Don Boros Theatre Collection

35.49 linear feet [75 boxes]

The Don Boros Theatre Collection have been donated to University Archives from alum Don Boros (who received an undergraduate degree in 1966 and a graduate degree in 1967) over the course of many years. The collection consists of five separate series: Programs, Scrapbooks, Theatre Magazines, Autographs, and Miscellaneous.

Series 1. Programs

This series makes up the majority of the collection and consists of programs for plays and musicals, many of which include newspaper or magazine clippings that discuss the performances. Most of the programs are for performances in the United States, especially on Broadway in New York City, but also include theaters in, among other cities, San Francisco; Chicago; Ann Arbor; Boston; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C. Most of the foreign programs are for performances in London and other cities in the United Kingdom, with a smaller number coming from the major cities in France, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia, and several from Canada as well. The collection covers a wide range of performances, and many of them include programs for different productions over the years. This is especially the case with plays by Shakespeare. The programs range in date from 1783 to 2000, with most coming from the 20th century. Where known, the writer, lead, and director are provided. This part of the collection is organized into seven different sub-series.

Sub-Series 1. Single play programs

This sub-series covers programs for single performances and is the bulk of Series 1.

Sub-Series 2. Multiple play programs

This sub-series consists of programs for multiple performances.

Sub-Series 3. Dance companies

This sub-series covers programs for dance companies, most of which are ballet.

Sub-Series 4. Orchestra / Musical performances

This sub-series includes programs for orchestra/musical performances, most of which are orchestral.

Sub-Series 5. Festivals

This sub-series consists of programs and informational booklets for festivals from around the world with subjects that include drama, dance, film, opera, puppets, and folk.

Sub-Series 6. Theatre specific

This sub-series includes programs and informational booklets for specific theaters or people. It has three groupings: items in the first provide information about performances for a specific theater for a single season. Items in the second provide information either about the theater in general or about performances over several years. Items in the third are about specific artists or specific theater events.

Sub-Series 7. Oversize

This sub-series contains oversized programs and flattened posters.

Series 2. Scrapbooks

This series consists of 17 scrapbooks. Most of these are filled with only theater programs or pages from programs, though some include newspaper clippings. One includes programs for special events and ceremonies, and three of them consist of notebooks of handwritten descriptions of theater and opera programs/performances. The dates for the items in these scrapbooks range from 1885 to 1956, with much of them coming from the 1920s.

Series 3. Autographs and Manuscript Material

This series includes of autographs, photographs or printed images, and correspondence from actors, writers, directors, critics, and others from the entertainment industry. Also included here are some published and unpublished material related to individuals and not signed. A few letters with unidentified signatures and some miscellaneous items are also included.

Series 4. Miscellaneous

This series contains miscellaneous items, mainly play reviews fromTime magazine from the 1940s and 1950s, a few foreign language items related to theater, and a variety of miscellaneous items related to theater activities, such as guides and conferences.

The Don Boros Theatre Collection is arranged in five separate series.

Series 1. Programs

Arranged alphabetically by title, this series contains programs for plays and musicals arranged in seven sub-series. Items range in date from 1783 to 2000.

Sub-Series 1. Single play programs

Arranged alphabetically by title, and then chronologically where there are multiple programs for the same play or musical, this sub-series is the largest of the seven and consists of programs for productions of a single play or musical.

Sub-Series 2. Multiple play programs

Arranged alphabetically by the first title listed, and then chronologically where there are multiple programs for the same play or musical, this sub-series consists of programs for produtions of multiple plays or musicals.

Sub-Series 3. Dance companies

Arranged alphabetically by dance company or performer, and then chronologically where there are multiple programs, this sub-series consists of programs for dance performances.

Sub-Series 4. Orchestra / Musical performances

Arranged alphabetically by musical group, and then chronologically where there are multiple programs, this sub-series consists of programs for music performances.

Sub-Series 5. Festivals

Arranged alphabetically by festival title, and then chronologically where there are multiple programs, this sub-series consists of programs and informational booklets for festivals from around the world.

Sub-Series 6. Theatre specific

This sub-series consists of programs and informational booklets related to specific theaters and has three groupings. The first is arranged alphabetically by theater name. The second is arranged alphabetically by theater or title. The third consists of only four items and has no specific arrangement.

Sub-Series 7. Oversized

This sub-series has no specific arrangement and consists of oversized programs and broadsides.

Series 2. Scrapbooks

Arranged in rough chronological order, this series contains 17 scrapbooks.

Series 3. Autographs and Manuscript Material

Arranged alphabetically according to last name, this series contains autographs and other manuscript material from actors and others in the theater community.

Series 4. Miscellaneous

Records are located at XX.XX

There are no access restrictions.

Permission to publish, quote, and reproduce must be secured from the copyright holder.

Material acquired between 1994 and 2006 did not have an accession number but have been processed in this collection. Accessions received after 2006 that were included in this collection are: A08-014, A09-012, A10-012, A11-014, A12-013. In June 2020, A14-015, A15-008, A16-011, and A17-008 were added.

The books, which some are in circulating and in University Archives, are also part of the donations by Don Boros. All books have been catalogued and can be found through the library's online catalog. They can be found by using the keywords "Boros Theatre Collection."

In March 2020, all material that was related to Vladimir Nemirovitch-Danchenko which were part of accessions A11-014 and A12-013, were deaccessioned and donated directly to the Binghamton University library Special Collections, per the request of Don Boros. In addition, part of A14-015 and all of A18-012, which were never added into this collection, were deaccessioned to Binghamton University.

No further materials are expected for this collection.

Processed by Krista Lewis and Alissa LaChapelle from March 2012 to June 2012.