MSS-262
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Overview of the Collection | |
| Creator: | Evans, Mary Jane, 1923- |
| Title: | Mary Jane Evans Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1945-1988 |
| Quantity: | 8 Boxes (5.08 Linear Feet) |
| Abstract: | The Mary Jane Evans Papers contain the papers of this theatre for youth author, stage director, playwright, producer, and university professor from 1945 through 1988. The collection documents over thirty years of her professional life as a theatre for youth educator, stage director, and author. The papers are divided into the following series: Professional History, Educator, Author, and Director. |
| Identification: | MSS-262 |
| Language: | Material in English. |
| Repository: |
Arizona State University Library
Theatre for Youth and Community Collection P.O. Box 871006 Tempe, AZ 85287-1006 Phone: (480) 965-4932 E-Mail: archives@asu.edu Questions? Ask An Archivist! |
Mary Jane Evans, theatre for youth author, stage director, playwright, producer, and university professor was born to Hazel and Lionel H. Larson in 1923 in Superior, Wisconsin. She had one brother.
She attended public schools in Marquette, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She attended Ely (Minnesota) Junior College. She became a student in the School of Speech at Northwestern University, where she studied with Winifred Ward. She attended the first national Children's Theatre Conference in 1944, which was held on this university's campus. She graduated with a B.A. in 1944.
Following graduation, Evans joined the children's drama program staff at Cain Park Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where she worked with the Director, Dina Rees Evans. It was here that she met Evans' nephew and fellow associate staff member, Robley D. Evans, whom she later married in 1961.
She initiated a drama program at Sunbeam School for Crippled Children in Cleveland. A 1946 marriage to Harrison Wills-Watkins ended in divorce. She did graduate work at the University of Minnesota, at Western Reserve University, and at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. In 1953 Evans became Director of the Junior Civic Theatre of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
In 1954, she accepted a graduate assistantship at Michigan State University. Her masters program culminated in her adaptation of William Thackeray's novel, The Rose and the Ring. After receiving her M.A. degree from Michigan State University, she was hired by the university as a speech and theatre lecturer. She directed plays with college students and children and taught creative drama classes. She was a colleague of Jed Davis with whom she was to collaborate on several books in the field.
In 1959, she joined the faculty at San Fernando Valley State College, later named California State University, Northridge, where she established a program in creative drama and children's theatre. During her tenure, she served as department chair and the director of graduate students. Her productions toured under the auspices of Junior Programs of California and were regularly reviewed by the Los Angeles-area press. She was promoted to Full Professor in 1970. In 1981 her program received the Children's Theatre Association of Americas (CTAA) Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award, which honors artistic theatre practice of long duration and wide recognition. She retired as Professor Emeritus in 1985 and moved with her husband Rob to Minneapolis.
Evans was an active member of the national children's theatre association. She attended the founding meeting of the Children's Theatre Conference (CTC), and was involved in the development of its successor, the Children's Theatre Association of America. She served as Secretary, Governing Board member, Regional Governor, and hosted the 1968 Conference at California State University, Northridge.
Evans served on the American Theatre Association (ATA) Board of Directors and Executive Committee, chaired its Task Force on Governance, and contributed to its Commission on Theatre Education. She also served on the Executive Board of ASSITEJ/USA, the American center of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, which was renamed TYA/USA in the late 2000s.
Evans held several leadership positions with the California theatre organizations--the Southern California Educational Theatre Association (SCETA) and the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA). She spearheaded CETAs 1974 publication of the Drama/Theatre Framework for California Public Schools: A Process-Concept Framework for a Program in Theatre Arts for All Students, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, which was adopted by the California State Board of Education. She was a major force behind the creation of the annual Southern California Children's Theatre Festival.
Evans and Jed H. Davis co-authored two books: Children's Theatre: Play Production for the Child Audience, published by Harper in 1960; and Theatre, Children and Youth published by Anchorage Press in 1982. The latter was revised in 1987. Evans and graduate student, Deborah Anderson, collaborated on the book for the musical for young audiences titled Tales from Hans Christian Andersen. Evans also wrote the lyrics and Ed Archer wrote the musical score. It was published by Anchorage Press in 1983. Editor Nellie McCaslin asked Evans to write a chapter titled, "Theatre for Children: Art Form or Anarchy?" for her book, Theatre for Young Audiences, published by Longman in 1978.
Additional honors and awards include:
She passed away on November 20, 2007 at her residence in the Episcopal Home of Minnesota in St. Paul. She was survived by her only son, Dr. David Rees Evans, and by his wife, Ursula McCarty. In her early career, she was also known as Mary Jane Watkins and Mary Jane Larson.
The Mary Jane Evans Papers, 1945-1987, is comprised of correspondence, hand and typewritten notes, newspaper and periodical articles, greeting and notes cards, project and position papers, agreements, agendas, reports, schedules, fliers, programs, play typescripts, journals, newsletters, curricula, syllabi, books, newsletters, professional journals and articles, colleague and student papers, newspaper reviews, posters, photographs, slides, musical scores and a handbook. The collection documents over thirty years of her professional career as a theatre for youth educator, stage director and author.
Series I: Professional History: This series, 1957-1988, mostly contains biographical material and documentation of her extensive participation in professional theatre and education organizations and conferences. The remainder of the series documents her community service and project work. The biographical information consists of correspondence, handwritten notes, newspaper and periodical articles, greeting and notes cards, letters of support and recognition, and a few play programs. The professional theatre and educational organizations and conferences materials contain position papers, keynote addresses, handwritten notes, correspondence, agendas, reports, schedules, fliers, conference programs, professional journals, newsletters and colleagues papers on creative drama, drama in education and children's theatre. These provide information on her involvement with: Trainers of Teacher Trainers; the Wingspread national theatre conference; the American Theatre Association (ATA); and the Children's Theatre Association of Americas (CTAA) panels, sessions, seminars, and symposiums. The community service and projects document her presentations on children's theatre and arts in education to the community and her consulting work for the California Arts and Humanities Council. Included are project agreements and reports, correspondence, fliers, programs, and presentation papers. There is no arrangement beyond original order.
Series II: Educator: This series, 1957-1984, contains teaching and resource materials created and collected by Evans for university education on the topics of creative drama, children's theatre, arts advocacy, and assessment. It contains: creative drama and children's theatre curricula and syllabi; correspondence; books, some heavily annotated; newsletters; professional journals and articles; position papers; hand and typewritten lecture and presentation notes; newspaper articles; colleague and student papers; and program reports. Of note are the materials on audience studies. There is no arrangement beyond original order.
Series III: Author: This series, 1945-1985, documents her numerous written works on creative drama, arts education, children's theatre, and child audiences. It consists of: journal and periodical articles, book reviews, and editorials; newsletters, journals; and correspondence with publisher Orlin Corey and co-author Jed Davis regarding the book, Theatre, Children and Youth. Of note in the following Director series is the play typescript for The Rose and the Ring, an adaptation written by Evans. The series arrangement is chronological.
Series IV: Director: This series, 1953-1972, contains production materials of plays directed by Evans. It mostly consists of play programs, newspaper articles and reviews, posters, fliers, rehearsal schedules, production photographs, slides, and a few musical scores and play typescripts with revisions, a directors handbook, and thank you notes. Of note is the play typescript for The Rose and the Ring, a novel adapted by Mary Jane Evans.
To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.
Arizona State University does not own copyright to this collection. Distinctive Collections recognizes that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
[Identification of item], Mary Jane Evans Papers, MSS-262, Arizona State University Library.
The Mary Jane Evans Papers were received from Mary Jane Evans in 1991 as recorded in accession number 2004-03546.
This collection was processed as part of a NHPRC ArchivesBasic ProjectsBasic Processing grant, which limits processing to the series and subseries level when needed and does not allow the creation of file or folder listings. The collection was processed by Anna Uremovich, NHPRC Project Archivist, Child Drama Collection, August 2009. Performing Arts Librarian Caelin Ross reprocessed the collection and added a full container list in August of 2023.
| Series I: Professional History and Conferences | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Recognition, 1969-1981 | |||||||||
| [Oversized Materials Removed to Box 8/OV2, Folder 1] | |||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Recognition and Correspondence, 1970-1987 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Correspondence and Project Planning, 1979-1980 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Correspondence and Professional Service, 1961-1986 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Personal Correspondence, 1967-1976 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Personal Correspondence Regarding Professional Contribution and Professional Newsletters, 1982-1985 | |||||||||
| [Oversized Materials Removed to Box 8/OV2, Folder 2-3] | |||||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Professional Directory and Children's Theatre Review, 1968-1982 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Community Services, 1968-1969 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Educational Theatre K-12 and Programming Plans in California, 1963-1982 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | California Fine Arts and Humanities Project, 1967-1968 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Aurand Harris Correspondence, 1982-1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Wingspread, 1977 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Wingspread, 1978 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Wingspread and Drama Degree Accreditation, 1978 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Wingspread and Commission on Theatre Education, 1978 | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Wingspread and CTAA Evaluation of Conference | |||||||||
| 2 | 5 | American Theatre Association and Accreditation Standards, 1978-1979 | |||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Wingspread, Evans Land and Theoretical Framework for TIE and DE | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | The Johnson Foundation Wingspread and Evans and Training CD/CT Specialists, 1977 | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Theoretical Framework Discussion and Debate in DE, CT, 1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 9 | Excerpts from Wingspread Seminar on Child Drama in Schools, 1977 April 14 | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Wingspread, Report of CTAA Committee to Define Creative Dramatics and Children's Theatre, 1977 | |||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Guidelines for Theatre Programs in Teacher Education, 1975-1977 | |||||||||
| 2 | 12 | American Theatre Association: Wingspread Report, 1976 | |||||||||
| 2 | 13 | Correspondence and National Convention: Children's Theatre Conference of A.E.T.A, 1968 | |||||||||
| 2 | 14 | Participation in Professional Groups, 1966-1978 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Program Participation and LA City Schools Workshop, 1963-1978 | |||||||||
| 3 | 2 | Jeanne Hall Citation, 1983-1987 | |||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ASU and CTAA Symposium Papers, 1984 | |||||||||
| 3 | 4 | ASU and CTAA Symposium Papers, Ephemera, 1984 | |||||||||
| 3 | 5 | CTAA Conference Tempe, 1982 June | |||||||||
| 3 | 6 | Rosenblatt Paper, 1984 | |||||||||
| 3 | 7 | CTAA Correspondence, 1983-1984 | |||||||||
| 3 | 8 | ATA Task Force on Governance, 1976 | |||||||||
| 3 | 9 | AATE Ward Scholarship Panel, 1988 | |||||||||
| Series II: Educator | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 10 | Course Feedback and Correspondence, 1966 | |||||||||
| 3 | 11 | University Course Syllabi, 1967-1969 | |||||||||
| 3 | 12 | University Course Syllabi, 1981 | |||||||||
| 3 | 13 | Glendale Arts Impact Report, 1971-1972 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Glendale Arts Impact Teaching Resources, 1971 | |||||||||
| 4 | 2 | Pilot Program: Joint Program, Saddleback College and Performing Tree, Inc, 1978-1981 | |||||||||
| 4 | 3 | Kathryn Bloom Manuscript, 1974 | |||||||||
| 4 | 4 | Advocacy of Arts Position Paper, 1984 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | Audience Studies, 1973 | |||||||||
| 4 | 6 | ATA-SCA Teacher Training Guidelines, 1972-1974 | |||||||||
| 4 | 7 | Personal Notes, 1968-1974 | |||||||||
| 4 | 8 | Contributions to California State College, 1964-1968 | |||||||||
| 4 | 9 | Michigan State University Children's Theatre, 1945-1956 | |||||||||
| 4 | 10 | Lecture Materials, 1958-1975 | |||||||||
| 4 | 11 | Position Papers, 1958-1975 | |||||||||
| 4 | 12 | Death and the Child Bibliography and Newspaper Clippings, 1966-1985 | |||||||||
| 4 | 13 | Jed Davis "Prospectus for Research in CT", 1961 | |||||||||
| 4 | 14 | George Gunnel Biblio Empirical Research, 1971 | |||||||||
| 4 | 15 | Dorothy Heathcote and Gavin Bolton Educational Materials, 1974-1982 | |||||||||
| 4 | 16 | CEMREL and the Arts in General Education, 1969 | |||||||||
| 4 | 17 | Dr. Bernice Loughran and "The Arts Develop a Balanced Brain" Paper, 1982 | |||||||||
| 4 | 18 | Creative Dramatics in the Elementary Schools and California Educational Theatre Association, 1960-1977 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | Theatre Training and CETA/SCETA Joint Conference, 1963-1975 | |||||||||
| 5 | 2 | Professional Critics on Children's Theatre, 1972 | |||||||||
| 5 | 3 | Children's Theatre News Region 14 Newsletter, 1969 | |||||||||
| 5 | 4 | Resource Materials on Creativity, 1950-1967 | |||||||||
| 5 | 5 | The Actor, the Audience, and the Play in Children's Theatre, 1958 | |||||||||
| 5 | 6 | Child Drama, Children's Theatre, Creative Dramatics Definitions, 1975 | |||||||||
| 5 | 7 | Natural History Magazine Special Supplement: Play, 1971 December | |||||||||
| 5 | 8 | Anthropology, Drama and the Human Experience, 1979 | |||||||||
| 5 | 9 | Arts Impact: Curriculum for Change, 1973 | |||||||||
| 5 | 10 | Winifred Ward Biographical Materials, 1975 | |||||||||
| These materials are copies of originals held at Northwestern. | |||||||||||
| 5 | 11 | Creative Dramatics Development in Speech, 1959-1975 | |||||||||
| 5 | 12 | Professional Theatre for Young Audiences and Drama/Theatre Matrix, 1984 | |||||||||
| [Oversized Materials Removed to Box 8/OV2, Folder 5] | |||||||||||
| 5 | 13 | American Educational Theatre Association and American Theatre Association Reports, 1949-1971 | |||||||||
| 5 | 14 | Curriculum Standards in Visual and Performing Arts, 1985 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | Subject Matter Preparation of Elementary Teachers, 1987 | |||||||||
| 6 | 2 | CTAA UT Austin and Drama Symposium ASU, 1984 | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | Guthrie Theatre, 1963 | |||||||||
| 6 | 4 | Research in Theatre Bibliographies, 1979-1984 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8/OV2 | 4 | Newspaper Reviews and German Puppet Theatre Poster, 1961-1983 | |||||||||
| Series III: Author | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 5 | The Crippled Child, 1945 December | |||||||||
| 6 | 6 | Introductory Information on CT for Good Housekeeping, 1959 | |||||||||
| 6 | 7 | Acting for the CT Audience, 1961 | |||||||||
| 6 | 8-9 | Manuscript Reviews, Correspondence, The Children's Play, 1959-1962 | |||||||||
| 6 | 10 | US Government Consultant and Editorial Services, 1968-1969 | |||||||||
| 6 | 11 | Review of Give Them Roots and Wings, 1972 | |||||||||
| 6 | 12 | "Theatre for Children: Art Form or Anarchy" Paper, 1976 | |||||||||
| 6 | 13 | Book Correspondence, Orlin Corey and Jed Davis, 1972-1980 | |||||||||
| 6 | 14 | Perceptions, Generalizations, Image Making: Challenges to the Theatre for Children in the 1980s, 1980 August 9 | |||||||||
| Series IV: Director | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 15 | The Rose and the Ring Production, 1954 | |||||||||
| 6 | 16 | The Emperor's New Clothes, 1960 | |||||||||
| 6 | 17 | The Elves and the Shoemaker, 1955 | |||||||||
| 6 | 18 | The Witch's Lullaby, 1957 | |||||||||
| 6 | 19 | Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, 1956 | |||||||||
| 6 | 20 | Robin Hood, 1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1 | The Utah Trail, 1959 | |||||||||
| 7 | 2 | Kalamazoo Civic Theatre: Snow White, 1953-1954 | |||||||||
| 7 | 3 | The Kalamazoo Civic Theater: Mr. Popper's Penguins, 1953-1954 | |||||||||
| 7 | 4 | Mr. Popper's Penguins, 1959 | |||||||||
| 7 | 5 | Rumplestiltskin, 1960 | |||||||||
| 7 | 6 | Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, 1962 | |||||||||
| 7 | 7 | Two Pails of Water, 1968 | |||||||||
| 7 | 8 | Sleeping Beauty, 1962 | |||||||||
| 7 | 9 | Sleeping Beauty, 1961 | |||||||||
| 7 | 10 | The Gold Dust Ghost, circa 1960s | |||||||||
| 7 | 11 | Winnie the Pooh, circa 1960s | |||||||||
| 7 | 12 | Greensleeves Magic, circa 1960s. | |||||||||
| 7 | 13 | Amahl and the Night Visitors, 1961 | |||||||||
| 7 | 14 | The Telephone, 1962 | |||||||||
| 7 | 15 | The Land of the Dragon, 1963 | |||||||||
| 7 | 16 | Cinderella, 1964 | |||||||||
| 7 | 17 | The Prince and the Mermaid, 1966 | |||||||||
| 7 | 18 | The Prince and the Mermaid Musical Score, 1966 | |||||||||
| 7 | 19 | The Prince and the Mermaid Script, 1966 | |||||||||
| 7 | 20 | Pebble Soup, circa 1970s | |||||||||
| 7 | 21 | Androcles and the Lion, circa 1970s | |||||||||
| 7 | 22 | Clocks and Kaleidoscopes, circa 1970s | |||||||||
| 7 | 23 | Just So Stories, circa 1970s | |||||||||
| 7 | 24 | Trudi and the Minstrel, 1971 | |||||||||
| 7 | 25 | Reynard the Fox, 1972 | |||||||||
| [Oversized Materials Removed to Box 8/OV2, Folder 6] | |||||||||||
| 7 | 26 | Punch and Judy, 1976 | |||||||||
| 7 | 27 | Golliwhoppers!, 1977 | |||||||||
| 7 | 28 | Tales from Hans Christian Anderson, 1981 | |||||||||
| 7 | 29 | The Taming of the Shrew, 1982 | |||||||||
| [Oversized Materials Removed to Box 8/OV2, Folder 7] | |||||||||||
| 7 | 30 | Participatory Theatre for Young Audiences, 1972 | |||||||||