The University Theatre Records document drama productions at Oregon State University beginning in the 1920s. The bulk of the collection consists of play files for individual plays and posters publicizing performances and annual theater seasons. About 40 of the posters are original painted artwork. The records also include programs, scripts, publications, and materials documenting the summer theater program in the early 1970s.
An addition to the University Theatre Records (Accession 2010:074) consists of materials generated by the University Theatre Department that primarily document the staging of theatrical productions and includes account ledgers, an award ribbon, correspondence, event programs, flyers, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, and a scrapbook. The bulk of this transfer is made up of director prompt notebooks reflecting the process of producing plays. Among the activities illustrated in these notebooks are: actor auditioning, stage direction organization, the notation of scripts, publicity, and obtaining of permission to present. Information about the individual productions are also organized into play files that contain programs, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The correspondence and meeting minutes document department administrative processes and budgeting. Numbering a total of 520 images (400 prints, 70 negatives, and 50 slides), the photographs depict various plays, actors, and Theatre staff.
A second addition to the University Theatre Records (Accession 2011:035) consists of materials generated by University Theatre and is made up of prompt books, newsletters, programs, a script, and a musical score. Containing annotated scripts, notes, schedules, and photographs reflecting the process of producing plays, the director prompt books document the following plays: "The Contrast" (1969), "The 5th of July" (1982), "Talley's Folly" (1985), "Talley and Son" (1995), and "The Suicide" (2000). The score is for the opera "A Game of Chance" and contains staging notations. The script "Storm and Stress" is a translation from the original German by theatre faculty member John Terfloth.
A third addition to the University Theatre Records (Accession 2011:094) is made up of programs, posters, postcard flyers, DVDs, and banners documenting a variety of University Theatre productions dating from two periods: 1946 to 1974 and 2009 to 2011. Reflecting productions staged in 2010 and 2011, the posters pertain to the following plays: "Almost Maine," "Fainting Beaver Follies," "I See Allah, I See God," "You Can't Take it with You," "Glengarry Glenross," "The Coming of the Rain," "A Bright Room Called Day," and "As You Like It." The banners were created for productions of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Much Ado About Nothing," while the 2 DVDs contain recordings of the 2010 productions "The Coming of Rain" and "An Ideal Husband."