Peer Gynt

ma81 F. Curtis Canfield (AC 1925) Papers, 1929-1981 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Peter Nelson. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections

Amherst, MA

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Sarang Gopalakrishnan. 2003-06-24 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 ma81 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Amherst College Archives and Special Collections F. Curtis Canfield (AC 1925) Papers, 1929-1981 Finding Aid Finding Aid: 2003 January Prepared by: Sarang Gopalakrishnan '06, Student Encoding Assistant Edited by: Peter A. Nelson, Assistant Archivist Listed by: Sarang Gopalakrishnan '06, Student Encoding Assistant Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Canfield, Curtis, 1903- Canfield Papers 1929-1981 3 records storage boxes, 1 archives box, 2 oversize flat boxes (4.5 linear ft.) Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Drama professor and director. Collection includes course and lecture notes, as well as some correspondence, newspaper clippings, framed portraits and photographs, and material for Canfield's books. English. Biographical Note

Fayette Curtis Canfield (AC 1925), drama professor and director, was born on July 29, 1903 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After his graduation in 1925, he worked at Amherst as Professor of Theatre and Dramatic Art until 1954. From 1938 onwards, he was also Director of Amherst's Kirby Theater. In 1954, he was appointed the first dean of the Yale University School of Drama, a position he held for thirteen years. He left Yale in 1967 to teach Theatre Arts at the University of Pittsburgh, where he stayed until his retirement in 1973. Canfield was a trustee of the National Theatre Conference from 1958 to 1964 and of the American Shakespeare Theatre Festival Academy from 1962 to 1968; and a member of the Century Association of New York from 1953 to 1971. He was awarded honorary degrees by Amherst and Emerson Colleges, and by Yale University. Canfield was married to Katherine F. Newbold on May 21, 1927. He died in Northampton on June 8, 1986, at the age of 82.

Canfield wrote and edited several books on theatre, including Plays of the Irish Renaissance (1929), Plays of Changing Ireland (1936), The Seed and the Sowers: A Chronicle of the Founding of Amherst College (1955), and The Craft of Play Directing (1963).

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The bulk of the collection is made up of notes and other materials relating to Canfield's courses, lectures, and speeches, spanning his careers at Amherst, Yale and the University of Pittsburgh. The papers also include some correspondence, newspaper clippings, and material for his books, as well as a few framed portraits and photographs.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into six series:

1. University of Pittsburgh, 1967-1973 2. Amherst College, 1929-1980 3. Yale University, 1954-1992 4. Miscellaneous, 1936-1981 5. Portraits and Photographs, 1946, n.d. 6. The Craft of Play Directing (book), ca. 1963 Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

There is no restriction on access to the F. Curtis Canfield Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from the F. Curtis Canfield Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in F. Curtis Canfield Papers [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library

Search Terms Canfield, Curtis, 1903- Amherst College--Faculty. Amherst College--Students. University of Pittsburgh--Faculty. Yale University--Faculty. Theater--Massachusetts--Amherst. Theater--Study and teaching (Higher)--Connecticut--New Haven. Theater--Study and teaching (Higher)--Massachusetts--Amherst. Theater--Study and teaching (Higher)--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh. Lecture notes--Amherst College. Amherst College. Class of 1925. Canfield. Additional Information Series 1: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, 1967-1973 1 1 Merrill Trust 1972-73 1 2 Ibsen: Peer Gynt 1968-69 1 3 Records of the Merrill Fellowships 1 4 Albee; The Soundbox; The Puzzle; Tiny Alice; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Playbills and notes) 1 5 Notes for Speech 82 1972-73 1 6 Lecture notes for Speech 82 1968-69 1 7 O'Neill: Long Day's Journey... 1 8 Rostand: Cyrano de Bergerac 1973 1 9 Wilde: Lady Windermere's Fan 1 10 Shaw: The Doctor's Dilemma 1 11 Fry: The Lady's Not For Burning 1 12 Irish Drama - Juno 1 13 Shakespeare: The Tempest 1 14 Stoppard: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Director's problems 1 15 Rice: The Adding Machine; Typist Shisgal 1 16 Speech 227 - Dramatic Literature and Styles 1978 1 17 Gorki: The Lower Depths 1973 1 18 Brecht: Mother Courage 1 19 Miller: Death of a Salesman; All My Sons 1 20 Absurdists 1 21 Pirandello 1 22 Odets 1 23 Chekhov: The Seagull 1 24 Eliot: Murder in the Cathedral 1 25 O'Neill: The Homecoming 1 26 Saroyan 1971 1 27 Ibsen: A Doll's House 1 28 Shakespeare comparisons 1 29 Strindberg: The Father 1 30 Dramatic Literature and Styles: The Hairy Ape 1973 1 31 O'Neill: Morning Becomes Electra 1 32 Clytemnestra 1 33 Oedipus 1 34 Tragedy III 1 35 Talk to Women's Association on the New York season 1969 1 36 Pittsburgh II 1968-69 1 37 Pittsburgh I 1968-69 1 38 Talk at Pittsburgh drama rally 1967 1 39 Rehearsal photos (?) 1 40 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern... - photos and playscript 1 41 Marat-Sade - playscript, notes 1 42 John Brown's Body 1973 1 43 Visiting British director - Tyrone Guthrie and FCC 1 44 Classical Tradition (folder empty) 1973 1 45 Talk at Massachusetts Chapter of AETA (folder empty) 1 46 Speech on Abbott Van Nostrand and the Samuel French plays (folder empty) 1980 1 47 Happy as Larry 1 48 Notes on John Brown's Body 1 49 Chekhov 1 50 Miscellaneous letters 1971- 1 51 Report on the future of the arts at University of Pittsburgh 1970 1 52 Mowatt: Fashion, or Life in New York 1 53 New York Times Book Review - review of Broadway, by FCC 1970 1 54 The Craft of Play Directing - by FCC - manuscript 1 55 The Craft of Play Directing - Permissions 1 56 Fashion, or Life in New York - newsclippings 1 57 Early miscellaneous clippings, programs, etc. by Ralph C. McGoun (AC 1927) 1930's 1 58 Sentiment cards Series 2: AMHERST COLLEGE, 1929-1980 2 1 Order of exercises at Stanley King's Inauguration 1942 2 2 Letter to Andrew Canfield re: end of Navy and future 1946 2 3 The Seed and the Sowers, by FCC - written for 125th Anniversary of the Masquers 1946 2 4 Burgess Meredith (AC 1930) 2 5 Amherst reunion 1980 2 6 Kirby Theatre 2 7 Chapel Talk - An Amherst Astronomer 1954 2 8 Pouffer: The Shapes Arise manuscript 2 9 Irish phase 1929- 2 10 Oral History interviews with Hewlett 2 11 The Afterglow - a tribute to Robert Frost 2 12 Writings and copies by FCC 2 13 Talk to Amherst Faculty Club re: MIT WWII experiences 2 14 Older notes from courses at Amherst College 2 15 Miscellaneous talks - Hartford alumni 1947-48 2 16 Tad Mosel 2 17 Masquers Trip to Vienna 1933 2 18 Fashion - Abbott Van Nostrand 2 19 Letter from FCC on the impermanence of theater art 2 20 Senior Chapel speech 1947 2 21 Humorous talk on the occasion of the Class of 1923 Reunion 2 22 Jones Library 1947 2 23 M. Abbott Van Nostrand and his collection of the publications of the Samuel French Companies - President's House 1980 2 24 Chapel talk 1949 2 25 Evolution of a Playgoer 2 26 Class notes - Humanities 22 1954 2 27 Class notes - Dramatic Arts 43, Directing 1953 2 28 Williamstown, MA - The Reluctant Debutante 2 29 Address to the Amherst Alumni, New York 1946 2 30 Macmillan Company - Correspondence 2 31 Explanation of TV 2 32 Remarks - Prelude to Presentation of Award at Emerson College 2 33 Remarks at Memorial Service for Charles E. Rogers 1980 2 34 Memorial Service for David Morton - Johnson Chapel 1957 2 35 Memorial Services, for Eugene S. Wilson; Dan Seymour 2 36 Speech to Sabrina Society 1975 2 37 Chapel talks on Amherst College 1947 2 38 Class notes - Humanities 21, Medieval Drama 2 39 Class notes - Maeterlinck (Symbolism) 2 40 Class notes - Humanities 22, Dryden 1951 2 41 Lecture notes - Humanities 22 1951 2 42 Class notes - Humanities 22 1951 2 43 Speech to 45th Reunion of the Class of '52 1977 2 44 Speech to 45th Reunion of the Class of '33 1978 2 45 Class notes - Stage composition 2 46 Humanities - Finished work - Ibsen 2 47 Humanities - Finished work - Frye 2 48 Humanities - Finished work - O'Neill 2 49 Humanities - Finished work - Odets 2 50 Humanities - Finished work - Miscellaneous 2 51 Poetic Drama... Irish plays 2 52 Sean O'Casey 2 53 Irish plays 1957-59 2 54 Kaiser - Expressionism 2 55 Miscellaneous notes - clippings used in compiling 2 55 Humanities 126B 2 56 Talk at AETA - notes by President 2 57 Lecture notes - Evolution of a Playgoer 1934 2 58 Class notes - Early American Drama 2 59 Old notes for course on Greek and Roman theatre 1930- 2 60 Lecture notes - Dramatic History 1930- 2 61 Amherst Summer Theater: 1940? 2 61 Anderson - Winterset 2 61 O'Neill - Ah, Wilderness Series 3: YALE UNIVERSITY, 1954-1992 3 1 Letters - Ralph Williams, John Whicher, Herschel Williams 3 2 Yale Alumni Magazine 1954 3 3 Tragedy of (Xenathaeis?) - 45 rpm vinyl disc 3 4 "Cole" - Yale salute to Cole Porter 3 5 Lecture - The Performing Arts - Toronto 1965 3 6 "Lost Portraits of Thomas Jefferson," Mead Art Gallery 1959 3 7 First speech at Yale as 1954 3 7 Drama 3 8 End of first school year at Yale 1955 3 9 Commencement addresses at Yale 1959-64 3 10 Lecture - The Yale Plan 3 11 Talk to Yale Club of New Haven 1961 3 12 Talk to Alumni group - Cincinnati and Louisville 1963 3 13 Honorary degree - Emerson College 1956 3 14 Honorary Degree - University of Pittsburgh 1973 3 15 Letter of Resignation - FCC to Kingman Brewster 1968 3 15A Speech to Yale alumni at Winter Park 1960 3 16 Correspondence - Katherine Canfield to Yale School of Drama 1992 Series 4: MISCELLANEOUS, 1936-1981 4 1 Newsclippings from the American Press Clipping 1936 4 1 Service 4 2 Miscellaneous letters, articles, pamphlets, etc. 4 3 MIT Class of 1946 Reunion Book 4 4 Speech at 20th Navy Reunion, Provincetown, MA 1960 4 5 Speech at 35th Navy Reunion, Woodstock VT 1981 4 6 MIT Navy V-12 Unit 1943-46 4 7 Photograph - FCC at MIT 1945 4 8 TECHNIQUE (MIT Yearbook) 1945 Series 5: PORTRAITS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, 1946, n.d. 5 1 Sketched portrait, 10 x 13 1/2 - "To Curt Canfield with warm appreciation," signed "Stanley King" 1946 5 2 Unidentified portrait, B/W photo, 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 5 3 Unidentified portrait with Sabrina, color photo, 10 3/4 x 5 3 10 1/4 5 4 Professor Charles Morgan, B/W photo, 11 3/4 x 13 3/4 Series 6: THE CRAFT OF PLAY DIRECTING, ca. 1963 6 1 Art and blueprints for Canfield's book The Craft of Play Directing. ca. 1963