Inside the Roundabout Archives Day 2- A DAY IN THE DEATH OF JOE EGG

By: Jan. 27, 2012
ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
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Roundabout Theatre Company recently announced the theatre organization's permanent archives, which document the company's illustrious 46-year production history. The archives are a resource for the theatre community, Roundabout's audiences, students and researchers. The digital archives showcase selections from Roundabout's general collection, featuring items that chronicle and celebrate the company's impact on the American theatre movement, and BroadwayWorld is excited to share featured pieces from the archives. Featured today:

A DAY IN THE DEATH OF JOE EGG:

Cover of Showbill for Roundabout's 1985 production of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, starring Stockard Channing and Jim Dale. The production was one of Roundabout's first on Broadway.

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (circa 1984/1985)

Roundabout's production was staged at F.I.T's HAFT Theatre, running from December 22, 1984 to February 3, 1985. A critical success (Frank Rich, in his NY Times review, stated 'Joe Egg tells of the most painful kind of marital breakup - one that even love can't prevent - and the stars tear through it with a naked intimacy that is as compelling as any acting we've seen this season" (NY Times, January 7, 1985), Roundabout's production transferred to the Longacre Theatre where it received numerous awards, including Tony's for Best Actress (Stockard Channing) and Best Reproduction of a Play. Joe Egg was a crucial turning point in Roundabout's history, foretelling its move to Broadway in the coming decade.

Click here to explore additional objects related to Roundabout's 1984 production of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg.

During the last 46 years Roundabout has become one of the country's largest non-profit theatre organizations yet, until 2008, had no central repository for its records. Having re-located several times since 1965, many historical documents have moved to private hands, been collected by souvenir hunters, been thrown out or given away. The materials that exist were scattered among Roundabout's buildings, theatres and off-site storage and were in need of urgent archival care and preservation.

With the establishment of the permanent archives, Roundabout documents and preserves its rich history and offers access to the collection by the theatre community and qualified researchers. Materials connected to staging live theatre, such as scripts, letters and negotiations, marketing publications, photos and memorabilia are carefully preserved and will provide valuable record of Roundabout's legacy and contribution to the American theatre movement.

The physical archives are located at Roundabout's administrative offices at 231 W. 39th Street. Appointments to access the collection must be made in advance. Tiffany Nixon is the on-staff archivist.

Click here to visit the archives.

 



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