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Split Britches Archive

Call Number

MSS.251

Date

1978-2000, inclusive

Creator

Split Britches (Theatrical company)

Extent

9.75 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

Split Britches is a lesbian theater troupe founded in 1980 by Lois Weaver, Peggy Shaw, and Deb Margolin. This collection contains scripts, press materials and clippings, notes, and photography spanning the troupe's existence.

Historical Note

Split Britches was formed in 1980 by Deb Margolin, Peggy Shaw, and Lois Weaver. The award-winning troupe has written, produced, and performed multiple plays: some which involve all members of the troupe and some works created in collaboration with other groups like Bloolips and Gay Sweatshop. Split Britches performances incorporate riffs on popular culture with music and examinations of gendered/gay/lesbian/queer culture and relationships.

Still active today, members of the group tour and perform across the world; they also lead educational workshops at schools and universities.

Arrangement

While minimal physical processing was performed, the collection was weeded of many duplicates. Folders are arranged alphabetically within each series when possible. This alphabetical arrangement takes place primarily in Series I, which contains identifiable documents and scripts.

No original order was maintained for unfoldered papers and instead, items were grouped into four series according to subject matter or purpose.

See the Scope and Content Notes for more specific details about each series.

Scope and Content

This collection is comprised of materials created and compiled by the members of the Split Britches in the course of their work as artists, playwrights, and performers. Materials include correspondence, notes, receipts, photographs, floorplans, and ephemera generated both by individual members of the group and by the group as a whole. Items in the collection range from 1978-2000, with the bulk from 1982-1992.

The collection is organized into four series:

Series I: Scripts and Notes--consists of script copies (some annotated), technical notes, blocking diagrams, and other notes appended to script pages. Many loose, unattributed script pages are collected into folders.

Series II: Promo, Press, and Clippings consists of magazine articles, newspaper clippings, fliers, posters, and other press materials promoting performances, appearances, and events related to Split Britches including the Women's One World Festival.

Subseries A: Clippings
Subseries B: Press and Promotional Materials
Subseries C: Women's One World Festival Materials

Series III: Miscellaneous Papers, Notes, and Documentation consists of academic papers, correspondence, personal notebooks, unbound pages, notes and photography created by different members of the group.

Series IV: Oversize, Ephemera, and Media consists of a large sketchbook, a Women's One World Festival t-shirt, a cassette tape, and oversized promotional material.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Collection processed by

Rosemary K. J. Davis, 2011.

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 14:18:28 -0500.
Language: Description is in English.

Repository

Fales Library and Special Collections
Fales Library and Special Collections
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012