Dayton Playhouse Collection
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MS-339: Dayton Playhouse Collection Collection Number: MS-339 Title: Dayton Playhouse Collection Dates: 1954-2007 Creator: Dayton Playhouse Inc. Summary/Abstract: The Dayton Playhouse, which began as the City of Dayton operated, Dayton Community Theatre (DCT), has been an active community theatre since the fall of 1959. Throughout the years other theatrical groups were added, including the Dayton Repertory Theatre, presenting more adult themed dramas, and Dayton Children’s and Teen Theatre, now called YouTheatre. At their current home, in the Riverbend Arts Center, the Dayton Playhouse, as it is now called, continues to present a variety of theatrical productions each season. Quantity/Physical Description: 40 linear feet: posters, programs, photographs, financial records, video recordings, newspaper clippings, etc Language(s): English Repository: Special Collections and Archives, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435-001, (937) 775-2092 Restrictions on Access: There are no restrictions on Access Restrictions on Use: Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.” Preferred Citation: (Box Number, Folder Number), MS-339, the Dayton Playhouse Collection, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio Acquisition: Materials were donated by David Seyer, Executive Director of the Dayton Playhouse, on 12-2-04 Accruals: Futures additions will be forthcoming. 1 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements: The collection includes numerous video and sound recordings requiring specific media players. These include videocassette and audiocassette tapes. Notes: Please keep in mind while researching that the Playhouse evolved from many different theatres into one. Also, all photographs too large to fit in the photograph binder-boxes will be in the Oversize Series. These photos, too, are cross-referenced in the binder-boxes where needed to point the researcher in the right direction. Separated Materials: The videotapes in Boxes 51-54 are located on the moveable shelving in the Med Sci location with other magnetic tapes. Processed by: Gino J. Pasi Arrangement: The Dayton Playhouse Collection is arranged in nine series and numerous subseries. Series I: Dayton Community Theatre Subseries IA: Shows Subseries IB: Administrative Subseries IC: Special Events Subseries ID: Correspondence Subseries IE: Publicity Subseries IF: Financial Reports Series II: Dayton Repertory Theatre Subseries IIA: Shows Subseries IIB: Administrative Subseries IIC: Correspondence Subseries IID: Committees Subseries IIE: Financial Subseries IIF: Publicity Series III: Dayton Children’s, Teen, YouTheatre and Other Theatres Subseries IIIA: Dayton Children’s Theatre Subseries IIIB: Dayton Teen Theatre Subseries IIIC: YouTheatre Subseries IIID: Dance Theatre Dayton Subseries IIIE: Other Theatre Organizations Series IV: Dayton Playhouse Inc. Subseries IVA: Shows Subseries IVB: Administrative Subseries IVC: Financial Subseries IVD: Special Events Subseries IVE: Educational Subseries IVF: Committees Subseries IVG: Publicity 2 Series V: Photographs, Slides, & Negatives Subseries VA: Dayton Community Theatre Subseries VB: Dayton Repertory Theatre Subseries VC: Dayton Children’s, Teen and YouTheatre, et al Subseries VD: Dayton Playhouse Subseries VE: Unidentified Photographs Subseries VF: Negatives Subseries VG: Slides Series VI: Film and Video Series VII: Scrapbooks, Posters, and Oversized Items Biographical/Historical Note The Dayton Playhouse has been an active community theatre since 1959. It began as the City of Dayton operated, Dayton Community Theatre (DCT) providing family entertainment at various venues throughout the city, but primarily at the Longfellow School on Dayton’s, Salem Avenue. Soon after its founding, the Community Theatre and the Dayton Board of Recreation decided it should present more opportunities in drama for Dayton area children and teens. The Dayton Children’s Theatre was formed in 1962, eventually adding a separate Teen Theatre and finally amalgamating the two into the YouTheatre in the 1980s. In 1966, the organization moved into the historic State Theatre in downtown Dayton. While there, a second adult group known as the Dayton Repertory Theatre (DRT) formed. The Repertory Theatre presented a wider array of theatrical works outside the DCT’s musicals and “lighter” dramatic fare. Throughout its history the Dayton Repertory Theatre went on to win numerous statewide honors in performance excellence. After the demolition of the State Theatre in 1970, the two adult companies and the children’s theatre moved to a bowling alley on East Third Street, which the City of Dayton renovated and converted into a theatre. This setting was home to the organization for seventeen years. Also during the 1970s, the term Dayton Playhouse started to be used as the name for the building in which all the aforementioned theatres performed. It is at this time that stationary and letterhead began bearing the header The Dayton Playhouse. Before the 1984-85 season, the Repertory Theatre and Community Theatres merged to become, simply, the Dayton Playhouse with a mixed season of musicals and more serious dramas. In the summer of 1987, the City of Dayton completed work on a new venue at the Riverbend Arts Center on Siebenthaler Avenue. This permanent facility has been the organization’s home ever since. The most identifiable and successful tradition in the Playhouse’s fifty year history is Future Fest. Future Fest, which began in 1991, is an annual playwriting festival which attracts submissions from myriad budding playwrights and today continues to be one of the Playhouse’s most well-attended events. Also in the 1980s, the Playhouse became a completely privately funded organization. 3 At their current home, in the Riverbend Arts Center, the Dayton Playhouse, as it is now called, continues to present a variety of theatrical productions each season. Scope and Content The Dayton Playhouse Collection documents one of Dayton’s longest lasting cultural institutions. Because of the number of different theatres operating at one time under the auspices of the Dayton Playhouse, series have been separated to chronicle the development of those organizations. The last organization to appear as a series is the larger Dayton Playhouse Inc. series. Even though it is customary to put larger collections first in a series, Dayton Playhouse Inc. is last, as it will continue to grow through the donation of additions, and therefore will be easier to process, i.e., renumbering boxes, files, etc. Series I, Dayton Community Theatre, captures the early years of the theatre’s history. The first subseries, Shows, includes everything related to a particular production from 1959 through the mid-1980s. Also included in this series are the administrative records of DCT, involving board minutes and other committee meeting minutes, as well as any administrative topics, such as trying to find a new home for the Dayton Community Theatre. The third subseries, Special Events, encompasses everything from awards ceremonies and theatre picnics, to anniversary banquets and workshops. Financial records follow, which includes yearly and monthly records. And finally, correspondence, records the various communications between board, community, city, and theatre members. Within each subseries, topics are organized alphabetically. Within most folders, chronological order exists The next four series follow essentially the same order as the first. A significant break in series organization comes with Series V, Photographs, Slides, and Negatives. Here images are ordered first by organization, then by subject, then arranged chronologically. The same follows suit with negatives and slides, the following two subseries. The next series, Film and Video, contains numerous video recordings, primarily of shows, but also some award banquets, and workshops. Again, these are arranged first, by Theatre, then by subject, then chronologically. The last series in this collection is Scrapbooks, Posters, and Oversize photographs. The first three scrapbooks span the years 1959 through 1980, encompassing only the Dayton Community Theatre. There are no scrapbooks for any other organization, e.g. Dayton Repertory Theatre. These scrapbooks contain programs, photos, advertisements, reviews etc. Also in this series is Posters. These posters too, span the early years through the 1990s. The last in this series is oversized photos, these are pictures taken of various productions, that are larger than 8.5” x 11” Subject Terms Places Dayton (Ohio) 4 Subjects (General) Drama, Musicals – Production and Direction, Theatre, Plays, Community Organizations, Civic Groups, Community Theatre Material Types correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, programs, posters Collection Inventory Series I Dayton Community Theatre Subseries IA: Shows Box File Description Date 1 1 Show Lists 1959-79 1 2 Shows 1959-61 1 3 Shows 1961-62 1 4 Shows 1962-63 1 5 Shows 1963-64 1 6 Fiorello 1964-65 1 7 Mame 1964-65 1 8 The Curious Savage 1964-65 1 9 South Pacific 1964-65 1 10 Anything Goes 1964-65 1 11 Girl Crazy 1965-66 1 12 A Hole in the Head 1965-66 1 13 Love from a Stranger 1965-66 1 14 Brigadoon 1965-66 1 15 Gypsy 1965-66 1 16 See How They Run 1966-67 1 17 Carousel 1966-67 1 18 High Spirits 1966-67 1 19 Anything Goes (Band Shell) 1966-67