Scope and Content Note
The Nellie McCaslin Papers document the writing and teaching career from 1957-2005 of this mostly New York City-based theatre for youth author, actress, workshop leader, playwright, and university professor. Included are: speeches, articles by and about McCaslin, lecture notes, book publicity and drafts, playscripts, correspondence, awards, and research for a dissertation on McCaslin. It is divided into the following ten series: Biographical, Correspondence, Workshops/Lectures, Class and Lecture Notes, Books by McCaslin, Plays by McCaslin, Articles by McCaslin, Marc Janover Dissertation Research, Awards, and Oversized Materials.
SERIES I: Biographical (Box 1), dating from 1943-2005, provides a quick overview of McCaslin’s career. Included are: resumes, photographs, book plates, newspaper and journal articles, interviews, reviews, a conference attendance certificate, theatre programs, correspondence, press releases, and an obituary. The series is arranged chronologically. Bulk dates are: 1943, 1974-1976, 1981-1986, and 1992-2005.
SERIES II: Correspondence (Box 2), dating from 1957-2005, contains correspondence between McCaslin and various individuals. A large portion are letters between McCaslin and two artist/educators from Moscow. The series is arranged chronologically. Bulk dates are: 1957, 1964, and 1977-2005.
SERIES III: Workshops/Lectures (Box 3), dating from 1959-2002, contains materials relating to workshops, lectures, and shows directed by McCaslin. Included are: correspondence, flyers, articles, photographs, posters, conference papers, handwritten notes, and programs. Of note are: flyers for theatre performances in Bulgaria in 1997; and papers presented at the International Drama/Theatre Education Conference in Taiwan in 1991 (most in Chinese), notably Jukebox of the Mind: An Exploration of the Relationship between the Real and the World of Drama Fiction
by John Somers, and The Drama Teacher’s Quality and Teaching Techniques
by Shiro Kobayashi. The series is arranged chronologically. Bulk dates are: 1959, 1973-1999, and 2002
SERIES IV: Class and Lecture Notes (Box 4), most undated, contains note cards used by McCaslin for lectures on creative drama, children’s theatre, and theatre education advocacy.
SERIES V: Books by McCaslin (Boxes 5-7), dating from 1957-1999, contains research, pre-publication notes and drafts, publisher’s and chapter contributors correspondence, and publicity for books written or edited by McCaslin. Included are: abstracts, classroom resource guides, essays, journal articles, correspondence, advertisements, reviews, flyers, bookmarks, and book covers. The series is arranged by title of publication, then chronologically. Of note are drafts for a chapter titled I’ve Never Been in a Story Before!: Audience Participation and the Theatrical Frame by Anthony Tony
Jackson. Bulk dates are: 1957, 1962, 1974-1992, 1995, and 1999.
SERIES VI: Plays By McCaslin (Box 8), dating from 1945-2003, contains pre-publication notes and drafts, publishers’ correspondence, and theatre production materials for plays written by McCaslin, some of which appear in her anthologies Legends in Action and More Legends in Action. Included are: correspondence, contracts, typescripts, newspaper articles and reviews. Bulk dates are: 1945-1983, 2001, and 2003.
SERIES VII: Articles by McCaslin (Boxes 9-10), dating from 1954-2004, contains short writings by McCaslin. Included are: newspaper, magazine, and journal articles; book forewords; a study guide; letters to the editor; and speeches. The series is arranged chronologically. Bulk dates are: 1954-1955, 1963, 1968, 1973, and 1977-2004.
SERIES VIII: Marc Janover Dissertation Research (Box 11), dating from 1985-1988, contains information collected by Marc Janover and obtained by Ann McCormack for dissertations on Nellie McCaslin. Ann McCormack was the only one to complete her graduate study, which was titled, Nellie McCaslin: An American Leader in the Development of Creative Drama and Theatre for Young Audiences
, written for her PhD in Educational Theatre at New York University. Included are: correspondence with colleagues, students, and friends of McCaslin; a list of contacts to interview; and handwritten interview notes. Of note are interviews with Nellie McCaslin, Aurand Harris, and Joanna Halpert Kraus.
SERIES IX: Awards (Boxes 12-18), dating from 1968-2004, chronicles awards presented to McCaslin by various national and local organizations and schools. Included are: plaques, trophies, and certificates. Of note is the Campton Bell Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. This series is arranged chronologically. Bulk dates are: 1968, 1971, 1977, 1979, 1985-1992, 1995-1996, and 2001-2004.
SERIES X: Oversized Materials (Boxes 19-20), dating from 1981-2002, contains materials removed from previous boxes because of their size. This series is arranged in box number order.
Dates
- Creation: 1943-2005
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 copyright to this collection. Distinctive Collections recognizes that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
Biographical Note
Nellie McCaslin, theatre for youth author, actress, workshop leader, playwright, and university professor was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 20, 1914. In high school she was a member of the dramatic club and the debate team. She studied at Case-Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and received her B.A. in English (since they did not have an undergraduate theatre degree) in 1936. She was awarded a scholarship by Case-Western and was presented with her M.A. in Theatre in 1937.
McCaslin began her teaching career at Tudor Hall School for Girls, a preparatory school, in Indianapolis with the following classes: Dramatics, Speech, and Play Production for third grade through high school students. In the mid-1940’s McCaslin spent a summer in Hollywood attending a workshop taught by the famous Russian acting teacher, Maria Ouspenskaya, who focused on improvisation.
McCaslin moved to the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois where she taught undergraduate education majors English, Speech, and Play Production. She began to adapt children’s stories for performance and created a children’s theatre company with her students that toured Northern Illinois. While there she became friends with Winifred Ward, Head of the children’s theatre program at Northwestern University.
In the early 1950’s McCaslin began doctoral work at the Dramatic Arts program of New York University (NYU)’s School of Education. She received her PhD in 1957. Her dissertation, which later evolved into a published book, was titled The History of Children’s Theatre in the United States.
After graduation she taught for twelve years at Mills College of Education in New York City. While there she developed a Saturday morning theatre workshop for children. She was also invited to teach part-time at the Teachers College of Columbia University.
When Mills College of Education closed in 1972, she began teaching at NYU’s Program in Educational Theatre and also served as the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the newly formed Gallatin Division, the University without Walls
. For her outstanding work at NYU she was presented with: the Certificate of Distinction, Gallatin Division in 1985; and the Great Teachers Award in 1986.
Throughout her career, McCaslin was asked to present workshops and lectures throughout the United States, and in Canada, England, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, and Turkey. She was active in the national children’s theatre association and was President of the Children’s Theatre Association of America (CTAA) from 1973-1975. She served on several influential volunteer advisory boards, which included: Anchorage Press, Periwinkle Productions, St. James and St. Martins Press, the Imagination Theatre of Chicago, and Performing Arts for Crisis Training.
She retired in 1985, but continued as an adjunct professor of Educational Theatre at NYU. After retirement she studied piano, volunteered at Bide-a-Wee, a shelter and adoption agency for animals, which presented her with an Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award, and continued to present workshops in Bulgaria, Austria, and Taiwan.
McCaslin’s publications include: four anthologies of plays for young audiences; a textbook initially titled Creative Dramatics in the Classroom that went through eight revisions with the final edition titled, Creative Drama in the Classroom and Beyond; and two collections of essays commissioned from noted scholars and practitioners titled Children and Drama and Theatre for Young Audiences. She also wrote a lengthy foreword historical essay and compiled an annotated list of American children’s theatre companies titled Theatre for Children in the United States: A History.
She published extensively in journals and magazines such as: Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, Youth Theatre Journal, School Library Journal, Resources for Early Childhood, Children’s Theatre Review, TYA Today, Stage of the Art, and Drama Theatre Teacher. In addition, she contributed forewords for prominent books such as Audience Participation by Brian Way, I Won’t Take a Bath by the Paper Bag Players, and Understanding Your Child’s Entertainment by Muriel Boardman.
McCaslin received numerous honors and awards, including:
- Jennie Heiden Award for Excellence in Children’s Theatre, American Theatre Association, 1968
- Inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, 1977
- Newton D. Baker Distinguished Service Award, Case Western Reserve University Alumni Association, 1985
- Honorary Doctor of Humanities, Ferrum College, 1986
- Outstanding Scholarly Research Award, American Association of Theatre for Youth, 1987
- The Case Western Reserve University Citation, for Outstanding Personal Achievement, Significant Community Service, and Demonstrated Loyalty and Service to the University, October 1988
- Lifetime Contribution to Theatre Education award, New York State Theatre Education Association, 1992
- Campton Bell Lifetime Achievement Award, American Alliance for Theatre and Education, 1996
She passed away on February 28, 2005 in New York City.
Full extent
20 Box(es)
Full extent
12 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Nellie McCaslin Papers document the writing and teaching career from 1957-2005 of this mostly New York City-based theatre for youth author, actress, workshop leader, playwright, and university professor. Included are: speeches, articles by and about McCaslin, lecture notes, book publicity and drafts, playscripts, correspondence, awards, and research for a dissertation on McCaslin.
Arrangement
This collection consists of twenty boxes divided into ten series:
- Series I: Biographical
- Series II: Correspondence
- Series III: Workshops/Lectures
- Series IV: Class and Lecture Notes
- Series V: Books by McCaslin
- Series VI: Plays by McCaslin
- Series VII: Articles by McCaslin
- Series VIII: Marc Janover Dissertation Research
- Series IX: Awards
- Series X: Oversized Materials
Provenance
Nellie McCaslin donated these materials to the Child Drama Collection from 1990 to 2005 in nine accessions. Ann McCormack provided the notes from her interview with Nellie McCaslin (Accession #2003-02663, #2004-03334, #2004-03335, #2004-03336, #2004-03345, #2004-03647, #2004-03352, #2004-03353, and #2004-03354).
Subject
- McCaslin, Nellie (Person)
- Title
- Nellie McCaslin Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Katherine Krzys with Jeff Sachs
- Date
- 2016 June 6
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- 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