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Charles Playhouse Collection

 Collection — Container: MS 5071
Call Number: MS 5071

Scope and Contents

This collection dates from 1945-2003 (bulk 1957-1995) and documents the history of the Charles Playhouse under the tenure of Frank Sugrue. In additon, it also documents the work of Artistic Director Michael Murray, who served in that postion (and as Co-Producer) from 1958-1968. From the beginning, the Charles Playhouse distinguished itself in the Boston theater scene and maintained this distinction throughout the years by providing many “firsts” to Boston audiences. In particular, this collection documents the beginnings and daily operations of the theater and its various onsite restaurants and clubs, as well as the premieres, notable plays, famous actors, and other cultural enrichments that it brought to the city.

In November 1958, the Charles Playhouse opened at 76 Warrenton Street with Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. With its mission to present serious theater, the Charles continued to expose theatergoers to the most important playwrights of the time and often staged controversial works. For example, Edward Bond's political parable Narrow Road to the Deep North had its national premiere at the Charles Playhouse in November 1969. One of the most influential productions was Vinnette Carroll and Micki Grant's protest musical Don’t Bother Me, I Can't Cope. This play, which examined the African-American experience, opened in June 1976 at a time when race relations in Boston were strained but became the Charles's longest running and highest grossing musical. Another notable production, Shear Madness was still playing at the Charles in 2012. It is the longest running non-musical play in American theater history.

The Charles Playhouse also launched the careers of several well-known actors. Olympia Dukakis, a founding member of the Actor's Company (which became the Charles), appeared in every production from 1957-1959. Jane Alexander (1964) and Jill Clayburgh (1967) began their professional careers there, as members of the Charles's Resident Acting Company. Al Pacino starred in the 1967 productions of America Hurrah and Awake and Sing. He returned to the Charles, as both a director and actor, for 1970s performances of Rats and The Indian Wants the Bronx, as well as Arturo Ui.

Important “firsts” that the Charles brought to Boston were the Musical Theatre for Children and the comedy club. Musical Theatre for Children debuted during the 1964-65 Season and ran continuously for seven years. In March 1974, the Charles opened Boston's first comedy club, The Cabaret, which featured Jay Leno. Additionally, the Charles hosted many Boston premieres, including Jean Anouilh's drama Poor Bitos, which opened in November 1965 and provided Bostonians with both high quality, modern theater and an introduction to well-known Canadian actor Eric House.

Along with its notable accomplishments, this collection also documents the beginnings and daily operations of the theatre and its various onsite restaurants and clubs from 1958-1995. This includes the organizational and policy changes that the Charles underwent – moving from a theater with a resident acting company to one who used visiting performers to, finally, becoming a booking house. The planning and implementation of capital development plans, benefits and subscription campaigns are also chronicled as are staff positions and operating procedures. Particularly prevalent are records of the many bars, restaurants and clubs which took up residence at the Charles through the years. Among them are The Playhouse Restaurant, the Comedy Connection, the Lunch Club and Late Club, and Roberta's ShowBiz Cafe.



Of special note are the Charles's 10th and 30th Anniversary celebrations. For the 10th Anniversary (1966-67), the Charles refurbished the Playhouse interior and original company members, namely Olympia Dukakis and Edward Zang, returned to the stage for an ambitious season which featured a production of Shakespeare's Hamlet. In November 1988, the Charles Playhouse celebrated the 30th Anniversary with commemorative events, including a Gala Ball with guest of honor Jane Alexander, a special encore performance of the repeat hit Jacques Brel.



In addition, this collection conveys The Charles Playhouse's role in Boston's Theatre District as well as in national theatre organizations. The Charles participated in many of Boston's cultural events designed to expose the public to the arts, including the Boston Arts Festival (1959, 1963), WinterFest (1966-67) and Summerthing (1968-70). Through membership in civic organizations, such as the Theatre District Association, and involvement with numerous city task forces, including the Mayor's Task Force on Urban Theatres, the Charles and its management were an influential part of the Theatre District's redevelopment from the late 1970s-1980s. For example, the Charles participated in the planning process with the Boston Redevelopment Authority and also, for a time, was charged with redevelopment of one of the empty land parcels (C2).

The collection contains playbills, scripts, stage plans and set designs, cast lists, contracts, financial statements, correspondence, blueprints, renovation plans, and scrapbooks. Photographs, posters, press releases, artwork, advertisements and news clippings are also included.

Dates

  • 1945-2003
  • Majority of material found in 1957-1995
  • Other: Date acquired: 00/00/2009

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Items in this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions. In most cases, the Boston Public Library does not hold the copyright to the items in our collections. It is the sole responsibility of the user to make their own determination about what types of usage might be permissible under U.S. and international copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical Note

Frank Sugrue, co-founder, producer and, eventually, owner of the Charles Playhouse was the major force behind the Charles from 1958-1995.  His love of theater began in1945, while serving as a Marine in Tientsin, Republic of China.  Assigned to the Stateside Theatre, Mr. Sugrue was responsible for staging shows to entertain the troops stationed in Tientsin.  When the Charles Street Playhouse opened in 1957, Mr. Sugrue, then a young lawyer, quickly became a regular attendee and, soon after, its producer and co-founder, thus turning a hobby into a successful career.  His dedication was recognized in 1980 when he received the Grand Bostonian Award for “contribution to the quality of life in the city through the performing arts during a 25-year period.”  After many successful years in Boston, Mr. Sugrue sold the Playhouse to Jon Platt in 1995.

Historical Note

The Charles Playhouse (originally called the Charles Street Playhouse) was started in 1957 by a group of Boston University theater department graduates known as the Actor's Company.  Located in a loft above 54 Charles Street, the Charles's premiere performance was a double bill of Jean Paul Sartre's No Exit and Tennessee Williams's This Property is Condemned.  The company, including Olympia Dukakis, John Heffernan, and Edward Zang, garnered a tremendous following and, within a year, the Charles had outgrown its location. In 1958, now with a permanent Producer (Frank Sugrue) and Artistic Director (Michael Murray), the Charles moved to 76 Warrenton Street and inaugurated this new era with a critically acclaimed production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Commeth. As Artistic Director, Mr. Murray chose and cast each play, enlisted experienced designers, and directed the majority of the productions. Moreover, he brought in the poet Anne Sexton as a resident artist, and in the early sixties, he developed the idea of a resident company to play in a season of plays—Jane Alexander, Al Pacino, Jill Clayburgh, Ned Beatty and Linda Lavin were part of that company in different years. In addition, Mr. Murray was the public face of the organization and articulated the Playhouse’s philosophy. He started the Charles Playbook, a journal with pieces by local scholars, and “Sunday at Six”, a regular discussion with actors and audiences. His work at the Charles won him the Rodgers and Hammerstein Award for Having Done the Most for the Theater in Boston.

The building at 76 Warrenton Street, designed by the American architect Asher Benjamin (1773-1845), was constructed in 1838 as the Fifth Universalist Church and had many iterations through the years, among them the first synagogue in Boston, a speakeasy, and various nightclubs and casinos.  In 1980, 76 Warrenton Street was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in recognition of its being an Asher Benjamin-designed church.

From its inception, the Charles Playhouse sought to create a unique identity among Boston’s theaters.  It was the first regional theater in New England when the concept was still little known in the United States, and it introduced the world’s most influential playwrights to Boston audiences.  While the Charles underwent many organizational changes and faced many challenges over the years, it consistently found new ways to distinguish itself and enrich the cultural life of Boston.  Throughout the years, the Charles's contributions continued: as a beginning for famous actors; as an introduction to the arts through programs such as Musical Theatre for Children and the Living Stage; as the  ground-breaking venue which hosted numerous Boston premieres, notable productions and Boston's first comedy club; and as the home of “Shear Madness,” the longest running non-musical play in American theatre history.

From its opening, the Charles Playhouse was a vital part of Boston’s Theatre District.  Not only was it the sole regional professional theater in the city, it also participated in many cultural events designed to expose the public to the arts, including the Boston Arts Festival, WinterFest and Summerthing.  Through membership in civic organizations such as the Theatre District Association and the League of Boston Theaters, as well as involvement with various city task forces during the district’s redevelopment, the Charles and its management helped the Theatre District evolve into a vibrant cultural area. After many successful years in Boston, Mr. Sugrue sold the Playhouse to Jon Platt in 1995. Beginning in 1995 and continuing through to 2012, the Charles has been home to the performance art troupe the Blue Man Group. The Charles is also home to the play Shear Madness, which has been running at the theater since its premier in 1980.

Extent

50.00 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection dates from 1945-2003 (bulk 1957-1995) and documents the history of the Charles Playhouse under the tenure of Frank Sugrue. In addition, it also documents the work of Artistic Director Michael Murray, who served in that position (and as Co-Producer) from 1958-1968. With its mission to present serious theater, the Charles Playhouse quickly distinguished itself in the Boston theater scene upon its opening and maintained this distinction throughout the years by providing many “firsts” to Boston audiences. In particular, this collection documents the beginnings and daily operations of the theatre and its various onsite restaurants and clubs, as well as the premieres, notable plays, famous actors, and other cultural enrichments that it brought to the city. Records consist of correspondence, financial statements, blueprints, scrapbooks, and programs. Photographs, playbills, production materials, news clippings, posters and other publicity materials are also included.

Arrangement

Arranged into 9 series:

1. Administrative Records, 1958-1993

2. Legal and Financial, 1957-1995

3. Correspondence

4. Physical Plant, 1958-1995

5. Production Material, 1957-1998

6. Publicity, n.d., 1957-2003

7. Photographs, 1947-2003

8. Audio-Visual, 1945-1993

9. Related Material, 1958-2003

Physical Location

This collection is stored off-site and will require additional time to review, retrieve, and make available in the reading room.

Source of Acquisition

Donation

Method of Acquisition

Frank Segrue

Related Materials

Boston Theatre (Federal Street) Records, 1793-1852

http://archon.bpl.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=68

Boston Theatre and Opera House (Washington Street) Collection), 1847-1855

http://archon.bpl.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=69

Hanlon Theatrical Collection, 1875-1932

http://archon.bpl.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=70

Michael and Antoinette Kavanagh Collection, 1933-1956

http://archon.bpl.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=112

National Theatre Collection, 1837-1864

http://archon.bpl.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=73

Rebekah Hobbs Theatrical Portrait Collection, 1929-1936

http://archon.bpl.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=66

Processing Information

Finding aid written by Melissa Hulse, September 2010.

Processing Information

This electronic finding aid is transcribed from legacy data. In many cases, transcriptions were not verified against collection materials at the time of transcription. As a result, this finding aid could be incomplete and might only reflect a partial understanding of the material.

Statement on harmful description

Archival description reflects the biases of time periods and cultures in which it was created and may include direct quotations or descriptions that use inappropriate or harmful language. Creator provided descriptions may be maintained in order to preserve the context in which the collection was created and/or used. Legacy description and potentially offensive content may be made available online until a collection can be reprocessed because the access that they provide to primary source materials is uniquely valuable to the research community at large. Our efforts to repair outdated descriptions and to describe our collections more equitably are iterative and ongoing.

Title
Charles Playhouse Collection
Date
09/00/2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

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