Publicity headshots, Undated

The Kenneth L. Graham Collection, 1935-1996, is comprised of vitas and resumes; certificates and awards; production lists; flyers; personal, production and publicity photographs; newspaper and periodical articles; a dissertation abstract and excerpt; research for plays and written works; audition forms and videos; essays; conference programs; directories; periodical advertisements; newsletters; obituaries; personal and business correspondence; notebooks; play analyses; programs; a puppet; promptbooks; lighting plots; cast lists; class notes; syllabi; radio scripts; musical scores; class handouts; exams; sheet music; postcards; itineraries; speeches; grant information; class reports; student papers; published books with annotations and/or inscriptions; video and audio tapes; phonograph recordings; ephemera; handwritten notes; and an academic cap and gown. The collection, with bulk dates of 1936-1942 and 1946-1992, documents Graham's university teaching career at the University of Minnesota; his academic and professional directing and acting career; his college education; his summer teaching at Cain Park Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio; and his travels abroad and to New York City to study theatre techniques.

Series I: Biographical (1937-1996) contains biographical material written by or about Kenneth Graham and research materials. It is arranged chronologically. Included are vitas and resumes; certificates and awards; production lists; flyers; personal and publicity photographs; newspaper and periodical articles; dissertation abstract and excerpt; research for written works; audition materials; essays; conference programs; directories; periodical advertisements; newsletters; obituaries; correspondence; notebooks; and play analyses. Of note are a University of Minnesota list of productions, Young People's University Theatre history; Skippy routine and flyers; an unpublished play written by Graham; photographs of Graham at Cain Park Theatre in 1944; a notebook for a theatre company for seniors for which Graham was the secretary; and his director/observership notes for two plays directed on Broadway in the winter of 1960: Becket directed by Peter Glenville, starring Anthony Quinn and Sir Lawrence Olivier, and All the Way Home directed by Arthur Penn.

Series II: Production (1936-1992) documents the adult and theatre for young audiences plays directed, performed or designed by Graham. This series is arranged chronologically. Included are promptbooks with technical notes and blocking; screenplays; published playscripts; programs; production schedules; lighting plots; reviews; photographs; research; cast lists; sheet music; musical scores; radio scripts; and newspaper articles. Of note are a production of As You Like It with Graham as assistant director of Dina Rees Evans at the University of Iowa in 1936; Children's Theatre of Evanston and Northwestern productions; Cain Park Theatre productions; and University of Minnesota children's theatre productions. Bulk dates are 1936-1937, 1940-1942, 1946-1965, and 1969-1992.

Series III: Class Notes (1935-1989, most undated) contains Graham's class notes from over 40 years of teaching theatre history, speech, motion pictures, stage lighting, creativity, scene design, puppetry, acting, creative drama, theatre for children and theatre in Twin Cities classes at the University of Minnesota, Cain Park Theatre and at other universities. This series is arranged by course title. Included are syllabi; handouts; exams; lecture notes; research; grant information; class reports; student papers; and brochures. Of note are extensive class notes for creative drama, theatre for children and theatre history.

Series IV: West Germany Trip (1936-1968) documents Graham's visit and theatre tour in the West German Republic as a guest of the Cultural Foreign Office during the summer of 1967. Included are photographs, negatives, postcards, itineraries, theatre programs, brochures, and a speech. This series is arranged by material type. Of note is a speech Graham presented at an AETA (American Educational Theatre Association) conference in 1968, titled West Germany: Oh! Impressions.

Series V: Sabbatical Theatre Trip (1964-1975) documents Graham's sabbatical trip visiting 35 cities in Eastern and Western Europe, Mexico and Los Angeles, California to study acting and theatre teaching techniques. Included are itineraries; articles; conference proceedings; research; brochures; fliers; theatre periodicals; correspondence; programs; photographs; and handwritten notes. This series is arranged by city visited. Of note are Graham's notes on the teaching techniques and performances that he observed. Also of note are T.I.E. (Theatre-In-Education) demonstration sessions materials from the Greenwich Young Peoples' Theatre in England. Bulk dates are 1974-1975.

Series VI: British and Chinese Tours (1981-1993) documents organized theatre tours lead by Graham from 1981-1993 to England and China. Included are itineraries; participant lists; brochures; photographs; a briefing packet; lecture notes; and research for play selection. This series is arranged chronologically.

Series VII: Production Photographs (1940-1967) contains production photographs of children's theatre and two adult plays directed by Graham at Cain Park Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and at the University of Minnesota. This series is arranged by production company, then chronologically. Of note is an early production of the children's play Seven Little Rebels and a production of Peter Pan at Cain Park Theatre. Bulk dates are 1940-1942, 1948-1951.

Series VIII: Ephemera (undated except for one item) contains personal objects that were donated with the papers. Included are Graham's doctoral academic cap and gown; gifts presented to Graham by casts; the AATE Campton Bell Lifetime Achievement Award plaque; Graham's College of Fellows medallion; and Skippy, a puppet that was used by Graham to welcome audiences to performances for youth at the University of Minnesota. For the dialogue spoken by Skippy, see Box 1, folder 12.

Series IX: Oversize (undated) contains materials that were too big to fit in the document boxes in the other series. Document removal forms were inserted in the appropriate files in the other series to direct patrons to the items in these boxes.

Series X: Audio/Visual (mostly undated) contains audio and visual documentation of Graham's work in commercials and industrial films; his demo publicity tapes; and recordings of music used in classes to motivate drama. Included are: 3/4" videotapes, audio cassettes, and 78 rpm and 33 1/3 rpm phonograph recordings. This series is arranged by material type.

Series XI: Annotated Books (copyrights 1928-1980) contains books with notes in margins and underlining by Graham or with inscriptions or dedications to Graham. Book subjects include acting; creative drama, dialects, costuming, introduction to the theatre, playscripts, and children's theatre. This series is arranged by book title.