A Guide to the Barksdale Theatre Records 1945-2006 (bulk 1954-2004) Barksdale Theatre, Records 41088

A Guide to the Barksdale Theatre Records 1945-2006 (bulk 1954-2004)

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 41088


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Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
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Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

© 2005 By the Library of Virginia. All rights reserved.

Processed by: Renee M. Savits

Repository
Library of Virginia
Accession number
41088
Title
Barksdale Theatre Records 1945-2006 (bulk 1954-2004)
Physical Characteristics
48.06 cubic feet; 109 boxes and 1 oversized drawer; Box numbers 1-109.
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to reproduce any audio-visual material must be obtained from Barksdale Theatre. The scripts in Series III cannot be reproduced without permission of the playwright.

Preferred Citation

Barksdale Theatre Records, 1945-2006 (bulk 1954-2004). Accession 41088, Business Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Barksdale Theatre, Richmond, Virginia, 8 January 2004. Two broadsides were interfiled with the collection, Accession 41248. Gift of Jacquie O'Connor, Richmond, Virginia, 14 June 2004. Several programs were interfiled with the colleciton, Accession 42150. Transferred from Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, 26 August 2005.

Biographical/Historical Information

Barksdale Theatre was created by a group of friends who met during summer stock theatre in St. Clair, Michigan. The original founders were Tom Carlin, Stewart Falconer, David and Priscilla Kilgore, Muriel McAuley, and Pat Sharp. In June 1953 they moved to Richmond, Virginia, desiring to start their own theatre. The group purchased the historic Hanover Tavern in Hanover, Virginia, 1 August 1953, and established the nation's first dinner theatre, Barksdale Memorial Theatre. The theatre was named in memory of a deceased college friend, Barbara Barksdale (1930-1950). The theatre produced their first play, Gold in the Hills , at Barksdale Theatre, on 23 September 1954.

By 1960, four of the original members had left Barksdale, and David Kilgore had married Nancy Masters. The three remaining members, David and Nancy Kilgore, and Muriel McAuley lead the theatre for the next 40 years. Throughout those years they produced over 200 plays and renovated Hanover Tavern. In 1973, Barksdale produced the first professional production of a play based on African American experience, Lorraine Hansberry's To Be Young, Gifted, and Black . In 1975, they staged the first professional reenactment of Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech at the historic St. John's Church. In 1977 Barksdale produced the world premiere of Red, Hot, and Cole , an original play written by Muriel McAuley and Randy Strawderman. After hundreds of performances and the raising of several children and animals, in 1990 the founding members sold Hanover Tavern to the Hanover Tavern Foundation. The founders retired in 1993, naming John Glenn as artistic director. Of the founding members, Nancy Kilgore died 16 October 1993, and Muriel McAuley died 4 September 1998.

In 1996 Barksdale built and moved into a new facility at Willow Lawn Shopping Center in Richmond, Virginia. Randy Strawderman served as artistic director from 1997-2001. Currently, 2004, Bruce Miller serves as artistic director of Barksdale Theatre which continues the tradition of producing excellent theatre. For additional history of the theatre please consult, Going On...Barksdale Theatre The First Thirty One Years by Muriel McAuley (Taylor Publishing Co., 1984).

Scope and Content

The Barksdale Records are housed in 109 boxes and one oversized drawer. Included are bylaws, contracts, correspondence, deeds, financial materials, ledgers, minutes, musical scores, newsletters, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, press releases, programs, receipts, reports, resumes, scrapbooks, and scripts. The records document the development of the company from its earliest performances at Hanover Tavern, to its contemporary performances at the Willow Lawn Center.

The records include deeds for Hanover Tavern and Willow Lawn Center, correspondence regarding literary rights of plays, scripts submitted by inspiring playwrights, fundraising campaign materials, articles of incorporation, Board of Trustee minute files, and personnel policy manuals. Although the collection includes records relating to the financial and managerial side of the business, they are sparse and incomplete.

The bulk of the collection are the clippings, photographs, posters, production files, programs, and reviews documenting the over 200 productions performed by the theatre in its 50 year history. Included are hundreds of photographs from the earliest productions to the current season, numerous theater programs, production files including directing books, cast contact lists, rehearsal schedules, and scripts, theater critic newspaper reviews, and posters of the productions. The collection also includes videos of some of the original performances. Two appendixes are available at the end of the finding aid listing all of the productions performed at Barksdale. One appendix is arranged chronologically, one alphabetically, and they record whether photographs or programs are available for the production. These appendixes are not available online.

A more in-depth description of the collection can be found in the Series level description. It is recommended that the researcher read the Series level scope and content notes thoroughly before accessing the collection.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I. Building Management Files, 1954-1996 Series II. Correspondence, General, 1955-2000 Series III. Correspondence and Scripts, Playwrights, 1979-1998 Series IV. Financial Records, 1953-2001 Series V. Newsclippings and Newsletters, 1953-2002 Series VI. Production Files, 1954-2000 Series VII. Programs, 1954-2004 Series VIII. Theatre Management Records, 1954-2001 Series IX. Miscellaenous, 1945-1998 Series X. Scrapbooks, 1950-2000 Series XI. Oversize, 1954-2003 Series XII. Photographs, 1954-1999 Series XIII. Audio-Visual Materials, 1966-1993 Series XIV. Artifacts/Ephemera, 1954-2000

Contents List

Series I. Building Management Files , 1954-1996 .
Boxes 1
Extent: .35 cu. ft. (1 box).

The Building Management Papers Series is housed in 1 box and arranged alphabetically by folder title. The papers include architectural plans, contracts, deeds, incorporation charter, leases, and reports. Included are minutes and reports from the Hanover Tavern Foundation Building and Grounds committee meetings. Also included are brochures and newsletters regarding the efforts by the Hanover Tavern Foundation to preserve and restore Hanover Tavern, 1993-1996, and contracts, correspondence, and floor plans for the building of the Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn Center, 1996. Of note are the deeds between the Barksdale Theater and Hanover Tavern, 1954-1990, including the original deed for Hanover Tavern dated 1 August 1953.

Oversized architectural plans can be found in Oversize Series XI, Subseries 5: Miscellaneous. They include drawings of Hanover Tavern by the Historic American Building Survey, 1990.

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Series II. Correspondence, General , 1955-2000 .
Boxes 2-3
Extent: .70 cu. ft. (2 boxes).

The General Correspondence Series is housed in 2 boxes and arranged chronologically. The correspondence documents the many aspects of managing Barksdale Theatre, encompassing fund raising, literary rights and royalties, maintenance issues, and exchanges with critics, subscribers and audiences. Included are letters and memoranda regarding appeals for funds, invitations to critics, advertising issues, congratulatory letters, requests for tickets, and production rights. Also included are letters to various statesmen concerning issues such as minimum wages and taxation issues which affected the theatre. Early correspondence, 1954-1969, includes letters to and from Muriel McAuley and Priscilla Kilgore regarding production rights and royalty fees, mainly to the companies of Samuel French, Inc., and Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Also included is correspondence, 1995-1996, regarding the move of the Barksdale Theatre from Hanover Tavern, Hanover, to Willow Lawn Center in Richmond, Virginia. Topics include the search for another home for the theatre, lease and rental conditions between the two organizations, and financial costs for the move to Richmond. Many of the letters in the 1990's are to John Glenn and Randy Strawderman, Artistic Directors for the Barksdale Theatre.

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Series III. Correspondence and scripts, Playwrights , 1979-1998 .
Boxes 4-13
Extent: 3.5 cu. ft. (10 boxes).

The Correspondence and Scripts, Playwrights, Series is housed in 10 boxes and arranged alphabetically by folder title. General correspondence is arranged to the front. Following the general correspondence are folders arranged alphabetically by playwright's last name. These playwrights have individual folders due to the larger size of the scripts submitted.

Included are letters and either the entire play or a synopsis of a play. Often included were self addressed return envelopes and follow up letters. Some lyricists also included audio tapes of their music. The letters were from the authors or their agents, if they had one, and most letters were addressed to John Glenn or Randy Strawderman. The majority of the play submissions were made in the 1990's. Many of the letters were unopened when they were donated to the Library and were later opened by the archivist. Many of the writers sent in their plays after reading an advertisement by Barksdale in the Dramatists Sourcebook , asking for play submissions. Some authors include letters of recommendations, resumes, and reviews with their scripts.

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Series IV. Financial records , 1953-2001 .
Boxes 14-17
Extent: 1.4 cu. ft. (4 boxes).

The Financial Records Series is housed in 4 boxes and arranged alphabetically by folder title. This series includes correspondence, financial statements, fundraising campaign materials, grants, ledgers, and receipts. One of the earliest financial documents is the expense ledger, 1953 February-October, which includes accounts of monies spent on groceries, paint, cleaning supplies, gasoline, and medical bills. Of note are the financial statements, 1976-2000, which include balance sheets, statements of revenues and expenses, yearly budgets, income statement, accounts payable, payroll expense, and ticket sales reports. Included are budgets for individual shows containing expense summaries and ticket sales totals. The financial statements are the most complete for 1994-1996.

Included are fundraising campaign papers, 1996-2001, which contain information on pledges, types of campaigns and program outlines, proposals, sponsorship letters, and advertisements. Also included are applications for grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy.

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Series V. Newspaper clippings and newsletters , 1953-2002 .
Boxes 18-27
Extent: 3.5 cu. ft. (10 boxes).

The Newspaper Clippings and Newsletters Series is housed in 10 boxes and arranged chronologically, with general materials to the front. Topics of the general newspaper clippings include, the early establishment of the Barksdale Theatre and the founding members; Muriel McAuley's modeling career; renovations of Hanover Tavern; anniversary celebrations for the Barksdale Theatre; biographies and stories on Muriel McAuley, Pete Kilgore, Nancy Kilgore, and Randy Strawderman; obituaries for several leading theatre members including Jay Lundy, Nancy Kilgore, and Muriel McAuley; the sale of Hanover Tavern; move of the Barksdale Theatre to Willow Lawn Shopping Center; stories relating to Richmond's other local theatres, Theatre Virginia, Theatre IV, and Swift Creek Mill Playhouse; lists of Richmond Times Dispatch yearly Phoebe Awards winners; and the hiring of artistic directors at the theatre.

Following the general clippings are clippings relating to specific productions staged by Barksdale, 1953-2002. The clippings include reviews, audition notices, and photographs relating to the productions. The series also contains copies of theatre newsletters including, Curtain Up, Dramatists Quarterly, London Theatre News, National Theatre Critic's Reviews, New York Theatre Critic's Reviews, and Theatre Richmond . See also the Oversize series for oversize clippings.

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Series VI. Production files , 1954-2000 .
Boxes 28-37
Extent: 3.5 cu. ft. (10 boxes).

The Production files Series is housed in 9 boxes and arranged chronologically with the year in parenthesis indicating the date of the opening. The documentation for each production varies in scope and may include notes, reviews, scripts, directing books, musical scores, press releases, royalty statements, budgets, prop lists, cast contact lists, actors photographs and resumes, costume and set designs, rehearsal schedules, finances, invitations, advertising, memorandum, and correspondence. The later works (from the 1990's) are represented by much more extensive documentation than the earlier productions. The exception being Red, Hot, and Cole (1977), which is extensively documented and includes agreements, audition notes, correspondence, director's notebooks, invitations, reviews, scripts, sheet music, and sketches.

The earlier shows, 1954-1970, mainly include invitations, notes on ticket sales, play production licenses, and finances. Also included in the earlier records is a collection of correspondence and receipts regarding royalty fees and purchases of copies of plays, 1956-1963. Additional correspondence regarding royalty fees can be found in Series II, Correspondence, General. Of note is a ledger, 1958-1959, recording the attendance and dinner reservations for performances during these years.

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Series VII. Programs , 1954-2004 .
Boxes 38-46
Extent: 3.15 cu. ft. (9 boxes).

The Programs Series is housed in 9 boxes and arranged chronologically with the year in parenthesis indicating the date of the opening. Included are programs for a majority of the Barksdale shows, 1954-2004. Also included are a few flyers and leaflets for the earlier dates. The series also includes a box of miscellaneous programs from a variety of theatres including Barter Theatre, Richmond City Works, Richmond Symphony, Swift Creek Mill Playhouse, Theatre IV, and Theatre Virginia, 1959-1999.

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Series VIII. Theatre Management Records , 1954-2001 .
Boxes 47-55
Extent: 3.15 cu. ft. (9 boxes).

The Theatre Management Records Series is housed in 9 boxes and arranged alphabetically into four subseries. Subseries have been designated for Administrative files, Board of Trustees files, Employment files and resumes, and Marketing and advertising.

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Series IX. Miscellaneous , 1945-1998 .
Boxes 56-58
Extent: 1.05 cu. ft. (3 boxes).

The Miscellaneous Series is housed in 3 boxes and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Included are brochures, correspondence, histories, programs, and publications. Included is information on The Arts Council of Richmond, Carpenter Science Theatre Advisory Board, Glen Allen Cultural Arts Program, Richmond Alliance of Professional Theatres, and the Richmond Public Relations Association. Also included are various programs and tickets stubs from theatres in Europe, 1945, donations and correspondence to the Muriel McAuley Memorial Fund, 1998, and a eulogy for Nancy Kilgore, 1993. Of note are the histories of Hanover Tavern and markups and a draft to Going on...Barksdale Theatre The First Thirty One Years , written by Muriel McAuley. Also of note is The Mystery of Hanover Tavern , probably written by Muriel McAuley. These are recaps (4-6 pages each) of the year's events at Barksdale Theatre written as annual Christmas greetings, 1954-1958.

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Series X. Scrapbooks , 1950-2000 .
Boxes 59-62
Extent: 4 cu. ft. (4 boxes).

The Scrapbook Series is housed in 7 boxes and arranged chronologically by date. The scrapbooks include advertisements, articles, photographs, programs, reviews, and telegrams of the Barksdale Theatre shows, 1954-2000. Of note is the scrapbook which includes reviews and programs from Longwood College and Virginia Museum Theatre.

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Series XI. Oversize , 1954-2003 .
Boxes 63-68
Extent: 2.1 cu. ft. (6 boxes).

The Oversize Series is housed in 6 oversize boxes and 1 oversized drawer and arranged alphabetically into four subseries. Subseries have been designated for Artwork, Clippings and Reviews, Posters, and Miscellaneous.

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Series XII. Photographs , 1954-1999 .
Boxes 69-97
Extent: 10.15 cu. ft. (29 boxes).

The Photographs Series is housed in 29 boxes and arranged into seven subseries. Subseries have been designated for People, Plays, Buildings, Contact sheets, Negatives, Slides, and Miscellaneous. Included are hundreds of photographs documenting the numerous shows and actors involved with Barksdale over the course of the last 50 years, 1954-2004. Many of the photographs were identified but as the collection was being processed, Pete Kilgore and other former Barksdale actors were able to identify other photographs that were not known. Within each subseries the photographs are arranged by size, 8 1/2" x 11", 11" x 17", and 20"x 24".

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Series XIII. Audio Visual Materials , 1981-1992 .
Boxes 98-107
Extent: 3.5 cu. ft. (10 boxes).

The Audio-Visual Materials Series is housed in 10 boxes and arranged into videos (Boxes 98-100), audio cassettes (Box 101), and reel to reel tapes (Boxes 102-107). In May 2005 Bill Rice and the staff at the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) transferred original recordings to VHS, creating three copies of each master: service copy, preservation copy, and duplication master. The audio cassettes and reel to reel tapes have not yet been reformatted and are unavailable due to conservation and preservation concerns.

Videos listed below.

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Series XIV. Artifacts/Ephemera , 1954-2000 .
Boxes 108-109
Extent: 1 cu. ft. (2 boxes).

The Artifacts Series is housed in 2 boxes. Included are framed programs from John Golden Theatre; Plaque for Helen Walsh, Barksdale Board member; Brass Pass for Marian Herget; and a Barksdale Theatre sweatshirt.

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