Scope and Content Note
The Graham Whitehead Papers, 1938-2009, document the career of this playwright, director, actor, artistic director, and dramaturge. The bulk of materials cover his career with Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Arizona State University, Childsplay, and his freelance work from 1969 to 2008. Included are: promptbooks; playscripts; play research materials; dramaturgical notes; director's notes; musical scores; set, lighting and costume renderings; rehearsal schedules; calendars; newspaper and periodical articles; correspondence; biographies; curriculum vita; tour journals; photographs; posters; study guides; playbills; photo albums; contracts; awards; grants; ephemera; video cassettes; and computer disks. The collection consists of fourteen series: Biographical, Mermaid Theatre, Arizona State University Department of Theatre, Arizona State University Lyric Opera Theatre, Childsplay, Freelance Artist, Script Writing, Resource Publications, Audiovisual, Awards, Posters, Technical and Design Drawings, Ephemera, and Oversize Manuscript Materials. Many series are divided into Sub-Series.
Series I: Biographical (1976-2001) provides an overview of Whitehead's career and theatrical accomplishments through resumes, articles written by him, and materials describing his involvement with professional organizations. Included are: biographies; curriculum vita; personal photographs; correspondence; employment documents; photocopies of reviews from 1976 to 1991; documents regarding conferences, panels, retreats, and symposia attended; photocopies of dedications inscribed in published books; and tour journals. The files are arranged chronologically.
Series II: Mermaid Theatre (1982-1991) documents the plays Whitehead wrote, performed in, and directed for this Canadian company. The files are arranged chronologically by play. This series is divided into two Sub-Series: Director/Dramaturge, and Plays Authored.
Sub-Series A: Director/Dramaturge, 1982-1991, documents Whitehead's directing and dramaturgical work with Mermaid Theatre. Included are: play research materials; promptbooks; playscripts; dramaturgical notes; director's notes; musical scores; set, lighting and costume renderings; programs; rehearsal schedules; calendars; publicity fliers and postcards; newspaper and periodical articles; photographs; rehearsal reports; correspondence; cast contact sheets; study guides; and tour schedules.
Sub-Series B: Plays Authored, 1983-1991, documents plays adapted or co-written by Whitehead for Mermaid Theatre. He also directed these productions. Included are: play research materials; promptbooks; playscripts; handwritten notes; study guides; fabric samples; correspondence; scenarios; set and costume renderings; floor plans; musical scores; rehearsal schedules; publicity fliers; newspaper and periodical articles; photographs; rehearsal reports; cast contact sheets; programs, and tour schedules.
Series III: Arizona State University Department of Theatre (1992-1994) documents the plays Whitehead directed at Arizona State University while he was an associate professor in the Department of Theatre. Some of the plays directed were joint productions with the Department of Music. Included are: play research materials; promptbooks; handwritten notes; director's notes; musical scores; set renderings and elevations; floor plans; rehearsal schedules; publicity fliers; newspaper and periodical articles; cast contact sheets; and programs. The files are arranged chronologically by play.
Series IV: Arizona State University Lyric Opera Theatre (1993-2009) documents the plays directed by Whitehead for the Lyric Opera Theatre in the Department of Music at Arizona State University. Included are: concept notes; prop notes; play research materials; promptbooks; musical scores; set, lighting and costume renderings; programs; rehearsal schedules; publicity fliers; newspaper and periodical articles and reviews; rehearsal reports; correspondence; and cast contact sheets. The files are arranged chronologically.
Series V: Childsplay (1995-2008) documents the plays Whitehead developed, performed in, and directed for Childsplay. Included are: play research materials; promptbooks; playscripts; dramaturgical notes; director's notes; musical scores; set, lighting and costume renderings; scene breakdowns; floor plans; fabric samples; handwritten notes; concept notes; rehearsal schedules; publicity fliers and postcards; newspaper and periodical articles; photographs; correspondence; cast contact sheets; study guides; and tour schedules. The files are arranged chronologically by play.
Series VI: Freelance Artist (1969-2008) documents the plays Whitehead developed, performed in, and directed as a freelance artist throughout the United States, Canada, and Russia. Included are: play research materials; promptbooks; playscripts; dramaturgical notes; musical scores; set, lighting and costume renderings; rehearsal schedules; publicity fliers; concept notes; newspaper and periodical articles; photographs; correspondence; cast contact sheets; study guides; and tour schedules. The files are arranged chronologically, by play. Bulk dates are 1969, 1971, 1973, 1977-1978, 1982-2006, 2008.
Series VII: Script Writing (1976-2007) documents Whitehead's theatrical, film and television writing career other than at the Mermaid Theatre. Whitehead also directed or acted in some of these productions. Included are: playscripts; handwritten notes; concept notes; promptbooks; programs; research materials; gift books; correspondence; set elevations and renderings; lighting notes; floor plans; costume renderings; press kits; study guides; musical scores; publicity fliers; newspaper and periodical articles; correspondence; and tour schedules. Of note are development and production materials for Comet in Moominland, a puppet play that was produced with multiple companies and was performed at the New Victory Theatre in New York City. The files are arranged chronologically by play. Bulk dates are 1976, 1979-1981, 1989-1995, 1997, and 2007.
Series VIII: Resource Publications contains published books saved by Whitehead that influenced his directing, teaching, and writing careers. Many are inscribed and/or annotated. The series is divided into four Sub-Series: Publications that Influenced His Career; Books Used in Teaching; Books Used as Director or Actor; and Books Collected on Trips.
Sub-Series A: Publications that Influenced His Career (copyright dates from 1965-2000) contains books on puppetry, child development, playwriting, directing, art, theatre for young audiences, creativity, arts advocacy, and Broadway posters.
Sub-Series B: Books Used in Teaching (copyright dates from 1963-1997) contains books on directing, improvisation, acting, and Canadian theatre for young audiences.
Sub-Series C: Books Used as Director or Actor (copyright dates from 1938-1998) contains books on children's games, young adult novels, Shakespeare scripts, and a Lincoln biography. Many of these books were adapted into scripts for young audiences.
Sub-Series D: Books Collected on Trips (copyright dates from 1964-1990) contains books collected on theatre tours and residencies in Japan and Canada.
Series IX: Audiovisual is format-based and documents various productions worked on by Whitehead. This series is divided into two Sub-Series: Moving Images, and Computer Disks. The tapes are arranged chronologically.
Sub-Series A: Moving Images, 1991-2005, contains sixteen VHS video tapes of productions directed, written, acted in, and developed by Whitehead.
Sub-Series B: Computer Disks, 2003-2007, contains two DVDs and five CDs with production renderings, photographs, musical scores, and soundscapes.
Series X: Awards (1986-2004) contains AriZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence presented to Whitehead for directing in the Phoenix area.
Series XI: Posters (most undated) contains posters collected by Whitehead throughout his career. This series is divided into five Sub-Series: Mermaid Theatre, Other Plays Directed, Oversize Play Posters, Gift Posters, and Festival Posters. It is arranged by size.
Sub-Series A: Mermaid Theatre, 1983-1988, posters for plays that Whitehead directed and adapted while working at the Mermaid Theatre in Nova Scotia.
Sub-Series B: Other Plays Directed, 1977-2009, contains posters for plays directed by Whitehead in Canada and America.
Sub-Series C: Oversize Play Posters, most undated, documents Whitehead's early directing career in Canada. Included are posters from plays directed and/or written by Whitehead for performance in Canada, and one for a production at the Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre.
Sub-Series D: Gift Posters, most undated, contains posters with the signatures of casts and crew for productions directed by Whitehead.
Sub-Series E: Festival Posters, 1985-1988, contains posters from theatre festivals in Japan, Canada, and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Series XII: Technical and Design Drawings documents the design and technical aspects of shows directed by Whitehead. This series is arranged by size, then chronologically and is divided into three Sub-Series: Childsplay, Other Shows Directed, and Oversize.
Sub-Series A: Childsplay, 1995-2004, contains floor plans, costume renderings, and set renderings and elevations for productions directed at Childsplay.
Sub-Series B: Other Shows Directed, 1991-1995, includes floor plans, set renderings, costume renderings, set elevations for productions directed by Whitehead at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre and Department of Theatre, and the California Theatre Center.
Sub-Series C: Oversize, 1993-2004 contains set elevations, floor plans, and set renderings for productions directed by Whitehead at the California Theatre Center, Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre, Childsplay, the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Series XIII: Ephemera (1995-2005) contains three-dimensional objects that were used in plays or were presented to Whitehead by cast members.
Series XIV: Oversize Manuscript Materials (1993-2002) contains materials removed from other folders because of their size.
Dates
- Creation: 1938, 1949, 1963-2009
Language of Materials
Material in English.
Access Restrictions
To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.
Copyright
Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
Biographical Note
Graham Whitehead, artistic director, university professor, actor, stage director, dramaturge, theatre consultant, and playwright, was born in Egypt, raised in England, lived in Canada for almost thirty years, and became a permanent resident in the United States in 1992.
He received a BA from Cambridge University in the UK in 1963; a MA in English from the University of New Brunswick in 1965, where he directed his first play, The Bald Soprano; and a PhD from the University of Toronto in 1970. His dissertation was titled The Craftsmanship of Sean O'Casey.
Whitehead was an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University from 1972 to 1976. He served as Drama Consultant to the Government of Nova Scotia from 1975 to 1979 and as the East Coast (Canada) correspondent for Variety in 1981. He regularly acted, developed scripts, and directed for radio, television, film and the theatre.
From 1982 to 1991 Whitehead was Artistic Director of The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, a professional puppet, mask, and theatre touring company for young audiences. During his tenure at this theatre, he wrote, adapted, and directed plays and helped it become one of the most respected theatres for young people in North America. Whitehead took part in an artistic director exchange between Canada and Belgium/Holland in 1989. The company toured productions to Japan, Australia, and Mexico. Two plays adapted and directed by Whitehead -- Just So Stories in 1986 and Peter and the Wolf in 1989 -- received Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA-USA, the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette.
In 1989 Whitehead received funding from Canada's Department of External Affairs for a speaking tour to Mexico. In 1990 he received a grant from the Canada Council for a study tour to Japan. From 1991 to 1992 Whitehead was Artistic Director for the Magical Theater Company of Barberton, Ohio.
Whitehead was hired at Arizona State University (ASU) as an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre from 1992 to 1994. He taught classes, directed plays and joint musical productions with the Department of Music, and adapted a play with Barbara Acker titled Dokter in Spite uv Hisself. In 1993-1994 he received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a Professional Theatre Training Project.
Whitehead was employed full-time by Childsplay, a professional theatre for young audiences in Tempe, Arizona, in the following positions: Artistic Associate, 1998 to 2000; Associate Artistic Director/New Plays, 2000 to 2003; and National Theatre Artist in Residence, 1997 to 2000, a position funded by the Theatre Communications Group (TCG). While at Childsplay, Whitehead developed new plays and served as dramaturge, director, and actor for numerous productions. After 2003, he continued to work for Childsplay on various artistic projects.
During his entire career Whitehead worked as a freelance artist with companies such as the Arizona Jewish Theater Company, Phoenix Theater, Scottsdale Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre, California Theater Center, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Dallas Children's Theater. He also directed tour performances throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Among his best-known freelance projects are:
- Playwright, director, performer for the Manitoba Theatre for Young People's production of Comet in Moominland, based on the book by Tove Jansson. This award-winning presentation toured extensively between 1990 and 1995 and was invited to perform at the New Victory Theatre in New York City in September and October 2004;
- Adaptor and director for The Nutcracker, a cooperative effort with Symphony Nova Scotia, Halifax Dance, and Mermaid Theatre in December 1991;
- Director of Androcles and the Lion for Free Space Theatre in Orel, Russia, in summer 1995;
- Director of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Theatre for Young Audiences, productions of The Reluctant Dragon in 1991, East of the Sun, West of the Moon in 1992, and Willy Wonka in 2004. The latter show was invited to perform at The White House;
- Adjunct Professor for New York University's New Plays for Young Audiences, summer sessions 2005 through 2007.
Whitehead's career awards include the Canada Council Fellowship from 1968-1972, the Canadian Institute of Arts for Young People Award for Comet in Moominland in 1992, eight ariZoni Awards for directing, and the Maxie Award for Best Production for Young Audiences, The Boxcar Children for Childsplay in 2001.
Full extent
45 Box(es)
Full extent
25.25 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Graham Whitehead Papers document the theatre career of this artistic director, university professor, actor, stage director, dramaturge, theatre consultant, and playwright from 1969 through 2009. The majority of the collection contains production and development materials for plays that Whitehead wrote, directed, acted in, or consulted on as a dramaturge. Bulk dates are 1938, 1949, and 1963-2009.
Arrangement
This collection consists of forty-five boxes and one half mapcase drawer divided into fourteen series:
- Series I: Biographical
- Series II: Mermaid Theatre
- Series III: Arizona State University Department of Theatre
- Series IV: Arizona State University Lyric Opera Theatre
- Series V: Childsplay
- Series VI: Freelance Artist
- Series VII: Script Writing
- Series VIII: Resource Publications
- Series IX: Audiovisual
- Series X: Awards
- Series XI: Posters
- Series XII: Technical and Design Drawings
- Series XIII: Ephemera
- Series XIV: Oversize Manuscript Materials
Provenance
Graham Whitehead donated these materials to the Child Drama Collection in 2009 (accession #2009-04285), ongoing.
- Title
- Graham Whitehead Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Kathy Krzys on 2014 June 25.
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding guide encoded in English.
Repository details
Part of the Theatre for Youth and Community Repository
Contact
Arizona State UniversityP.O. Box 871006
Tempe AZ 85287-1006 United States
(480) 965-4932
archives@asu.edu