University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art Photographs and Related Materials, 1911-1970s

Summary

Creator:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dept. of Dramatic Art.

Abstract:

The collection spans the time period from 1911 through the 1970s and includes photographs and related material documenting theatrical productions, personnel, tours, programs, events, and other activities of the Department of Dramatic Art. Images primarily document the Carolina Playmakers (1918-1975). Many of these early play images were taken and produced by the photographer Bayard Wootten or by Wootten-Moulton Studios. Productions and activities of the PlayMakers Reperatory Company, the North Dakota Playmakers (founded by Frederick Henry Koch in 1905 before he came to the University of North Carolina), and the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre Project are also depicted. The collection consists primarily of photographic material (prints, negatives, and 35mm slides), but also contains programs from productions, notes on tour dates, reviews, and other materials. A majority of the images in the collection have original description containing production title and date. Some images may have titles and descriptions containing offensive and racist language or depict offensive scenes of white actors portraying people of color.

Extent:

5550 items (13.5 linear feet)

Language:

Materials in English

Library Catalog Link:

View UNC library catalog record for this item

Background

Biographical / historical:

The Department of Dramatic Art at the University of North Carolina was established in 1936; prior to that, instruction in the history of theater and comparative drama was given in the Department of English. In addition to academic instruction, the new department produced plays and supported dramatic efforts. The Carolina Playmakers, founded in 1918 by drama professor Frederick Henry Koch (1877-1944), became its production unit. Koch and the group specialized in folk drama and were considered seminal in the Little Theatre movement of the early 20th century. The Playmakers performed plays (many of which were written by students) on campus, and also toured North Carolina and other states. The Carolina Dramatic Association, begun in 1922, was a cooperative program of the Department of Dramatic Art and the University Extension Division's Bureau of Community Drama. A new semi-professional theatrical group, the PlayMakers Repertory Company, was established in 1976. Many persons associated with the study of dramatic art at the University of North Carolina later achieved professional prominence, including Thomas Wolfe, Paul Green, Kay Kyser, Betty Smith, Shepperd Strudwick, Jack Palance, Louise Fletcher, Anne Jeffries, and Andy Griffith.

Scope and content:

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art Photographs and Related Materials span the time period from 1911 through the 1970s and include photographs and related material documenting theatrical productions, personnel, tours, programs, events, and other activities of the Department. Images primarily document the Carolina Playmakers (1918-1975), and often depict Caucasian actors portraying African American, Native American, and Asian characters. Many of these early play images were taken and produced by the photographer Bayard Wootten or by Wootten-Moulton Studios. Productions and activities of the PlayMakers Reperatory Company, the North Dakota Playmakers (founded by Frederick Henry Koch in 1905 before he came to the University of North Carolina), and the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre Project are also depicted.

The collection is organized into three series: 1. Theatrical Productions, University of North Carolin at Chapel Hill; 2. Other Theater-related Programs and Activities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and 3. Non-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Theater-related Programs and Activities. Materials are largely photographic (prints, negatives, and 35mm slides), but also include programs from productions, notes about tour dates, reviews, and other items.

Note that many of the 8x10-inch sheet film negatives in this collection are suffering from advanced deterioration, have been separated from the rest of the collection, and are not available for viewing due to their fragile condition. Prints have been made from the majority of these negatives and are described below.

Physical organization of the collection is as follows:

• Print Boxes 1 through 16: Black-and-white and color photographic prints, P0035/0001 through 0585
• Print Box 16: Dated lists of Carolina Playmakers productions, programs, notes on tour dates, and other materials
• Black-and-white Film Boxes 1 through 7: Black-and-white sheet film negatives, P0035/0590 through 0803
• Slide Box 1: Color 35mm slides, P0035/0810 through 0849
• Flat Box 1: Oversize black-and-white photographic prints, P0035/0850 through 0852
• Duplicate Film Box 1: Duplicate interpositives (some made from discarded originals)
• Duplicate Film Box 2: Duplicate negatives (some made from discarded originals)

Acquisition information:

Received from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art in several acquisitions during the 1990s-early 2000s.

Processing information:

Processed by: North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 1990s; Elizabeth Hull, December 2010-January 2011

Encoded by: Elizabeth Hull, January 2011

Conscious Editing Work by: Wilson Library staff, June 2020 (removed racist slurs); Nancy Kaiser, July 2023 (added statement about "Croatan")

NOTE: Some of these original titles and descriptions contain harmful language. In 2020, archivists removed transcriptions of these titles and descriptions from the finding aid. The original titles and descriptions remain on the physical documents, digitized access copies, and digital materials.

Archivists have not removed racial terms "Negro" or "Colored" because we feel they provide important historical context about the materials and who created them and they facilitate the research process. We recognize that these terms also may cause harm and will periodically revisit our decision to include them. We recognize the complexity of this issue and welcome feedback on this decision at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.

NOTE: "Croatan" (or "Croatoan") is an identity term that was used by the Indigenous peoples of the Hatteras and Roanoke Islands in the late 16th century. In subsequent centuries, the Indigenous peoples of Sampson, Craven, Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke and Scotland counties in North Carolina were thought to be the descendants of the Croatan Indians and were so called by North Carolina state officials; however, many tribal nations existed and exist now in this area who prefer to use their own identity terms, including the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina, and others.

In 2023, archivists examined the use of "Croatan" in Wilson Library archival collections and decided to leave this term in places where it refers to the Indigenous peoples of the Hatteras and Roanoke Islands, is part of a title, or is the proper name of a geographic feature or location. We have replaced "Croatan" with the appropriate identity term for materials that refer specifically to the groups noted above. When we are unable to make a determination, we use "Indigenous peoples." We recognize the complexity of this issue and welcome feedback on this decision at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.

Sensitive materials statement:

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Related

Related material:

• The Carolina Playmakers scrapbook, North Carolina Collection, Call # FC812 C29s4
• Department of Dramatic Art of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records (#40080), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Frederick H. Koch Papers (#4124), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• [Playbills from Carolina Playmakers productions: from the Dept. of Dramatic Art], North Carolina Collection, Call # FFVC812 C292p
• [Posters from the Dept. of Dramatic Art], North Carolina Collection, Call # FFC812D764p
• [Scrapbooks compiled by Carroll Stoker], North Carolina Collection, Call # FVCBS874s
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Image Collection (P0004)
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Photographic Laboratory Collection (P0031)
• Bayard Morgan Wootten Photographic Collection (P0011)

Indexed terms

Subjects:

African American theater--Photographs.
African Americans--Drama--Photographs.
African Americans in literature.
American drama--North Carolina--20th century.
American drama--North Carolina--20th century--Photographs.
Asians in literature.
College and school drama, American--North Carolina--History--20th century.
College and school drama, American--North Carolina--History--20th century--Photographs.
College theater--North Carolina--History--20th century.
College theater--North Carolina--History--20th century--Photographs.
Drama--Study and teaching--North Carolina.
Drama--Study and teaching--North Carolina--Photographs.
Educators--North Carolina--Photographs.
Folk drama, American--North Carolina--20th century.
Folk drama, American--North Carolina--20th century--Photographs.
Indians in literature.
Indians in popular culture--United States--History--Photographs.
Little theater movement.
Little theater movement--Photographs.
Minstrel shows--Photographs.
Mountain people--Southern States--Drama.
Mountain people--Southern States--Drama--Photographs.
North Carolina--Drama.
North Carolina--Drama--Photographs.
North Dakota--Drama.
North Dakota--Drama--Photographs.
Theater--Production and direction--North Carolina.
Theater--Production and direction--North Carolina--Chapel Hill.
Theater--Production and direction--North Carolina--Chapel Hill--Photographs.
Theater--Production and direction--North Carolina--Photographs.
Theater, Open-air--Production and direction--North Carolina.
Theater, Open-air--Production and direction--North Carolina--Chapel Hill.
Theater, Open-air--Production and direction--North Carolina--Chapel Hill--Photographs.
Theater, Open-air--Production and direction--North Carolina--Photographs.
Theater--North Carolina.
Theater--North Carolina--Photographs.
Photographs.

Names:

Carolina Dramatic Association.
Carolina Dramatic Association--Photographs.
Carolina Playmakers.
Carolina Playmakers--Photographs.
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)--Photographs.
Forest Theatre (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Playmakers Repertory Company (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Playmakers Repertory Company (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)--Photographs.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Dept. of Dramatic Art.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Dept. of Dramatic Art--Photographs.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Faculty--Photographs.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Employees--Photographs.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Photographs.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--History.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dept. of Dramatic Art.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dept. of Dramatic Art--Photographs.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Employees--Photographs.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Photographs.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--History.
Arthur, Billy, 1911-2006.
Bailey, Loretto Carroll, 1908-
Clark, Barrett H. (Barrett Harper), 1890-1953.
Coffin, Gertrude Wilson.
Denny, George Vernon, 1899-1959.
Finch, Robert, 1909-1959.
Fitz-Simons, Foster.
Fitz-Simons, Marion Tatum.
Green, Paul, 1894-1981.
Greet, Ben, Sir, 1857-1936.
Griffith, Andy, 1926-
Harrison, Richard B.
Heffner, Hubert C.
Horton, W. C.
Jurgensen, Kai.
Koch, August Wilhelm.
Koch, Frederick H. (Frederick Henry), 1877-1944.
MacKaye, Percy, 1875-1956.
Selden, Samuel, 1899-1979.
Smith, Betty, 1896-1972.
Wootten, Bayard Morgan, 1875-1959.

Places:

Chapel Hill (N.C.)--Photographs.
Chapel Hill (N.C.)--History.
North Carolina--Photographs.
Orange County (N.C.)--Photographs.
Orange County (N.C.)--History.

Restrictions to access:

No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to use:

For copyright and use restrictions contact the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art Photographs and Related Materials #P0035, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, Wilson Special Collections Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Location of this collection:

North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives

Louis Round Wilson Library

200 South Road

Chapel Hill, NC 27515

Contact:

(919) 962-3765

wilsonlibrary@unc.edu