- General Information
- Interdisciplinary relationships
- Scope of Collecting
- Special Considerations
- Quantative Measure
- Conspectus (Table)
Responsibility: Manager, Scholars' Centre
General information
Why the Library collects in this area
The Library maintains the Theatre Collection in order to support teaching and research in theatre studies.
Primary user groups served; relevant academic courses and research information
The primary user group is the staff and students of the School of Social and Cultural Studies, particularly those associated with courses and research related to theatre studies and Australian literature. It is also an important resource for the Centre for Studies in Australian Literature.
Theatre companies, particularly those working on campus, may also make use of the collection when staging productions of plays that are represented in the Theatre Collection.
Description of existing collection
The basis of the Theatre Collection was a donation by the Playhouse Theatre in 1982. This donation encompassed material from the mid-1950s to 1982. It includes copies of plays (published and unpublished), typescript copies, prompt copies, programmes, playbills, posters, press releases and clippings, and reviews. Although it is primarily related to drama, there is also some material dealing with opera, ballet and film.
The collection is principally Western Australian in origin. This incorporates material produced by Western Australian companies, plus performances staged locally by interstate and overseas companies. It also includes some material from eastern states productions.
Very little has been added to the collection since 1982.
Interdisciplinary relationships
Related subject areas; overlaps
The Theatre Collection complements the drama and theatre material in the Australian literature sequences of the HSS Library, the Australian Literature Collection and the University Collection. The Theatre Collection includes the texts of plays originating from Western Australian productions, plus material related to these productions. The HSS Library and the Australian Literature Collection include all other texts of Australian plays plus critical works about Australian drama and theatre. The University Collection includes the material relating to the Festival of Perth, and to theatrical productions by University-related companies and groups.
Manuscript copies of plays performed in Western Australia are placed in the Theatre Collection rather than the Manuscript Collection.
Coordination and cooperation in collecting (within UWA; with other institutions)
The major collection of theatre material in Western Australia is that of the Perth Theatre Trust housed at His Majesty's Theatre, Perth. This collection includes material similar to that held in the Theatre Collection, plus costumes, stage props and other items of realia which fall outside the scope of the Theatre Collection.
Scope of collecting
Languages collected or excluded
No material is excluded from the Theatre Collection on the basis of language.
Geographical areas collected or excluded
The Theatre Collection includes only material relating to productions performed in Western Australia. This includes both plays produced by Western Australian companies and visiting productions from interstate or overseas.
Chronological periods collected or excluded
Not applicable.
Types (forms) of material collected or excluded
The emphasis of the Theatre Collection is on providing texts of performed plays as annotated or amended for a particular production. Prompt copies are of particular value. The collection also includes programmes, photographs, handbills, press releases, posters, set designs, video and audio tape recordings, and other material related to the performance of a play.
The collection does not include costumes or other items of realia.
The Theatre Collection includes drama, ballet, opera, and related forms of the performing arts. It does not include film. The emphasis is on collecting material related to professional productions, but the product of amateur productions is also accepted.
Publication dates
No material is excluded from the Theatre Collection on the basis of its date of publication.
Special considerations
All material in the Theatre Collection is collected by donation.
Quantitative measures
Not applicable.
Conspectus
Not applicable.
