Inventory of the Circle in the Square Photographs, MC037
Sara Gunasekara
University of California, Davis General Library, Dept. of Special Collections
© 2008
1st Floor, Shields Library, University of California
100 North West Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292
speccoll@ucdavis.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis General Library, Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Circle in the Square Photographs
Creator:
Circle in the Square (Theater)
Identifier/Call Number: MC037
Physical Description:
0.2 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1952
Abstract: The Circle in the Square Theatre was founded in 1951 in New York City
by Theodore Mann, José Quintero, Jason Wingreen, Eileen Cramer and Emily Stevens. The collection contains fifty-four
photographs depicting the 1952 Circle in the Square production of Tennessee Williams'
Summer and Smoke, directed by Jose Quintero.
Physical Location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections,
as many are stored offsite.
The Circle in the Square Theatre was founded in 1951 in New York City by Theodore Mann, José Quintero, Jason Wingreen,
Eileen Cramer and Emily Stevens. It opened on February 2, 1951 with a revival of Richardson and Berney's
Dark of the Moon. Productions included revivals of Tennessee Williams'
Summer and Smoke in 1952, Truman Capote's
The Grass Harp in 1953, and Arthur Hayes's
The Girl on the Via Flaminia in 1954.
In 1960 the demolition of the building forced the company to move to the former New Stages Theatre, at 159 Bleecker
Street, where they opened on January 8 with
Our Town. In 1972, the Circle in the Square moved to 1633 Broadway. The theatre closed as a producing entity
in 1998, however, it continues to host productions.
Sources:
Hartnoll, Phyllis.
The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983.
"History of Circle in the Square: The Theatre,"
Circle in the Square Theatre School web site. Accessed August 25, 2008.
The collection contains fifty four 8x10 black and white photographs of the 1952 Circle in the Square production of
Tennessee Williams'
Summer and Smoke, directed by Jose Quintero. For this production, Geraldine Page played Alma and Lee
Richardson played John. Forty three photographs are of scenes and characters in the production and eleven photographs are
of
scenes in the dressing room, in front of the house before the opening, and during the opening night party. Also included are
seven 8x10 contact sheets of those photographs. Each photograph has the handstamp of the photographer on the reverse: Hugh
Bell or Barbara Kerr and Justin Kerr.
The collection is arranged into two series: Playbill and Photographs.
Collection is open for research.
Acquired from R. Stoddard in 1980.
Sara Gunasekara processed these papers and created and encoded this finding aid.
[Identification of item], Circle in the Square Photographs, MC037, Department of Special Collections, General Library,
University of California, Davis.
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on
behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis as the owner of the
physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by
the
researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Theater -- New York (State) -- New York
Stage photography
Williams, Tennessee, 1911-1983. Summer and smoke
Circle in the Square (Theater)
Playbill Series 1. 1952
Physical Description:
1 playbill
Box MC037, Folder
1
Playbill for Summer and Smoke 1952
Box MC037, Folder
2-44
Scenes and characters in the production 1952
Physical Description:
43 photographic prints
Photograph credits as follows:
Folder 2-3, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 4-5, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 6, Unidentified
Folder 7, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 8-10, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 11, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 12-16, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 17, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 18-25, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 26, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 27-30, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 31-36, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 37, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 38, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Folder 39, Barbara & Justin Kerr Photography
Folder 41-44, Hugh Bell Photography, © The Estate of Hugh Bell
Box MC037, Folder
45-55
Scenes in the dressing room, in front of the house before the opening, and during the opening night party 1952