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 1: Senior Projects, 2008-2019

This series contains the materials from senior projects, which were a course requirement within the Theatre Department for a capstone course. Dates range from 2008 to 2019. For the senior project, the students were asked to produce a production of their own, the nature of which varies from student to student. The promotional materials and ephemera include posters, fliers, programs scripts, and tickets pertaining to the projects.

Box 1

Folder 1: Weightless, Natasha Threatts and Elyse Venturella, November 20-22, 2008
Folder 2: Pat Novak, Graham Stokes, December 6, 2008
Folder 3: Cake-enometry Alyssa Miller, April 19-21, 2009
Folder 4: Piece of Mind Rachel Witkovsky, December 10, 2009
Folder 5: Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Adam Long, Nov. 11-14, 2010
Folder 6: 1000 Things a Newcomer Should Know Spencer O’Dowd, March 26, 2011
Folder 7: Mystery at Tea Time Theresa White, May 4, 2011
Folder 8: Muse of Fire: Scenes and Monologues from Shakespeare Angela Wright, May 7, 2011
Folder 9: Comic Selections from ‘All in the Timing’ Doug Wilson, Nov. 12-13, 2011
Folder 10: Three Comic Shorts Laura Robbins, February 25-26, 2012
Folder 11: Rice DJ Littell, March 30-April 1, 2012
Folder 12: Fade to Black Laura Grube, March 16-17, 2013
Folder 13: That’s So Gay! Stephen Boyhont, March 15-16, 2014
Folder 14: Tall Green Plumber: The Musical Mike Wawrzynek, Katie Owens, Iam Owens, May 3-4, 2014
Folder 15: Matt and Ben Wendy Moulton and Taylor Luckenbill, May 2-3, 2015
Folder 16: Cargo Shorts and Neck Hair Luke Smith, March 12-13, 2016
Folder 17: Natty and Friends Nathaniel Marlowe, March 18, 20, 2016
Folder 18: Never Swim Alone Jade Bartlett, April 30-May 1, 2016
Folder 19: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind Connor Burke, February 25-26, 2017
Folder 20: Shadows on Wednesday Mary Braasch, March 25-26, 2017
Folder 21: My Brilliant Divorce Kierra Swisher, May 6-7, 2017
Folder 22: The Twelve Dates of Christmas Amber Mangabat, November 18-19, 2017
Folder 23: 4.48 Psychosis Katherine Campbell, December 9-10, 2017
Folder 24: Prometheus Burning Tyler Rossi, May 4-5, 2019
Folder 25: Gathering Blue, no date