax in Iraq, April 21, 2015
Item 17: Twelfth Night, November 4, 2015
Item 18: Unnecessary Farce, February 17, 2016
Item 19: A Bright Room Called Day, April 20, 2016
Item 20: Spring Awakening, November 2, 2016
Item 21: Spring Awakening PR photos
Item 22: Fuddy Meers, February 15, 2017
Item 23: Getting Out, April 26, 2017
Item 24: Medea, November 8, 2017
Item 25: Dead Man’s Cell Phone, February 21, 2018
Item 26: Rats’ Tales, April 25, 2018
Item 27: If/Then, November 7, 2018
Item 28: Love and Information, February 13, 2019
Item 29: The Cripple of Inishmaan, April 24, 2019
Item 30: Romeo & Juliet, November 5, 2019
Item 31: Silent Sky, April 23-26, 2020
Item 32: Emotion Fall 2003 Show DVD
Item 33: E-Motion Spring 2019 Showcase, Better When I’m Dancin’ DVD
Item 34: Company, November 5, 2014: Partially downloaded, with some photos remaining on the CD.
Item 35: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, April 16, 2013: Partially downloaded, with some photos remaining on the CD.