Marymount Manhattan College

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Maureen Anderman Papers

Authored by: Taylor Creel

Anderman Photo

Michael Weller’s Moonchildren. 1972. Maureen Anderman Collection, Marymount Manhattan College.

Actress Maureen Anderman collected newspaper articles about plays she participated in over the more than forty years of her career. In 2016, Anderman donated her professional papers to Marymount Manhattan College. Marymount Manhattan College features a strong theatre arts program and advertises thirty three percent of graduates as pursuing a career in acting making it an optimal selection for such resources.[1] In order to compensate for physical space constraints, the college would like to create a bibliography of articles from the New York Times which mention her. Continue reading →

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Moonchildren: A Vietnam War Story

Authored by Kate Kirwan

An image of four students (three men, one woman) sitting at a kitchen table.

A still image taken during the 1972 Broadway production of Moonchildren. Courtesy of the Archives department of Marymount Manhattan College.

Between 1961 and 1975, the United States of America found itself engulfed in the Vietnam war, which had profound effects on the United States and created much disillusionment, particularly with America’s youth.[1] Amidst the turmoil, in February 1972, Michael Weller’s play Moonchildren (formerly titled Cancer) debuted on Broadway for the first time. [2]

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William Harris Papers – Bread and Puppet Theater

Authored by Rio Aucena

Bread and Puppet Theater production

Archbishop Oscar Romero (giant puppet) from the Bread and Puppet Theater’s new production, The Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

When historical pictures are unearthed, these items not only tell us about our past but connects us together as a community. Some of these go a step further and leave messages that inspire and instill worthwhile values such as love, respect and service.

While perusing Marymount Manhattan College’s William Harris Papers, an image of a giant puppet caught my attention. Equally attention-grabbing was the note attached behind the black and white photograph stating the snapshot was from the Bread and Puppet Theater’s new production entitled, “The Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.” With such a curious theater group name and an interesting production subject, my interest was piqued.

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William Harris Papers-Paul Zindel

Authored by Erika Wilson

Zindel watermarked image

Clipping of the play to be performed at the Biltmore Theatre

The Effect of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds was written by Paul Zindel. His novel received a Pulitzer Prize in 1964 and eventually became a popular Broadway performance. Some of the advertisements and review clippings from various Broadway performances of the play are archived in the William Harris Papers at Manhattan Marymount College. An impressive collection of 96 scripts, 4,450 folders of clippings and a collection of photographs gathered by Mr. Harris during the decades of the 1960s to the 1990s (Manhattan, 2016).

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The Irondale Ensemble: Making Our World a Better Place

Authored by Yael Bronner

Photo of Irondale Ensemble

Members of Irondale in “Conversations in Exile.” Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

Imagine a theater company on a mission to educate as well as entertain. The Irondale Ensemble does just this, operating as a “performance think tank” and using the theater as a conduit for learning and growth.[1] Irondale delivers performances on thought-provoking topics and works tirelessly to attract the public through its community engagement programs.  The ensemble, located in Brooklyn, New York, was formed in 1983 and is composed of 12 members including actors, directors and designers.[2] It is funded by prominent cultural organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and The New York State Council on the Arts.[3]

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Marcel Marceau-William Harris Papers

Authored by Joann M White

Playbill featuring Marcel Marceau from the William Harris Papers

Playbill featuring Marcel Marceau from the William Harris Papers

The William B. Harris Papers are a collection of theater ephemera collected over a period of 30 years. After graduating from college William Harris moved to New York to become a writer. He would eventually be the theater editor for SoHo Weekly News and managing editor of Theatre Crafts Magazine. In the process of doing this work he would accumulate his theater collection. Mr. Harris would die of a massive coronary at the age of 49 on July 27, 2000. His brother John would donate the collection to Marymount Manhattan College, which has a dance and theater program.

 Mr. Harris’s papers are divided into eight separate genres; three are not in the archives at Marymount Manhattan College. The remaining five include unpublished scripts, photographs, posters, one videocassette and the largest part of the collection is in series #2. Series #2 contains 4,450 folders primarily newspaper clipping of reviews, playbills, photographs, postcards, advertisements for performances, as well as personal correspondence. This playbill from 1958 of Marcel Marceau is part of the collection. Continue reading →

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William B. Harris Papers – Meredith Monk

Authored by Magdaline J. Lawhorn

Photograph of the 33 ½ rpm vinyl record by Don Preston and Meredith Monk of Candy Bullets and Moon in 1967 in the original sleeve from the William Harris Papers.

Photograph of the 33 ½ rpm vinyl record by Don Preston and Meredith Monk of Candy Bullets and Moon in 1967 in the original sleeve from the William Harris Papers.

Photograph of the 33 ½ rpm vinyl record by Don Preston and Meredith Monk of Candy Bullets and Moon in 1967 out of the sleeve from the William Harris Papers.

Photograph of the 33 ½ rpm vinyl record by Don Preston and Meredith Monk of Candy Bullets and Moon in 1967 out of the sleeve from the William Harris Papers.

Marymount Manhattan College now houses the collection of the late William B. Harris, a New York theater critic (Brown, 2001, 3p.). After his death his collections were donated, including newspaper clippings, playbills, ticket stubs, photographs, personal correspondence and other assorted items he had gathered over the years. Amongst this extensive collection Harris saved a vinyl record. The record was a single press of Candy Bullets and Moon by Meredith Monk and Don Preston (Monk & Preston, 1967). As one of the earliest recordings of Monk it captures more than just her beginnings. It symbolizes her longevity as a leading woman in the entertainment industry. Continue reading →

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William B.Harris Papers-James Mundy

Authored By: Adina C. Brizel

1989 Theater Review of James Mundy's 'Sinners and Saints'

1989 Theater Review of James Mundy’s ‘Sinners and Saints’

One of the many treasures in the archives of Marymount Manhattan College is the William B. Harris papers. Harris, a theater and dance critic for the SoHo Weekly News and Theatre Crafts magazine accumulated over 96 unpublished play scripts and 4,450 archived boxes of clippings connected to various authors and playwrights over a thirty year period. When Harris died in 2000, his family donated his entire collection to the performing arts library at Marymount. Continue reading →

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Joe Papp and His Contribution to Public Theater

Authored by Crystal Lopez

Photograph of actors Priscilla Smith and Jamil Zakkai in full costume and masks during the production of Agamemnon, from the William Harris Papers at Marymount Manhattan College

Photograph of Priscilla Smith and Jamil Zakkai during the production of Agamemnon, from the William Harris Papers at Marymount Manhattan College

William Balber (Billy) Harris was a drama and dance critic who wrote articles, criticism and reviews for many publications including Art Forum, The New York Times, and The Village Voice. Throughout the course of his career he amassed an impressive collection of papers that his brother John wanted to keep available to the public after Harris’ death. They were donated to Marymount Manhattan College, who are best known for their performing arts program (Brown, 2001). Within Marymount’s collection is this photograph from the play Agamemnon. The play originally debuted in May 1977 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and was produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival (Playbill, n.d.).

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Eun Me Ahn – William Harris Papers

Authored by Kanisha Greaves

Photograph of Eun Me Ahn from the William Harris Papers at Marymount Manhattan College

Photograph of Eun Me Ahn from the William Harris Papers at Marymount Manhattan College

The William Harris Papers at Marymount Manhattan College consist of 96 unpublished scripts and 4,450 folders of newspaper clippings, playbills, and photographs accumulated by the collection’s namesake, William B. Harris. Harris was a drama and dance critic who amassed this collection until his death of a massive coronary in 2000. After his death, the collection was given to Marymount Manhattan College, which has a performing arts program. Included in this collection is the photograph of Eun Me Ahn pictured on the left. As a dancer and choreographer in Korea and later in New York from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s, the avant-garde dance style of Eun Me Ahn was acclaimed by the press as unusual, but powerful and deeply touching. Throughout her time in New York, she was dubbed the Korean answer to the sacrosanct Art of Japanese Butoh. Continue reading →