Guide to the Betty Janss Papers M2971

Department of Special Collections and University Archives

2024

Green Library

557 Escondido Mall

Stanford 94305-6064

Fax Number: (650) 723-8690

specialcollections@stanford.edu

URL: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections

Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives

Title: Betty Janss papers

Creator: Janss, Betty

Identifier/Call Number: M2971

Physical Description: 3.75 Linear Feet (8 boxes)

Date (inclusive): circa 1940-1971

Date (bulk): 1954-1967

Abstract: Betty Janss was a theater critic reviewing performances on the San Francisco peninsula in the 1950s and 60s; collection contains drafts, notes, and clipped reviews.

Language of Material: English .

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.

Conditions Governing Use

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Betty Janss gave her collection to Stanford in 1971 and it was added to the library's Theatre Collection. Her papers were designated its own collection in 2024.

Scope and Contents

Collection contains Betty Janss' drama reviews in the form of typescripts and clippings, along with annotated programs, notes, and correspondence. With few exceptions, reviews are for local/little theater productions on the peninsula, although she also covered some Monterey county activity.

There are also files (scripts, notes, station brochures) and recordings for a radio program she co-hosted with Jaleen Holm on KFJC at Foothill College in 1966 called Limelight. Other recordings feature an interview with Janss. Finally, there are clipped reviews by other local drama critics.

Arrangement

Original chronological order retained.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Betty Janss Papers (M2971). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Biographical / Historical

The following was written by Theater Librarian Celeste Ashley for the Stanford Library Bulletin in 1971:

Along the fifty-mile length of the Peninsula, community and college theatres have been consistent sources of good theatre for over forty years. In fact, the entire Bay Area has been considered one of the "richest beds of little theatre activity in the country" for the past two decades. What is remarkable is that most of the talent used in producing the shows has been donated; some few individuals (directory, costumers, or designers) may be regularly on a payroll but the rest have rarely been paid for their services. This in itself is something of a comment upon the American's love of theatre and an example of American generosity.

Such efforts have not gone unnoticed by the Peninsula papers, which are faithful in their coverage of performances.

Among the pioneer critics was Dorothy Nichols, whose music and drama reviews have been appearing in the Palo Alto Times since 1944. The San Francisco papers were not so consistent, however, until 1953 when Carol Greening became a free-lance reporter. Joining her, and sharing Peninsula coverage between them, was Betty Janss, whose by-line began to appear in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1954. When Miss Greening left for the East Coast in 1956, Mrs. Janss became the press reviewer for the entire Peninsula.

In the course of the twelve years of reviewing for the Chronicle, Betty Janss regularly covered productions from Burlingame to San Jose, and at times, traveled as far away as the Monterey Peninsula. In bringing the efforts of amateurs and professionals to the notice of the public, she tried to be fair in her reviews, reflecting her own extensive background in theatre and her ow high standards of production.

This is not to say that she was consistently liked for her reviews. As with any critic, she suffered the slings and arrows of the outraged when she berated those who she felt had failed a paying puplic. Her admirers were many, however, and many of them voiced their protest to the Chronicle when it dropped its free-lance writers in 1966. After that, her by-line appeared in several Peninsula papers, among which were the Menlo Park Recorder and the Palo Alto Times, until her retirement in 1967.

The Theatre Collection has become the fortunate recipient of her first drafts and printed reviews. Included in her gift are programs of the productions reviewed, her or personal notes, many of her fellow critics' reviews and personal correspondence. For anyone interested in journalistic reviewing, or in the history of the Peninsula Theatre from 1954-1967, the Betty Janss Collection with its estimated count of 700 reviews will provide valuable information.

Related Materials

Some programs annotated by Janss were interfiled in the general Theater and film ephemera collection (M2506)

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13252151

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Theater critics -- San Francisco Peninsula -- History

Stanford Players Productions

Ram's Head Productions

College theater.

Women journalists

Box 1, folder 1

Correspondence 1954

Box 1, folder 2

Actor's Repertory Company 1954

Box 1, folder 3

Hillbarn Summer Theatre 1954

Box 1, folder 4

Peninsula Community Theatre Festival 1954

Box 1, folder 5

Peninsula Little Theater 1954

Box 1, folder 6

San Jose State 1954

Box 1, folder 7

Stanford 1954

Box 1, folder 8

Correspondence 1955

Box 1, folder 9

Hillbarn Summer Theater 1955

Box 1, folder 10

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1955

Box 1, folder 11

Peninsula Community Theatre Festival 1955

Box 1, folder 12

Peninsula Little Theatre 1955

Box 1, folder 13

San Jose State 1955

Box 1, folder 14

Stanford 1955

Box 1, folder 15

Correspondence 1956

Box 1, folder 16

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1956

Box 1, folder 17

Palo Alto Teen Players 1956

Box 1, folder 18

Peninsula Little Theatre 1956

Box 1, folder 19

San Jose State 1956

Box 1, folder 20

Stanford 1956

Box 1, folder 21

Stanford Ram's Head 1956

Box 1, folder 22

Correspondence 1957

Box 1, folder 23

Comedia 1957

Box 1, folder 24

Hillbarn Summer Theatre 1957

Box 1, folder 25

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1957

Box 1, folder 26

Palo Alto Teen Players 1957

Box 1, folder 27

Peninsula Little Theatre 1957

Box 1, folder 28

Redwood Summer Players 1957

Box 1, folder 29

San Jose State 1957

Box 1, folder 30

South American Theatre 1957

Box 1, folder 31

Stanford Club 1957

Box 1, folder 32

Stanford 1957

Box 1, folder 33

Stanford Ram's Head 1957

Box 1, folder 34

Correspondence 1958

Box 1, folder 35

Comedia 1958

Box 1, folder 36

King DoDo Playhouse 1958

Box 1, folder 37

Menlo Players Guild 1958

Box 1, folder 38

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1958

Box 1, folder 39

Palo Alto Teen Players 1958

Box 1, folder 40

Peninsula Little Theatre 1958

Box 1, folder 41

San Jose State 1958

Box 1, folder 42

Stanford 1958

Box 1, folder 43

Stanford Ram's Head 1958

Box 2, folder 1

Correspondence 1959

Box 2, folder 2

Comedia 1959

Box 2, folder 3

Mainliner Theater Guild 1959

Box 2, folder 4

Menlo Players 1959

Box 2, folder 5

Millbrae Community Players 1959

Box 2, folder 6

Monterey 1959

Box 2, folder 7

Pagliacci Playhouse 1959

Box 2, folder 8

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1959

Box 2, folder 9

The Phoenix 1959

Box 2, folder 10

Peninsula Little Theatre 1959

Box 2, folder 11

Ralston First Nighters 1959

Box 2, folder 12

San Carlos Community Theatre 1959

Box 2, folder 13

San Jose State 1959

Box 2, folder 14

Stanford Players 1959

Box 2, folder 15

Stanford Ram's Head 1959

Box 2, folder 16

The Theatre Workshop of San Bruno 1959

Box 2, folder 17

The Troupe Theatre 1959

Box 2, folder 18

University of Santa Clara 1959

Box 2, folder 19

Correspondence 1960

Box 2, folder 20

Comedia 1960

Box 2, folder 21

King DoDo Playhouse 1960

Box 2, folder 22

Mainliner Theatre Guild 1960

Box 2, folder 23

Menlo Players 1960

Box 2, folder 24

Millbrae Community Players 1960

Box 2, folder 25

Monterey 1960

Box 2, folder 26

Pagliacci Plyhouse 1960

Box 2, folder 27

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1960

Box 2, folder 28

Peninsula Light Opera Company 1960

Box 2, folder 29

Peninsula Little Theatre 1960

Box 2, folder 30

Plays & Players 1960

Box 2, folder 31

San Jose Light Opera Association 1960

Box 2, folder 32

San Jose State 1960

Box 2, folder 33

San Jose Theater Foundation 1960

Box 2, folder 34

Stanford 1960

Box 2, folder 35

Stanford Ram's Head 1960

Box 2, folder 36

Troupe Theatre 1960

Box 2, folder 37

Theater Workshop of San Bruno 1960

Box 3, folder 1

Correspondence 1961

Box 3, folder 2

Artists' Supper Theatre 1961

Box 3, folder 3

Comedia 1961

Box 3, folder 4

Foothill College 1961

Box 3, folder 5

Hillbarn Theater 1961

Box 3, folder 6-7

King DoDo Playhouse 1961

Box 3, folder 8

Mainliner Theater Guild 1961

Box 3, folder 9

Menlo Players 1961

Box 3, folder 10

Millbrae Community Players 1961

Box 3, folder 11

Monterey 1961

Box 3, folder 12

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1961

Box 3, folder 13

Palo Alto Teen Players 1961

Box 3, folder 14

Peninsula Little Theatre 1961

Box 3, folder 15

Peninsula Theatre Foundation 1961

Box 3, folder 16

San Jose State 1961

Box 3, folder 17

San Jose Theater Foundation 1961

Box 3, folder 18-19

Stanford 1961

Box 3, folder 20

Stanford Ram's Head 1961

Box 3, folder 21

Theatre Workshop of San Bruno 1961

Box 3, folder 22

University of Santa Clara 1961

Box 3, folder 23

Wagon Stagers 1961

Box 3, folder 24

Correspondence 1962

Box 3, folder 25

Foothill College 1962

Box 3, folder 26

King DoDo Playhouse 1962

Box 3, folder 27

Mainliner Theater Guild 1962

Box 3, folder 28

Menlo Players 1962

Box 3, folder 29

Millbrae Community Players 1962

Box 3, folder 30

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1962

Box 3, folder 31

Peninsula Little Theater 1962

Box 3, folder 32

San Jose Light Opera Association 1962

Box 3, folder 33

San Jose State 1962

Box 3, folder 34

Stanford 1962

Box 3, folder 35

Stanford Memorial Church 1962

Box 3, folder 36

Stanford Ram's Head 1962

Box 3, folder 37

Stanford Workshop in Contemporary Theatre 1962

Box 3, folder 38

The Tunn 1962

Box 3, folder 39

University of Santa Clara 1962

Box 4, folder 1

Correspondence 1963

Box 4, folder 2

Comedia 1963

Box 4, folder 3

Foothill College 1963

Box 4, folder 4

Hillbarn Theatre 1963

Box 4, folder 5

King DoDo Playhouse 1963

Box 4, folder 6

Mainliner Theatre Guild 1963

Box 4, folder 7

Menlo Players Guild 1963

Box 4, folder 8

Millbrae Community Players 1963

Box 4, folder 9

Monterey 1963

Box 4, folder 10

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1963

Box 4, folder 11

San Jose Light Opera Association 1963

Box 4, folder 12

San Jose State 1963

Box 4, folder 13

San Jose Theatre Guild 1963

Box 4, folder 14

Stanford 1963

Box 4, folder 15

Stanford Ram's Head 1963

Box 4, folder 16

Stanford Contemporary Theatre Workshop 1963

Box 4, folder 17

University of Santa Clara 1963

Box 4, folder 18

University of Santa Clara Shakespeare Festival 1963

Box 4, folder 19

Correspondence 1964

Box 4, folder 20

Circle Star Theatre 1964

Box 4, folder 21

Comedia 1964

Box 4, folder 22

Foothill College 1964

Box 4, folder 23

Hillbarn Theatre 1964

Box 4, folder 24

Hyatt Music Theatre 1964

Box 4, folder 25

King DoDo Playhouse 1964

Box 4, folder 26

Mainliner Theater Guild 1964

Box 4, folder 27

Manhattan Playhouse 1964

Box 4, folder 28

Millbrae Community Players 1964

Box 4, folder 29

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1964

Box 4, folder 30

Palo Alto Teen Players 1964

Box 4, folder 31

San Jose Civic Light Opera 1964

Box 4, folder 32

San Jose State 1964

Box 4, folder 33

Stanford 1964

Box 4, folder 34

Stanford Ram's Head 1964

Box 4, folder 35

Stanford Summer Festival of the Arts 1964

Box 4, folder 36

University Of Santa Clara 1964

Box 4, folder 37

University Of Santa Clara Shakespeare Festival 1964

Box 5, folder 1

Correspondence 1965

Box 5, folder 2

Circle Star Theatre 1965

Box 5, folder 3

Comedia 1965

Box 5, folder 4

Foothill College 1965

Box 5, folder 5

Hillbarn Theatre 1965

Box 5, folder 6

Hyatt Music Theatre 1965

Box 5, folder 7

King DoDo Playhouse 1965

Box 5, folder 8

Manhattan Playhouse 1965

Box 5, folder 9

Menlo Players Guild 1965

Box 5, folder 10

Monterey 1965

Box 5, folder 11

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1965

Box 5, folder 12-13

Peninsula Religious Drama Guild 1965

Box 5, folder 14

San Jose State 1965

Box 5, folder 15

Stanford Ram's Head 1965

Box 5, folder 16

Stanford Festival of the Arts 1965

Box 5, folder 17

Stanford 1965

Box 5, folder 18

University of Santa Clara 1965

Box 5, folder 19

University of Santa Clara Shakespeare Festival 1965

Box 5, folder 20

Correspondence 1966

Box 5, folder 21

Circle Star Theatre 1966

Box 5, folder 22

College of San Mateo 1966

Box 5, folder 23

Comedia 1966

Box 5, folder 24

Foothill College 1966

Box 5, folder 25

Hillbarn Theatre 1966

Box 5, folder 26

Illegitimate Theatre 1966

Box 5, folder 27

Junior Artist Guild 1966

Box 5, folder 28

King DoDo Playhouse 1966

Box 5, folder 29

Mainliner Theatre Guild 1966

Box 5, folder 30

Menlo Players Guild 1966

Box 6, folder 1

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1966

Box 6, folder 2

Palo Alto Teen Players 1966

Box 6, folder 3

Palo Alto Youth Musical Workshop 1966

Box 6, folder 4

Palo Alto Unitarian Church 1966

Box 6, folder 5

Peninsula Religious Drama Guild 1966

Box 6, folder 6

San Francisco, miscellaneous reviews 1966

Box 6, folder 7

Stanford Ram's Head 1966

Box 6, folder 8

Stanford Summer Festivals/ACT 1966

Box 6, folder 9

Stanford 1966

Box 6, folder 10

University of Santa Clara 1966

Box 6, folder 11

California Shakespeare Festival 1966

Box 6, folder 12

Correspondence 1967

Box 6, folder 13

Carriage House Theatre, Montalvo 1967

Box 6, folder 14

Circle Star Theatre 1967

Box 6, folder 15

Foothill College 1967

Box 6, folder 16

Hillbarn Theatre 1967

Box 6, folder 17-19

London 1967

Box 6, folder 20

Menlo Players Guild 1967

Box 6, folder 21

Manhattan Playhouse 1967

Box 6, folder 22

Mountain View Playhouse 1967

Box 6, folder 23

Palo Alto Community Theatre 1967

Box 6, folder 24

Palo Alto High School Productions 1967

Box 6, folder 25

San Francisco 1967

Box 6, folder 26

Spangenberg Theatre 1967

Box 6, folder 27

Stanford Ram's Head 1967

Box 6, folder 28

Stanford Summer Festival 1967

Box 6, folder 29

Stanford 1967

Box 7, Item 1

SF Chronicle Reviews 1960-1963 notebook

Box 7, Item 2

SF Chronicle Reviews 1964 notebook

Box 7, Item 3

Account Book, Palo Alto Times 1966-1967

Box 7, Item 4-5

Undated notebooks

Box 7, Item 6

Stanford Artist in Residence Program contact strips and roll of film 1955

Box 7, folder 7

Richard Albrecht reviews

Box 7, folder 8

Barbara Bladen reviews

Box 7, folder 9

Paul Emerson reviews

Box 7, folder 10

Mary Lou Greenberg reviews

Box 7, folder 11

Monroe Heath reviews

Box 7, folder 12

Dave Leonard reviews

Box 7, folder 13

Limelight radio program, KFJC 1966

Box 7, folder 14

Dorothy Nichols reviews

Box 7, folder 15

Don Martin School of Radio Arts lessons circa 1940-1943

Box 7, folder 17

Article by Celeste Ashley on Janss collection in Stanford Library Bulletin 1971

Box 8, audiocassette 1

Betty Janss Conversation Tape 1

Scope and Contents

How Betty Janss became a reviewer - Guidelines for reviewing - Why copies were sent to directors - relationship between Hillbarn and Peninsula Little Theatre

Peninsula Community Theatre Festival - Theatre Bond - 1956 changes in reviews/expansion - Palo Alto Teen Players - Ram's Head - Comedia 1957

Box 8, audiocassette 2

Betty Janss Conversation Tape 2

Scope and Contents

Feature articles as part of expansion - Artists in Residence at Stanford - King DoDo Playhouse - miscellaneous theater groups - University of Santa Clara

Box 8, audiocassette 3

Betty Janss Conversation Tape 3

Scope and Contents

University of Santa Clara continued - Menlo Players - Stanford Contemporary Theater Workshop 1961-1963 - Foothill - Circle Star/Hyatt Music Theatre - Manhattan Playhouse - 1965, SF Chronicle change of policy dropping freelance critics

Box 8, audiocassette 4

Betty Janss Conversation Tape 4

Scope and Contents

1965, SF Chronicle change of policy dropping freelance critics, continued - reviews for Palo Alto Times, SRT, ACT - Illegitimate Theatre - contributions and afterthoughts

Box 8, audiocassette 5

Teresa Cone / Professional Actors Part 1

Scope and Contents

Limelight Luminaries interview with Teresa Cone, former Oakland Tribune drama critic - Limelight Bay Area on professional actors, Walter Aronson

Box 8, audiocassette 6

Professional Actors Part 2

Scope and Contents

Limelight Bay Area on professional actors, Walter Aronson

Box 8, reel 7-9

Limelight Bay Area open reel tapes