This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 4.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2000 items) |
Abstract | Samuel Selden was chairman of the Dept. of Dramatic Art and director of the Carolina Playmakers at the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, 1944-1959. Drafts of books, speeches, articles, bulletins, and plays, and correspondence relating to them; scripts of plays Selden directed; subject files; and photographs. The subjects of the writings include stage scenery and lighting, acting, playwriting, directing, outdoor drama, educational theater, and other topics relating to theatrical production. Also included are typescripts of plays written by Selden and annotated scripts of plays directed by Selden, as well as programs, clippings, and correspondence relating to outdoor plays Selden directed. About half of the material in the subject files relates to outdoor drama, including both general information about the production of outdoor plays and programs of individual plays. The photographs are chiefly prints of scenes from outdoor plays and work on outdoor plays, scenes from Carolina Playmakers productions, and illustrations from Selden's books. |
Creator | Selden, Samuel, 1899- |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
On 2 January 1899, Samuel Selden was born in Canton, China, where his parents, Charles Card and Gertrude Thwing Selden, were medical missionaries. In 1917, Selden came to the United States. After his arrival, he served a year in the United States Army Medical Corps, and then attended Yale University where he received the A. B. degree in 1922. For the next five years, Selden worked in professional theater in New York, notably as assistant technical director and stage manager at the Provincetown Playhouse.
In 1927, Selden came to the University of North Carolina as technical director of the Carolina Playmakers and instructor in English. He stayed at the University for thirty-one years. For the last fourteen of those years, from 1944 to 1959, Selden served as chairman of the Department of Dramatic Art and director of the Carolina Playmakers. He left the University of North Carolina to go to the University of California at Los Angeles as chairman of the Department of Theatre Arts. When he left Los Angeles, he went for one year (1966-67) to Southern Illinois University as distinguished visiting professor. He then returned to Chapel Hill and was visiting professor in the Department of Dramatic Art from 1967 to 1971.
In addition to teaching, Selden wrote books on various aspects of theater, and wrote and directed plays. He became an expert on outdoor drama and directed, supervised, and advised numerous productions of outdoor plays. He directed the first seasons of Paul Green's The Lost Colony, from 1937 to 1941 and 1946 to 1952.
Selden married Wautell Gray Lambeth on 19 July 1936. They had two children, Priscilla Lambeth and Samuel Thwing Selden. Mrs. Selden died in May 1948. On 25 October 1951, Selden married Emily Polk Crow.
Samuel Selden died on 27 April 1979 at the age of 80.
Back to TopThis collection best reflects Samuel Selden as author and director. The majority of the material relates to Selden's books, plays, articles, and speeches or to plays he directed. Material related to outdoor drama appears in all parts of the collection. Although there is some material from early in Selden's career, the bulk of the material comes from later years.
In general, Selden's arrangement of items within folders has been retained.
Typed and handwritten drafts, galley proofs, page proofs, photographs, and a few other items related to Selden's books, Essentials of Stage Scenery (with Tom Rezzuto), and to Modern Theatre Practice, and Stage Scenery and Lighting.
Script and sheet music for "Love and Measles: A Musical Comedy" with book and lyrics by Emily Selden and music by Walter Golde. Also included is one letter about the play.
Back to TopDrafts of Selden's books, speeches, plays, articles and other short writings, along with notes, correspondence, and miscellaneous items pertaining to them.
There are notes and correspondence relating to eight of Selden's published books, but no manuscripts of these works. There are four book-length manuscripts of works never published and notes and correspondence relating to them.
Folder 1-2
Folder 1Folder 2 |
"A Brief Guide to Play-Directing" |
Folder 3 |
Essentials of Stage Scenery (1972) |
Folder 4-6
Folder 4Folder 5Folder 6 |
First Steps in Acting (1947, 1961, 1964) |
Folder 7-11
Folder 7Folder 8Folder 9Folder 10Folder 11 |
"From a Story-Maker's Workshop" |
Folder 12 |
An Introduction to Playwriting (1946) |
Folder 13-14
Folder 13Folder 14 |
"Little Fables" |
Folder 15 |
Man in His Theatre (1957) |
Folder 16-17
Folder 16Folder 17 |
Modern Theatre Practice (1935, 1939, 1946, 1959) |
Folder 18-19
Folder 18Folder 19 |
Shakespeare: A Player's Handbook of Short Scenes (1960) |
Folder 20-21
Folder 20Folder 21 |
The Stage in Action (1941, 1961) |
Folder 22 |
Stage Scenery and Lighting (1930, 1936, 1959) |
Folder 23-24
Folder 23Folder 24 |
Theatre Double Game (1969) |
Folder 25-26
Folder 25Folder 26 |
Willow Seeds in the Wind |
Typescripts of talks by Selden and notes for talks. For most, there is no indication of when or where they were given.
Drafts and reprints of articles, bulletins, and short, unpublished writings, as well as material for courses Selden taught.
Typescripts of plays by Selden. Some have a small amount of correspondence with them concerning publication or production.
Folder 79-80
Folder 79Folder 80 |
The Enchanted Mountain |
Folder 81-82
Folder 81Folder 82 |
The Ghosts of Kill-Devil Tavern |
Folder 83 |
The King of the Beggars |
Folder 84-88
Folder 84Folder 85Folder 86Folder 87Folder 88 |
The Silence at Titan's Rock |
Folder 89-91
Folder 89Folder 90Folder 91 |
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
Folder 92 |
While the Horses Are Saddled |
Folder 93 |
The White Doe |
Annotated scripts of plays directed by Selden, and programs, clippings, leaflets, correspondence relating to outdoor plays he directed.
Scripts only.
Folder 94 |
Anastasia |
Folder 95 |
Of Thee I Sing |
Folder 96 |
Peter Pan |
Folder 97 |
R. U. R. |
Folder 98 |
Romeo and Juliet |
Folder 99 |
The Taming of the Shrew |
Scripts and programs for outdoor plays directed by Selden. There is also correspondence related to The Stephen Foster Story and Home Is the Hunter. There is no script for Home Is the Hunter.
Folder 100-101
Folder 100Folder 101 |
The Confederacy |
Folder 102-104
Folder 102Folder 103Folder 104 |
Home Is the Hunter |
Folder 105-112
Folder 105Folder 106Folder 107Folder 108Folder 109Folder 110Folder 111Folder 112 |
The Stephen Foster Story |
Folder 113-116
Folder 113Folder 114Folder 115Folder 116 |
Wilderness Road |
Reference material, notes, and miscellaneous correspondence. About half of the material relates to outdoor drama, including both general information about production of outdoor plays and programs of individual plays. Most of these files were established and titled by Selden.
Chiefly 8 x 10 black and white glossy prints of scenes from outdoor plays and work on outdoor plays, plus some photographs used to illustrate two of Selden's books, and others of Carolina Playmakers productions, of Selden, and of others.
Note: Image numbers P-4378/102 and P-4378/175 are not used.
Image P-4378/1 |
Samuel Selden: Portrait, 1937 |
Image P-4378/2-12
P-4378/2P-4378/3P-4378/4P-4378/5P-4378/6P-4378/7P-4378/8P-4378/9P-4378/10P-4378/11P-4378/12 |
Samuel Selden: Portraits |
Image P-4378/13 |
Samuel Selden, John Payne, Bob Sonkonsky with mint juleps at the plantation of Winston Coleman, summer, 1956 |
Image P-4378/14 |
Selden receiving commission from Labon Jackson as Kentucky Colonel |
Image P-4378/15 |
Selden adopted into the tribe of White Buffalo, 29 August 1960 |
Image P-4378/16 |
Gathering of UNC-CH English faculty, 1970 |
Image P-4378/17 |
Selden at rostrum, Andy Griffith and unidentified woman at table |
Image P-4378/18 |
Selden standing in aisle (Paul Green among audience) |
Image P-4378/19 |
Selden, Red Skelton, three unidentified men |
Image P-4378/20-26
P-4378/20P-4378/21P-4378/22P-4378/23P-4378/24P-4378/25P-4378/26 |
The Stage in Action: Illustrations |
Image P-4378/27-33
P-4378/27P-4378/28P-4378/29P-4378/30P-4378/31P-4378/32P-4378/33 |
Stage Scenery and Lighting: Illustrations |
Image P-4378/34-40
P-4378/34P-4378/35P-4378/36P-4378/37P-4378/38P-4378/39P-4378/40 |
The Common Glory: Scenes from the play, technicians preparing scenery, amphitheatre |
Image P-4378/41-58
P-4378/41P-4378/42P-4378/43P-4378/44P-4378/45P-4378/46P-4378/47P-4378/48P-4378/49P-4378/50P-4378/51P-4378/52P-4378/53P-4378/54P-4378/55P-4378/56P-4378/57P-4378/58 |
Horn in the West: Scenes from the play, amphitheatre. |
Image P-4378/59 |
The Lost Colony: Samuel Selden |
Image P-4378/60-63
P-4378/60P-4378/61P-4378/62P-4378/63 |
The Lost Colony: Cast members |
Image P-4378/64 |
The Lost Colony: F. H. Koch, Supervising Director; Howard W. Bailey, State Director, Federal Theater Project; Paul Green, author; Samuel Selden, Production Director |
Image P-4378/65-76
P-4378/65P-4378/66P-4378/67P-4378/68P-4378/69P-4378/70P-4378/71P-4378/72P-4378/73P-4378/74P-4378/75P-4378/76 |
The Lost Colony: Members of staff |
Image P-4378/77-80
P-4378/77P-4378/78P-4378/79P-4378/80 |
The Lost Colony: Auditions |
Image P-4378/81-85
P-4378/81P-4378/82P-4378/83P-4378/84P-4378/85 |
The Lost Colony: Cast |
Image P-4378/86-97
P-4378/86P-4378/87P-4378/88P-4378/89P-4378/90P-4378/91P-4378/92P-4378/93P-4378/94P-4378/95P-4378/96P-4378/97 |
The Lost Colony: Theater and set |
Image P-4378/98-156
P-4378/98P-4378/99P-4378/100P-4378/101P-4378/102P-4378/103P-4378/104P-4378/105P-4378/106P-4378/107P-4378/108P-4378/109P-4378/110P-4378/111P-4378/112P-4378/113P-4378/114P-4378/115P-4378/116P-4378/117P-4378/118P-4378/119P-4378/120P-4378/121P-4378/122P-4378/123P-4378/124P-4378/125P-4378/126P-4378/127P-4378/128P-4378/129P-4378/130P-4378/131P-4378/132P-4378/133P-4378/134P-4378/135P-4378/136P-4378/137P-4378/138P-4378/139P-4378/140P-4378/141P-4378/142P-4378/143P-4378/144P-4378/145P-4378/146P-4378/147P-4378/148P-4378/149P-4378/150P-4378/151P-4378/152P-4378/153P-4378/154P-4378/155P-4378/156 |
The Lost Colony: Scenes |
Image P-4378/157-170
P-4378/157P-4378/158P-4378/159P-4378/160P-4378/161P-4378/162P-4378/163P-4378/164P-4378/165P-4378/166P-4378/167P-4378/168P-4378/169P-4378/170 |
The Lost Colony: Backstage |
Image P-4378/171-177
P-4378/171P-4378/172P-4378/173P-4378/174P-4378/175P-4378/176P-4378/177 |
The Lost Colony: Roanoke Island |
Image P-4378/180-194
P-4378/180P-4378/181P-4378/182P-4378/183P-4378/184P-4378/185P-4378/186P-4378/187P-4378/188P-4378/189P-4378/190P-4378/191P-4378/192P-4378/193P-4378/194 |
The Stephen Foster Story: Scenes |
Image P-4378/195-207
P-4378/195P-4378/196P-4378/197P-4378/198P-4378/199P-4378/200P-4378/201P-4378/202P-4378/203P-4378/204P-4378/205P-4378/206P-4378/207 |
Unto These Hills: Scenes |
Image P-4378/208-224
P-4378/208P-4378/209P-4378/210P-4378/211P-4378/212P-4378/213P-4378/214P-4378/215P-4378/216P-4378/217P-4378/218P-4378/219P-4378/220P-4378/221P-4378/222P-4378/223P-4378/224 |
Wilderness Road: Scenes, backstage, amphitheatre |
Image P-4378/225-233
P-4378/225P-4378/226P-4378/227P-4378/228P-4378/229P-4378/230P-4378/231P-4378/232P-4378/233 |
Carolina Playmakers: Scenes from productions |
Image P-4378/234 |
Frederick Henry Koch |
Image P-4378/235 |
Tom Patterson |
Image P-4378/236 |
Paul Green (and Mrs. Green?) |
Image P-4378/237 |
Forest Theater |
Image P-4378/238 |
Arena Theatre of the Philippines |
Image P-4378/239-240
P-4378/239P-4378/240 |
Unidentified |
Filed in Box 5.
Filed in Box 5.