Finding Aid for the ANTA West records, 1958-1977 LSC.1965

Finding aid prepared by Vanessa Villavicencio with assistance from Julie Graham; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
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Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
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Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu


Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: ANTA West records
Creator: ANTA West (Organization)
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1965
Physical Description: 6.75 Linear Feet (15 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1958-1977
Abstract: ANTA West was a non profit corporation organized in the state of California, in September 1957, to stimulate public interest in the performing arts and to foster and support live theatrical activity. The collection consists of files related to their activities and includes meeting minutes, committee reports, correspondence, financial records, and publications.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Box 15 is restricted from access.

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Gift of William Wintersole.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], ANTA West records (Collection 1965). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

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UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 9969666813606533 

Historiography

ANTA West (American National Theater and Academy West) was originally chartered as the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the American National Theatre and Academy, Inc. In the early years, the organization was also known as the ANTA Southern California Chapter and/or the ANTA Los Angeles-Southern California Chapter. In May 1957, John Angelo and David Bond, along with a group of about one-hundred West Coast participants, met with ANTA National Executive Director Willard Swire, and it was decided that a Los Angeles ANTA chapter would be formed. Angelo and Bond were selected as co-chairs of a temporary action committee to work with ANTA Regional Director Wray Davis. Later that month, the first organizational meeting was held at the Huntington Hartford Theater with more than 250 people in attendance. Among the panelists at the first meeting were David Bond, Wray Davis, Jack Morrison (UCLA drama department), Kent Smith, and Grayce Smith. A major outcome of the meeting was a decision that a California non-profit corporation be formed; Grayce Smith, a prominent theatrical attorney, was to prepare the incorporation papers. A temporary board of directors was appointed to draw up a constitution and by-laws for the chapter. Seventy-five members supported the founding of the local Southern California ANTA chapter.
In July 1957, a second meeting was held to update members with progress, aims and requirements. By September 1957, approval was secured for the non-profit corporation and proposed constitution and by-laws were submitted to the national ANTA for consideration. A nominating committee was chosen and a new board was elected by popular vote: Helen Ainsworth, Jon Angelo, David Bond, Gilmor Brown, Dr. James Butler, Wray Davis, Nico Lek de Tachinville, Charles Lane, Kate Drain Lawson, Jack Morrison, Maddie Norman, Dr. David Sievers, Clarence Straight, Walter Wanger, and Harry Zevin. The first board of directors met in December and elected officers to serve for 1958: David Bond, president; James Butler and Maddie Norman, vice president; Harry Zevin, secretary; and Nico Lek de Tachinville, treasurer. An executive committee was elected to be the operating body of the chapter. The greater Los Angeles chapter of ANTA was now charted, incorporated and functioning. In 1974 the organization renamed itself ANTA West.
Throughout the years, their mandate, to stimulate public interest in the performing arts and to foster and support theatrical activities, remained constant. Chief among their aims and objectives were the support and production of quality theater events locally and nationally, the encouragement and assistance to accredited training in the performing arts in colleges and universities, and facilitating training workshop opportunities for theater professionals. Their many activities over the years included: the publication of a local newsletter to disseminate information about theatrical activities and opportunities in the Southern California area, the radio broadcast of ANTA Newsletter-of-the-Air on KUSC to report on the current theater scene to the community, partnering for the productions of "Our Town" and "I do, I do", the sponsorship of the American College Theater Festival, workshops and other educational opportunities, the support for Children's theater festivals and other local, state, county and regional activities, and the innovative operation show bus program, which provided tickets and bus service to students to introduce them to the theater. Over the years, leadership included: David Bond, Wray Davis, Ludwig Gerber, Arthur O'Connell, Milton Krims, Francis Lederer, Leon Ames, John Houseman, Dr. Jacob Lichstein, Albert Salmi, Ruth Burch, John Forsythe, Jack Morrison, Elza Schallert, Grayce M. Smith, Ezra Stone, and Harry Zevin, among others. ANTANS, an auxiliary group of ANTA West, was often responsible for fundraising for the organization.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of files related to the activities of ANTA West (American National Theatre and Academy West), a non-profit corporation organized in California in 1957 to encourage public interest in the performing arts and to foster and support live theatrical activity. Included are meeting minutes for the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and other committees, committee reports, correspondence, financial records such as budgets and expenses for projects, programs for various productions, and publications such as the ANTA newsletter. In addition there is a small amount material related to the ANTANS in and among some of the files. Many of the envelopes found in the collection are addressed to William Wintersole, who served in a number of capacities within the organization. It should be noted that ANTA West is often noted as ANTA on file folders, not to be confused with ANTA (American National Theatre and Academy), the national level organization. Notably absent from the records are materials documenting the closing of ANTA West.

Organization and Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by file titles.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Theater -- California -- History -- Archives.
ANTA West (Organization)--Archives.

box 8, folder 5

Actors committee finances (1973)

box 3, folder 12

Agendas and minutes (1973-1976)

box 2, folder 12

Aims and Objectives (1974)

box 12, folder 4

ANTA accountance prepared reports (1972-1973)

box 2, folder 6

ANTA album (1972)

box 8, folder 10

ANTA awards ball and dinner (Rosalind Russell) (1974)

box 2, folder 9

ANTA benefit tickets, receipts and production stills (1973)

box 2, folder 8

ANTA budget (1974-1975)

box 11, folder 3

ANTA financial statements (Folder 1 of 2) (1964-1968, 1970-1971)

box 11, folder 4

ANTA financial statements (Folder 2 of 2) (1964-1968, 1970-1971)

box 12, folder 3

ANTA I do I do (1973)

box 11, folder 2

ANTA insurance (1972)

box 7, folder 6

ANTA lease - Ross (1975)

box 3, folder 5

ANTA National Artists Award - Rosalind Russell souvenir program and Helen Hayes promotional letter (1976)

box 8, folder 9

ANTA newsletter (1970)

box 1, folder 8

ANTA newsletter expense (1973)

box 2, folder 2

ANTA newsletters (1974-1975)

box 7, folder 13

ANTA newsletters (1974)

box 12, folder 2

ANTA paid bills (1971)

box 15

ANTA payroll returns and wage and tax statements (1971-1972)

General note

RESTRICTED ACCESS. These materials are restricted due to privacy information and require advanced notice for use.
box 7, folder 2

ANTA Players Unit activities and Tuesday nighters (1973)

box 8, folder 7

ANTA playreading report (1973)

box 8, folder 6

ANTA playwrights' letters (1973-1974)

box 1, folder 4

ANTA southern California chapter newsletter (1973)

box 4, folder 6

ANTA Southern California Chapter newsletters (1973)

box 8, folder 3

ANTA treasury correspondence (1973)

box 2, folder 3

ANTA volunteer project forms and information (1976)

box 5

ANTA West activities (1974-1976)

General note

Meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, financial records, newsletters and publicity.
box 6

ANTA West activities (1973-1974)

General note

Meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, newsletters and publicity.
box 13

ANTA West activities (1960-1972)

General note

Meeting minutes, committee reports, correspondence, seventh annual national assembly, ANTANs newsletters, San Diego productions and election material (1970-1971).
box 14

ANTA West activities (1972-1977)

General note

Board activities, committee reports, correspondence, financial records, Los Angeles Free Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Complex proposal, meeting minutes and publicity.
box 1, folder 17

ANTA West voucher book (blank) (no date)

box 4, folder 5

ANTA-LA Newsletters (1961-1962)

box 1, folder 12

ANTANS Board list (1972)

box 8, folder 12

ANTA's history (no date)

box 8, folder 13

Bicentennial (1974)

box 2, folder 11

Board and committees (1973)

box 3, folder 11

Board meeting minutes (1975)

box 1, folder 2

Board meeting minutes, committee reports, election material and financial information (1976)

box 1, folder 3

Board meeting minutes, committee reports, membership information and correspondence (1977)

box 1, folder 11

Board minutes, executive committee minutes, financial information and newsletters (1960s)

box 7, folder 11

Board of Directors meeting minutes (1962, 1969)

box 2, folder 5

Board of Directors minutes (1971)

box 1, folder 1

Box office and group sales forms (ca. 1970)

box 8, folder 15

Box office statements, expenses, invoices and receipts (1975)

General note

From envelope labeled Reports, Memos, Time Slips.
box 3, folder 3

Brochure 76 (1960)

General note

With Los Angeles Theatre Club memorandum, odds and ends.
box 2, folder 13

Budgets (1973-1974)

box 2, folder 15

By-laws (no date)

box 12, folder 1

By-laws (no date)

box 2, folder 10

By-laws expense (1974)

box 8, folder 14

California Arts Commission (1974)

General note

Communication arts.
box 11, folder 1

Checkbook (1972)

box 3, folder 2

Chorus line contracts (1976)

box 2, folder 4

Committee activity, reports, budgets, minutes and election information (1970s)

box 1, folder 9

Correspondence (1973)

box 1, folder 13

Correspondence (1972)

box 1, folder 15

Dance and musical theatre (1973-1974)

box 4, folder 2

Dancers: A Tragedy in Three Acts by Brendan Ward (c. 1975)

box 3, folder 9

Executive secretary (1974)

box 3, folder 7

Ezra Stone itinerary (1976)

box 4, folder 1

Financial reports, by-laws and expenses (1975)

box 1, folder 5

General membership meeting (1973)

box 3, folder 1

Helen Hayes ad book album orders (1976)

box 1, folder 6

Housing expense (1973-1974)

box 7, folder 7

Lease - Pilgrimage (1967)

box 3, folder 6

Letter to Wintersole (1977)

box 7, folder 3

Lunts' dinner and show (1972-1973)

box 7, folder 8

Mailing lists (1976)

box 9

Meeting minutes (1958-1974)

General note

Meeting minutes, letters, project reports and other documents. Some documents related to theater projects.
box 4, folder 3

Meeting Minutes, Agendas, Old Bylaws (1976-1977)

box 10

Meeting minutes, reports, promissory notes and ANTA West Loyola Marymount University proposal (1975-1976)

box 1, folder 7

Membership (1973)

box 8, folder 4

Membership (1974)

box 1, folder 14

Membership meeting minutes (1972)

box 2, folder 7

Minutes (1970)

box 7, folder 12

Minutes (1974)

box 4

Minutes of ANTA Board of Directors' Meetings (1971-1973)

box 7, folder 20

Negatives (1974)

General note

Some labeled Dance Spectrum 74
box 7, folder 15

Newsletter expense (1974)

box 7, folder 14

Newsletter of the Air expense (1974)

box 7, folder 17

Nominating committee (1974)

box 7, folder 16

Nominating committee expense (1974)

box 4, folder 4

Phone call expense vouchers (1975)

box 7, folder 5

Playbills (1965)

box 3, folder 8

Players unit expense (1974)

box 1, folder 16

Playwrights' expense (1974)

box 7, folder 4

Post office info bulk mail (1972)

box 3, folder 10

Programs and projects (1973)

box 1, folder 10

Programs and projects expense (1974)

box 7, folder 10

Programs and souvenir programs (1958-1972)

box 7, folder 18

Public information relations expense (1973)

box 2, folder 16

Roz Russell party '74 (1973)

General note

Committee meeting minutes, handwritten notes, org chart.
box 7, folder 9

Russell ad book orders (1976)

box 8, folder 11

Russell ball (1974)

box 2, folder 1

Sea Horse (The) - stage plan (no date)

box 7, folder 19

Secretary services expense (1973)

box 12, folder 5

Six month accounting (1972-1973)

box 12, folder 6

Six month accounting (1973)

box 3, folder 4

South Pacific program (1958)

box 8, folder 1

Telephone expense (1973)

box 7, folder 1

Theatre for Your City booklet (no date)

box 8, folder 8

Treasury (1974)

box 8, folder 2

Treasury receipts (1973)

box 11, folder 5

Voucher and Petty Cash Records, receipts, statements (1975)

box 2, folder 14

Workshop expense (1973)