Finding Aid to the David Gaard Theatrical Works and Short Stories
Coll2008-072
Michael C. Oliveira and Jennifer Darwent.
An initial donation has been funded in part by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
An accretion to the collection in 2014 has been funded by a generous grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Title: David Gaard theatrical works and short stories
creator:
Gaard, David
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2008-072
Physical Description:
10 Linear Feet
6 archives cartons, 1 archives box, 1 archives half-box, 2 archives flat boxes.
Date (inclusive): circa 1965-2010
Abstract: Scripts and screenplays of original theatrical works and adaptations for the stage and screen by David Gaard, alone and in
collaboration with others. Production and performance materials, including contracts, set designs, printouts of e-mail, schedules,
fliers, postcards, programs, and reviews.
Biography
David Gaard was born April 4, 1945, in Duluth, Minnesota. He graduated from high school early, just after his 16th birthday.
He attended the University of Minnesota; however his participation in Vietnam War protests, a role in a university theater
production, and an active social life left little time for his studies. In the autumn, he left school and stayed in Minneapolis,
obtaining a role in a community theater production. When the show closed, he convinced his parents of his need to "find himself",
and with their blessings he left for Los Angeles.
He found a number of positions through the California State Employment Office, including one with a Hollywood casting agency.
Gaard also found bit parts in various stage productions through Minnesotan connections. His work and social life continued
to leave little time to complete projects; after leaving a group sales position, Gaard returned to writing. For three months,
he focused on writing each afternoon, allowing time in the evening for his social life. By early 1967, he had completed his
first play,
Lee Foster. After receiving positive feedback from friends, he relocated to New York City to sell his play.
In the city he found a "dark and depressing studio apartment in the bowels of Hells Kitchen", a job, and within a month met
his future life companion, M. Sanford Kaplan, a married graduate anthropology student at New York University. While Kaplan
sought to overcome his ambivalence about his future, Gaard returned to writing. By the autumn of 1968, Gaard had completed
the play,
And Puppy Dog Tails, and he and Kaplan were living together. The play previewed in September, only months after the Stonewall riots, and ran
successfully through January 1970 in New York, and through that summer in San Francisco. The following year, Bill Murray played
a part in a Chicago production.
Off-Off Broadway, with its understanding of the counter culture of which Gaard and Kaplan were a part, was booming. Gaard
continued writing and Kaplan continued his graduate work, including a trip to Bali in the early 1970s. They arranged to meet
in Nepal; during the trip Gaard purchased a script for Sun Yu's play
The Women's Representative. He adapted the play and it was performed in New York. This changed the fortunes of Mr. Sun and led to Gaard's trip to the
People's Republic of China a decade later.
In New York City, Gaard's works were been performed at The Old Reliable and The Extension; he adapted works for Richard Schechner's
Performance Group and was a founding member of the Nighthouse Company. In 1975, Gaard and Kaplan left New York for Northern
California. With the advent of AIDS, "the whimsical world of
And Puppy Dog Tails had turned into a vicious frightening mad dog". They sold their telecom business, relocated to Woodstock, New York, and Gaard
returned to writing in the early 1990s.
In 1994, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC) selected one of his plays for a reading of new works at
Lincoln Center. In the following years Gaard worked with avant-garde troupes such as GAil GAtes et al, Gorilla Repertory Theatre
Company, The International WOW, and New York Fringe Festival. The New Jersey Public Library selected his play,
Made for Each Other, for their AIDS awareness series in 1996; however, library officials closed the play during the opening night intermission.
Gaard continued with several success productions at the HERE Arts Center. He garnered the Audience Favorite Award for his
production of
All's Well That Ends Well at the 2000 New York Fringe Festival. Gaard lived in New York, New York with his life companion of 45 years, until his death
in March 2012.
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries 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.
Acquisition Information
Gift of David Gaard per deeds of gift dated December 29, 2001; February 22, 2005; November 20, 2007; and donation accessioned
September 14, 2010.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder #, or item name] David Gaard Theatrical Works and Short Stories Coll2008-072, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Michael C. Oliveira, December 2008. Accrual processed and finding aid revised by Jennifer Darwent,
2014.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
An accretion to the collection in 2014 has been funded by a generous grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection contains original and adapted works of playwright David Gaard, written alone and in collaboration with others,
including his long-term partner, M. Sanford Kaplan. The materials include proposals, treatments, drafts, scripts, and screenplays
for developed and undeveloped projects. The production project files contain a variety of production and promotional documentation,
including scripts, set designs, e-mails, schedules, fliers, postcards, programs, and reviews.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1. Original Writings
Series 2. Adaptions and Productions
Series 3. Personal and Miscellaneous
Separated Materials
The following materials were separated to the ONE Periodical collection:
Center Happenings (New York, New York) Volume 24, Issue 4 (April 2008); Volume 23, Issue 6 (June/July 2008)
Gay City News (New York, New York) June 19-25, 2008
HX (New York, New York) Issue 736 (October 2005) and 2 copies of Issue 877 (June 2008)
On The Purple Circuit Volume 11, Number 3
The following VHS (TM) videotapes of Gaard performances were separated to the ONE Audio/Visual collection
VV3006
Made for Each Other
VV3007
90 Degrees from the Equinox by Michael Counts
VV3008
Sheets
Index
Bausch, Richard, 1945-
Brecht, Bertold, 1898-1956
Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898
Cummins, Robert
Ionesco, Eugene, 1909-1994
Kaplan, M. Sanford
Kingsley, Sidney, 1906-1995
Lentsch, Bill
Muldowney, Dominic, 1952-
Peterson, John
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Sophocles, 496 BCE-406 BCE
Swenson, Swen, 1932-
Weill, Kurt, 1900-1950
Yu, Sun, 1900-
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gay theater
Screenplays
Scripts (documents)
Stage adaptations
Gay dramatists
Treatments (documents)
Gaard, David
Original Writings Series 1:
circa 1966-2004
Series Scope and Content
The Original Works Series consists of works for stage and/or screen written by Gaard, alone or in collaboration with his partner,
M. Sanford Kaplan. The series consists of proposals, treatments, and production and promotional materials, including scripts,
set designs, schedules, flyers, postcards, programs, and reviews. The plays are organized alphabetically title. Gaard's first
completed play,
Lee Foster was performed as
The Acme Novelty Company; another early Gaard play,
Swing to the Right was performed as
The Day They Gave Babies Away.
About Bernard Carlton
1999
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 1, Folder 1-5
Early script with notes, revised scripts, promotion materials, and reviews
1999
Box 5, Folder 1
Promotional materials and reviews
1999
Physical Description: [oversized]
The Acme Novelty Co.
1971
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 6, Folder 3
An All American Hero script
2006
And Puppy Dog Tails
1969-1975
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 6, Folder 4-5
Press materials and reviews
1969-1975
Box 1, Folder 7-8
Scripts and promotional materials
1974-1975
Box 6, Folder 6
Any Other Rapture script
2005
As Tears Go By
1999
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Befriending Beau
2000-2002
Physical Description: [6 folders]
Box 6, Folder 9
Press materials and reviews
2002
Box 5, Folder 2
Promotional materials, ticket sale reports, and reviews
2000
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 1, Folder 10-12
Scripts, screenplay, production and promotional materials, and reviews
2000-2002
Box 1, Folder 13
Cocaine Before Chapel early script
circa 1985
Box 1, Folder 14
The Day They Gave Babies Away revised script
circa 1973
eXs
2001-2002
Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 1, Folder 15-16
Script, promotional materials, and reviews
2001-2002
The Fabulous Ten O'Clock Scholar
1999-2003
Physical Description: [2 folders]
The File on Ryan Carter
2005-2007
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 4, Folder 5
Photographs
circa 2005-2007
Box 6, Folder 12-15
Scripts, programs and press materials
2005-2007
Box 1, Folder 19-20
Flash!! scripts by David Gaard and M. Sanford Kaplan
1997
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Fog Over Frisco
1995-2005
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 6, Folder 16-19
First, second and third drafts
1995
Box 1, Folder 21-22
Synopsis, sample dialogue, screenplay
1995
Box 6, Folder 20
Fog Over Frisco and
High Crimes and Treason notes
circa 1995
Box 1, Folder 23-24
The Ghost of Sergeant Pepper synopsis, outline of screenplay and novel, and three sample chapters
1994
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 6, Folder 23
Goodbye to the Silver Queen Act 1 script
undated
Box 1, Folder 25
Gramercy Park Dot Com project outline
circa 1997
Happy New Year, Lady Lou!
2008-2009
Physical Description: [4 folders]
Box 7, Folder 1
Press materials, programs and reviews
2009
High Crimes and Treason
1995-2002
Physical Description: [4 folders]
Box 1, Folder 26-28
Synopsis and scripts
1995-2002
Box 2, Folder 1
Hook, Line, and Sinker screenplay rough draft
1998
Box 2, Folder 32
Later Than Spring rough draft and script
1994
Box 2, Folder 2
Lee Foster script
circa 1966
Box 7, Folder 4
The Lines and Times of Calvin Overmeyer short story
circa 1997
Made for Each Other
1996-1998
Physical Description: [9 folders]
Box 4, Folder 7
Photographs - publicity stills
1997
Box 7, Folder 5
Press materials and reviews
1997
Box 5, Folder 3
Reviews
1996-1998
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 2, Folder 7-8
Screenplay by David Gaard and M. Sanford Kaplan
1998
Box 2, Folder 3-6
Scripts, production materials, and reviews
1996-1998
The Marilyn Project
1974-1975, 2004
Physical Description: [4 folders]
Box 7, Folder 6
Press materials and reviews
1975
Box 7, Folder 7-8
Meet Me at the Astor rough draft and script
2000
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 2, Folder 11
Mother's Day treatment by David Gaard and M. Sanford Kaplan
1999
Box 7, Folder 10
Not Far From Spring script
2000
Box 7, Folder 11
The Ocean Breeze Motel Memorial Cha Cha Cha short story
undated
Power Strokes
1999-2001
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 4, Folder 12
Photographs - Casting Headshots
1999-2000
Box 5, Folder 4
Ticket sale reports and reviews
2000
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 2, Folder 12-13
Working script, production and promotional materials, and reviews
1999-2001
Box 2, Folder 14
Praire Light script
circa 1982
Box 7, Folder 13
The Red Witch short story
2000
The Sailor, Home from the Sea
1999-2000
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 7, Folder 14
Promotional materials
1999-2000
Box 5, Folder 15
Promotional posters
undated
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 2, Folder 15-17
Script, production and promotional materials, and reviews
1999-2000
Box 7, Folder 15-17
The Sand Castle scripts
1966
Physical Description: [3 folders]
Shadow Boy
2001
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 7, Folder 18
The Shadow People script and promotional materials
2001
Box 5, Folder 16
Promotional posters
circa 2001
Physical Description: [oversized]
Sheets
1997-1998
Physical Description: [6 folders]
Box 2, Folder 21-24
Production and promotional materials and draft and revised scripts by David Gaard and M. Sanford Kaplan
1997-1998
Box 5, Folder 5
Reviews
1998
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 2, Folder 25
Something Evil synopsis rough draft
circa 1995
Box 7, Folder 20
The Song of the Chartreuse Canary script
2003
Box 2, Folder 26
Steve Adams and the the Curse of the Vindictive Heart cast List
circa 1973
Box 7, Folder 21
That Summer in San Francisco rough draft
2001-2004
Box 2, Folder 27
Swing to the Right script
1969
Box 2, Folder 28
The Talent for Deception script, production proposal, and synopsis
circa 1995
Box 1, Folder 18
The Ten O'Clock Scholar (working title) script rough draft
1999
Box 7, Folder 22
This is Vicki short story
undated
Box 2, Folder 29
Thursday's Child rough draft
circa 1995
Box 7, Folder 24
Virtual Lives script
2000
Box 2, Folder 30-31
Young and Deadly script
1998-1999
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Adaptations and Productions Series 2:
1973-circa 2005
Series Scope and Content
The Adaptations and Productions Series consists of theatrical works and screenplays adapted, directed, or produced by Gaard.
The series consists of proposals, treatments, along with production and promotional materials such as scripts, set designs,
schedules, flyers, programs, and reviews. The series also includes unknown photographs and slides from performances. The plays
are organized alphabetically by performance title.
Box 3, Folder 1
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll, produced by M. Sanford Kaplan and David Gaard, script
1997
All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare, conceived and adapted by David Gaard
2000
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 3, Folder 2-5
Treatment, script, production and promotional materials, and reviews
2000
Box 5, Folder 6
Promotional material and reviews
2000
Physical Description: [oversized]
Antigone by Sophocles, adapted by David Gaard and M. Sanford Kaplan
1996
Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 7, Folder 25
Cast breakdown, synopsis and sample dialogue
1996
Box 3, Folder 6
Modellbuch for a mixed media production
1996
Box 5, Folder 7
Set sketches
1996
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 3, Folder 7
The Battle for Brennan Street from a story by Robert Cummins, by David Gaard and M. Sanford Kaplan, screen treatment
circa 1985
Box 7, Folder 26
Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward, directed by David Gaard, block book
1960
Dead End by Sidney Kingsley, directed by David Gaard
2001
Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 5, Folder 8
Reviews
2001
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 3, Folder 8-9
Script and promotional materials
2001
Box 7, Folder 27
Script, programs and promotional materials
2001
Box 7, Folder 28
Fehler (alternate title:
The Sins of the Fathers) by Herbert Hirschberg, adapted by David Gaard, script
2004
Box 3, Folder 10
The Flowroom by John Peterson, directed by David Gaard, production and promotional materials
1999
Box 3, Folder 11
It's Enough to Make you Sick 3 plays directed by David Gaard and Bill Lentsch, flier
1973
Box 7, Folder 29
It's Only Rock and Roll written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, music and lyrics by Jim Steinman, book by David Gaard, lyrics
1989
Box 3, Folder 12-13
The Killer by Eugene Ionesco, directed by David Gaard, proposal, script, and production and promotional materials
2001
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 7, Folder 30
La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, adapted by David Gaard, story outline
1970
Box 3, Folder 14
The Last Good Time based on a novel by Richard Bausch, play by David Gaard, script
1987
Box 3, Folder 15
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, produced by M. Sanford Kaplan and David Gaard, program
1997
Mother Courage by Bertold Brecht, translated by Ralph Manheim, edited by David Gaard and Richard Schechner
1974-1975
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 3, Folder 17
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, proposal by David Gaard
circa 2005
My Mother Told Me I Was Different by Carol Polcovar, directed by David Gaard
1999-2008
Physical Description: [8 folders]
Box 7, Folder 32-36
Scripts and edits
2005-2006
Box 8, Folder 2
Promotional materials, reviews, printed photos and programs
2006-2008
Box 8, Folder 3
Correspondence, funding requests and clippings
1999-2008
Box 8, Folder 4
The Naked I by Tobias K. Davis, directed by David Gaard, script, program and promotional materials
2001, 2003
Box 8, Folder 5
Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks, adapted by Joseph Jude Zito, directed by David Gaard, script and programs
2006
Two Gentlemen of Verona, by William Shakespeare
2001
Physical Description: [4 folders]
Box 3, Folder 18-20
Treatment for an environmental production conceived and directed by David Gaard
2001
Box 5, Folder 9
Promotional material and reviews
2001
Ubu Roi and
Ubu Bound by Alfred Jarry, adapted by B.Y. Sitterly and Gerald Mast, directed by Gerald Mast, produced by David Gaard
1973
Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 10, Folder 3
Promotional materials
circa 1973
Physical Description: [oversized]
Unidentified performance photographs
circa 1970s, 1998
Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 4, Folder 15
Photographs and a slide
circa 1998
Box 3, Folder 21-22
Wars, Whores, and Tin Pan Alley text by Bertold Brecht, music by Kurt Weill and Dominic Muldowney, conceived and adapted by David Gaard and Swen Swenson,
scripts and programs
1986
Physical Description: [2 folders]
To Whom It May Concern by Aurin Squire, directed by David Gaard
2006-2008
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 8, Folder 7
Script, programs and promotional materials
2006-2008
Box 8, Folder 9-10
Wolf Kisses (original title:
Besos de Lobo) by Paloma Pedrero, adapted by David Gaard, script and press materials
2002
Physical Description: [2 folders]
The Women's Representative by Sun Yu, adapted by David Gaard
1973
Physical Description: [4 folders]
Box 5, Folder 17
Promotional posters
circa 1973
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 8, Folder 11
Press materials and reviews
1973
Personal and Miscellaneous Series 3:
1994-2007
Series Scope and Content
The Personal and Miscellaneous Series consists of various biographical and miscellaneous materials relating to Gaard's personal
and professional life. The biographical information consists of an interview, autobiographical notes written for performances
and to document the materials in his collection; it also includes Gaard’s personal recollection of the production of the
PRIDE Newsletter, forerunner of the
Advocate. The Clippings file consists of newspaper clipping which may have been considered for concept development. The Correspondence
File includes e-mail and letters not directly related to a work, other performance programs, and loose performance materials.
The GAle GAtes et al. file documents several performances of the company. The spiral bound notebooks includes various incomplete
titled works and acts, including
A Sky Full of Moon,
The Ghost of Sergeant Pepper,
Those are Revolting Queens.,
Dakota Visitor,
About Leonard Carrington, and
Midnight in Marrakech.
Box 8, Folder 12
Actors Equity Association
undated
Biographical information
circa 1975, 1999-2010
Box 3, Folder 24
Documents [text]
1999-2010
Box 9, Folder 1
Slide of David Gaard
undated
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 8, Folder 15-16
Clippings
1965-2009
Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 5, Folder 10
Clippings
1992-2000
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 8, Folder 13
Floor plans and equipment lists
circa 1999
Box 5, Folder 11
Fringe Festival programs and newspapers
1997-2001
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 3, Folder 26
GAle et GAtes et al.
1996
General
The folder contains promotional postcards, show programs, and a commemorative program of the GAle et Gates et al. company,
circa 1996. The company produced
To SEA, Another Mountain with Gaard and Kaplan.
Box 5, Folder 19
Gary Shelton print copies of
Nobody for President 1976
1975
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 8, Folder 14
Interviews with David Gaard
1970, 1973
Nighthouse Theatre productions
1974-2002
Physical Description: [10 folders]
Box 4, Folder 2
Photographs from the
The Balcony directed by Michael Nee
1975
Box 4, Folder 4
Photographs from Henrik Ibsen's
Brand
undated
Box 4, Folder 6
Photographs from
MacBeth
undated
Box 4, Folder 8
Photographs from
Malini directed by Pamela DeSio
1975
Box 5, Folder 12-14
Posters for Ibsen's
Brand,
Pigjazz and
Poe: From His Life and Mind
1973-1974
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 10, Folder 1-2
Posters for
The Importance of Being Earnest and
Malini
1973-1974
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 8, Folder 17
Programs, reviews, and history
1974-2002
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 5, Folder 18
Partnership agreement for the Three and a Half Hours Company
undated
Physical Description: [oversized]
Box 8, Folder 19
The Realist,
Garlic Press
1969-1975
Box 8, Folder 18
Receipts and program designs
undated
Box 3, Folder 27-29
Spiral bound notebooks
circa 1990-circa 1997
Physical Description: [3 folders]
