Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena Records, 1955-1970, bulk 1965-1970

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Title:
Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena Records,
Dates:
1955-1970, bulk 1965-1970
Creators:
Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena
Abstract:
The Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena was formed in 1917 to contribute to the cultural and educational life of the community. The Association included the Pasadena Playhouse (1925) and the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts (1928). The collection consists of correspondence, ephemera, and the financial and business records of the Community Playhouse Association and the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts. The bulk of the collection consists of the financial records of the Association from 1965 to 1970.
Extent:
28 boxes (14 linear ft.) 1 oversize carton
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena Records (Collection 1184). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of correspondence, ephemera, and the financial and business records of the Community Playhouse Association and the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts. The bulk of the collection consists of the financial records of the Association from 1965 to 1970.

Biographical / historical:

The Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena was formed in 1917 to contribute to the cultural and educational life of the community; the Pasadena Playhouse opened in May 1925 under the direction of Gilmor Brown; the Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1937 and was accorded the honorary title of State Theater of California; the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts was founded in 1928, granting BAs and MAs in combination with study at another academic institution, and helped launch the careers of many Hollywood actors, including Dustin Hoffman, William Holden, and Gene Hackman; due to the ensuing proliferation of theaters in Los Angeles, the establishment of other drama schools, and the advent of television, the audience for the Playhouse dwindled and it was forced to close in the late 1960s; the Playhouse was later restored and reopened in 1986.

Biographical Narrative

The Pasadena Playhouse Association began in 1917 with the formation of the Community Playhouse Association dedicated to the idea of a cultural and educational contribution to the community. Opening in 1925 under the direction of Gilmor Brown, the theater gained international stature in 1929 with the presentation of Eugene O'Neill's "Lazarus Laughed." In 1937, the Pasadena Playhouse Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization and was accorded the honorary title of State Theater of California.

The Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts was founded in 1928, granting Bachelor of Arts and master of Arts degrees in combined study with work at another academic institution. Areas of instruction at the College included acting, speech, directing, production, and the history and literature of the drama.

The Pasadena Playhouse Association (including the College of Theater Arts) was dissolved in 1970, due to financial difficulties. The papers of the Association consist of correspondence, ephemera, pamphlets, and the financial and business records of the Playhouse and the College. The bulk of the collection consists of the financial records of the Association from 1965 to 1970.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Lee Korf, purchase, 1976.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Correspondence (Box 1).
  2. Theater and College records (Boxes 2-9).
  3. Accounts payable and received (Boxes 10-19).
  4. Taxes and payroll records (Boxes 20-23).
  5. Petty cash (Boxes 24-25).
  6. Banking and insurance records (Boxes 26-27).
  7. Ledgers (Box 28).
  8. Programs, Players magazine issues, ephemera (Box 29).

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Charlotte Payne; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé
Date Prepared:
© 2003
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from typescript by rekeying. Date of source: January 1977 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary 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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena Records (Collection 1184). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website