Scope and Content Note
Materials from the American / Century Play Company Scripts and Business Papers span the years 1894-2006, with the bulk of the items dating from 1915-1998. The collection is a rich resource for scripts, mostly from the first half of the twentieth century. Many of these may be early drafts of major works, often annotated and with additional related materials laid in. In addition, there is information on the business of theater and film during the latter half of the century from the period when Abend owned the company.
The majority of script materials consists of complete typescripts, some never published or in early drafts, and a few published scripts, owned by the American/Century play companies, or “sides” (compilations of the lines and cues for individual characters). Many of these materials bear annotations in the hands of actors, directors, writers, and production managers. Laid in materials include lighting and prop lists, stage layouts, character and costume descriptions, synopses, and other materials. Particularly notable items include: five working copies of The Glass Menagerie (1944) by Tennessee Williams, several of which are production copies and early drafts with Williams' own edits and annotations; early performance drafts of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie (1921), Mourning Becomes Electra (1931), and Strange Interlude (1923), several plays by George Bernard Shaw, and librettos for early Jerome Kern musicals. There are also a surprising number of scripts by women playwrights. Many scripts may have been submitted for consideration but never produced. Scripts are organized alphabetically by last name of the primary author, then by title therein. If a particular work has multiple authors, those names are also listed.
Business papers in the collection consist mostly of correspondence with playwrights, rights holders, legal representatives, and producing organizations, as well as contracts, agreements, and research on copyrights. The materials deal largely with plays, including negotiating revivals, stock productions, and licensing for television and film productions, and a significant amount relating to foreign producing rights. There is also material from a subsidiary company, the Author's Research Company. Files are organized alphabetically, mostly based on how the American Play Company labeled the files themselves. This includes by author (by the author they represented, in cases of works by several authors), work or subject title, and production studio or company.