US-RPB-ms80.6 Guide to the Frances Herriott Sargent Papers 1928-1981 Finding aid prepared by Laura Pelafas. Brown University Library
Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2162 Fax: 401-863-1272 email: rock@brown.edu
Finding aid encoded by Phil McWade on 2003 Oct 24 English 2003 Oct 31 Revised by Phil McWade 2005 Mar 15 Revised to local encoding standards by Jennifer Betts 2010 Aug 16 Converted from dtd to schema by Jennifer Betts Brown University Library University Archives
Box A, John Hay Library Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2148 Fax: 401-863-2093 E-mail: hay@brown.edu
English Sargent, Frances Herriott, 1901-1989 Frances Herriott Sargent papers 1928-1981 Sargent (Frances Herriott) papers Ms. 80.6 1.25 linear feet This collection traces the evolution and production of the play "Porgy" and its operatic expression, "Porgy and Bess". The collection is composed of the professional and personal papers of the assistant stage manager, Frances Herriott (later Frances Herriott Sargent), and provides insight into the major elements of production as well as the personal relationships of cast members and stage professionals. Biographical note

Little is known about Frances Herriott Sargent other than that she was assistant stage manager for the Theater Guild production of both the play ("Porgy") and the opera ("Porgy and Bess"), and that subsequently she was stage manager and director of a California production of "Porgy and Bess" in 1937-1938.

Mrs. Joseph Herriott Sargent donated the collection to Brown University Library. The date of the gift is uncertain, though there is reason to believe that it was received in 1964. Permission for use of any material in the Frances Herriott Sargent collection must be sought from the John Hay Library. Researchers are advised that Brown University does not claim literary rights to the material in the collection, and that the responsibility for determining these rights rests with the researcher. Accession A89-4 was given by Sargent, Frances Herriott in 1982 (via her sister, Mrs. Carl Bridenbaugh, wife of Professor Emeritus Carl Bridenbaugh -- History). Accession A89-43 was given by Bridenbaugh, Roberta Haines Herriott.

Names Sargent, Frances Herriott, 1901-1981 Gershwin, George, 1898-1937 McClendon, Rose, 1884-1936 Diggs, Dudley Heyward, DuBose, 1885-1940 Duncan, Todd

Occupations Directors Stage managers Subjects African Americans in the performing arts Gershwin, George, 1898-1937. Porgy and Bess Musicals Stage management Theater--United States--20th Century Theater--United States--History--20th Century

Titles Porgy Porgy and Bess Types of materials Clippings Letters (correspondence) Playbills Plays Scores Theater programs

RIAMCO Browsing Terms Performing Arts Collection Information

There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.

Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.

Frances Herriott Sargent Papers, Ms. 80.6, Brown University Library.

The collection is divided into 11 series according to physical type. Within each series the items are arranged roughly chronologically. Series 1. Correspondence - letters Series 2. Correspondence - telegrams and cablegrams Series 3. Correspondence - postcards Series 4. Production details Series 5. Programs and stagebills Series 6. Souvenir books Series 7. Photographs Series 8. Miscellaneous printed materials Series 9. Miscellaneous items Series 10. Books Series 11. Museum pieces

The collection includes a variety of items, among them the following: correspondence; lighting, property, and costume plots; news clippings; a book containing the original score of "Porgy and Bess" autographed by George Gershwin, Du Bose Hayward, and Rouben Mamoulian; photographs; and scattered museum pieces. Most of the material in the collection is from the creative period 1928 to 1942, during which the novel Porgy was undergoing a transformation, first to the format of the theater and ultimately to its most familiar form, the opera "Porgy and Bess".

Among the personal correspondence are letters and telegrams from George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dudley Diggs, Du Bose Heyward, Rose McClendon, and Todd Duncan.

Related materials are held by Brown University Library and are retrievable by the following accession/collection numbers: Porgy amp; Bess [videorecording]: an American voice / a presentation of the University of Michigan in collaboration with Vanguard Films and Mojo Working Productions, Inc. (Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities amp; Sciences, 1999, c1997). Call number: ML410.G28 P67x 1999, Orwig Library

Series 1. Correspondence - letters 1 1 From Heyward (2), Mamoulian, Rouse, and Seymour. November 1928-March 1929 5 items 1 2 From McClendon, Paul, Gordon, and Cooper. Includes letters from three members of the London production of Porgy, writing about their experiences in England. April-May 1929 4 items 1 3 From Mama, Thomas, and McClendon (2). Includes letters from two members of the Porgy cast, expressing their regret for Miss Herriott's absence. June-October 1929 4 items 1 4 From Whipper, Frances, McClendon (2), and Rosenfield. Christmas cards with Porgy motif. December 1929-March 1930 5 items 1 5 From Du Bose Hayward, George Gershwin, Linley (3), and McClendon. Concerning the possibility of Miss Herriott working with the production of the musical version of Porgy. November 1933-August 1934 6 items 1 6 From Valls, George Gershwin, Mamoulian, and Turjman. Personal. Enclosed in the Turjman letter are photographs of Miss Herriott, John Bubbles, Red the prop man, and Porgy's goat. December 1934-March 1936 4 items 1 7 From From Todd Duncan and Munsell. Duncan discusses his efforts to get Miss Herriott into the production of Porgy and Bess; Munsell reports he recommended her to Merle Armitage to be stage manager of Porgy and Bess. Julu 1936-September 1937 5 items 1 8 From Du Bose, Heyward, Steiner, Todd Duncan and Burton. Includes letters pertaining to the production of Porgy and personal letters. December 1937 5 items 1 9 From Gladys Duncan, Jessye, Mary, Nicholson (2). Relating to the Herriott production of Porgy and Bess in California. January-February 1938 5 items 1 10 From Armitage and Mamoulian (2). Armitage outlines the financial difficulties of producing Porgy and Bess. February 1938 3 items 1 11 From Delano and from Todd and Gladys Duncan. Personal. August 1938 2 items 1 12 From Digges, Todd Duncan, and Lester (2). Includes business correspondence, among which is a letter from Digges to McClintic recommending Miss Herriott to be stage manager of Mamba's Daughter. September 1938-April 1941 4 items 1 13 From Todd and Gladys Duncan. Includes a description of the Duncans' personal experiences in London. 1942 2 items 2 1 From Thomas Hellerman (2), Cheryl Crawford, Cliff Goldsmith, Clayton 1929-1933 6 items

A82-156

 2 2 From Jean, George S. Kaufman, Mary Morrison, Osgood Perkins 1927 4 items

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 2 3 Envelopes 2 items

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 2 23 From Zerka Moreno. Asks Frances to give a lecture at the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama. December 5, 1960 1 item

A89-4

 Series 2. Correspondence - telegrams and cablegrams 1 14 From Agnes and the Gang, Quigly, the three Delanos, Waram, Mamoulian, Collidge and Mee, and McClendon. Wishing success for the Boston production. August-October 1935 7 items 1 15 From Rouben Mamoulian. Expresses his gratitude to Miss Herriott and to the whole Porgy and Bess company. November 1935 7 items 1 16 From George Gershwin, Crous, Mamoulian, Cobb and Roberta. Gershwin wires that he is having a fine time in Mexico. Course wishes Porgy and Bess company a merry Christmas. Mamoulian thanks Herriott for her letter. Cobb says she greatly admired the production. Roberta informs Miss Herriott that Shirley Burke of the Theater Guild wishes to see her Friday. November 1935-September 1937 5 items 1 17 From Brown, Ira Gershwin, Digges, Mamoulian, and Steinert. Expressing best wishes for the production of Porgy and Bess. February 1938 5 items 1 18 From Howard, Ruth, and Clarice; Gladys Duncan; Rutherford; and Lester (2). Lester asks Frances to stay on as stage manager of Porgy and Bess. February 1938-March 1941 5 items 2 4 From Theresa Hellburn, Cheryl Crawford, Edwin Lester, Rose McCleudon, Gertrude Moran, Howard Ruth and Clarice, Wilma, unsigned (2) 1929-1938 8 items

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 Series 3. Correspondence - postcards 1 19 From Johnson, Gladys and Todd Duncan (2) Brown, and Elsy. Concerning vacations. May 1928-November 1938 5 items 1 20 Six unused picture postcards, four of which depict scenes from Porgy and Bess. 6 items 2 5 Blank card. 1 item

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 Series 4. Production details 1 21 Lists of the cast of Porgy and Bess and the understudies for each part. 4 items 1 22 Porgy and Bess cast list. 1 item 1 23 Lists of addresses and phone numbers of the cast and crew. 2 items 1 24 Lighting cue sheet for Porgy and Bess. 1 item 1 25 Lighting directions. 2 items 1 26 Draft of lighting cue sheet. 1 item 1 27 Lighting cue sheet. 1 item 1 28 Key to switchboard. 1 item 1 29 Stage direction and diagrams. 10 item 1 30 Property plot, listing props and their places and times on stage. 1 item 1 31 A second property plot. 1 item 1 32-35 Four different property plots for Porgy and Bess. 4 items 1 36 Two copies of the costume plot and one copy of the costume chart, detailing the cast's costumes. 3 items 1 37 Costume chart. 1 item 1 38 sketchbook with diagrams of sets of Porgy and Bess. 1 item 1 39 Contains the Rhythm Scene, changes in the production for December 10, descriptive information on the War Memorial Opera House, extra refrains for Ain't Necessarily So, and two copies of the Theater Guild's dressing room sheet. 8 items 1 40 Leaves from a notebook kept by Frances Herriott during the production of Porgy and Bess. 1 item Series 5. Programs and stagebills 1 41 Contains the Theater Guild's souvanier program, which includes a history of the guild, photographs of its acting company and guest players, and discussion of several of its productions, including Porgy. 1 item 1 42 Advertisements of the Theater Guild's production of Porgy at the Blackstone theater. 5 items 1 43 Program guide to the London production of Porgy in His Majesty's Theater, in the Spring of 1929. Spring 1929 1 item 1 44 Program guide from the Ohio Theater (Cleveland). 1 item 1 45 Program guide from the Lyceum Theater, Minneapolis, December 1928-January 1929. Newspaper clipping from the Minneapolis Journal, January 8, 1929. December 1928-January 1929 and January 8, 1929 2 items 1 46 Hotel Greeter's Guide and Hotel Directory of Wisconsin (c. 1928), 32 p. 1928 1 item 1 47 Contains The Playgoer: The Magazine of the Theater, which includes an advertisement for the Theater Guild production of Porgy at the Blackstone Theater, November 5, 1928, and a program guide to the Victory Theater, Dayton, Ohio, November 1, 1928. November 1 and 5, 1928 2 items 1 48 Three program guides, including one from the Erlanger Theater, Buffalo, New York, 1927. 1927 3 items 1 49 Program guide from the Princess Theater, Toronto, Ontario, and the Republic Theater, 42nd. St., West of Broadway. 1928-1929 2 items 1 50 Programs from the Hollis St. Theater and the Erlanger Theater, Philadelphia. Also a silkscreen program from the Republic Theater. 3 items 1 51 The October 25, 1935 issue of Musical America, with a cover story on Porgy and Bess. October 25, 1935 1 item 1 52 Two copies of the Alvin Theater Playbill and a program from the Colonial Theater, Boston, Massachusetts. September 30, 1935 3 items 1 53 Copy of Concertgoer (The Program of the Elmer Wilson Concert Course) and three copies of the program of Porgy and Bess at the Philharmonic Auditorium. February 3, 1938 4 items 1 54 Copies of the Playgoer, the official program of the Curran Theater, February 14. 2 items 1 55 Copies of a stagebill advertising Porgy and Bess at the Philharmonic Auditorium. February 4-12, 1938 12 items 1 56 Stadium Concerts Review, Lewisohn Stadium, College of the City of New York, and the National Symphony Orchestra Magazine. August 8-10, 1937 3 items 1 57 Program guides to the George Gershwin Memorial Concert in the Hollywood Bowl. September 7, 1937 2 items 1 58 A copy of the Playbill from the Majestic Theater and a program guide for a radio concert by Todd Duncan. 2 items Series 6. Souvenir books 1 59 Copies of The Theater Guild Presents Porgy and Bess, 22 p. 2 items 1 60 Copies of Cheryl Crawford Presents George Gershwin's Immortal Porgy and Bess (New York: sold by Al Greenstone) 61 p. One has a red cover; the other is brown. 2 items 1 61 Copies of Merle Armitage in association with Paul Posz and by arrangement with the Theater Guild presents Porgy and Bess (Printed by Lynton R. Kistler, ltd.) 24 p. 2 items 2 12 Broadsides for various Theater Guild productions. 5 items

A82-156

 2 13-18 Programs from other (non Porgy) productions. 23 items

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 2 19 Ralph Bellamy Players: The Princess Theater, bound program. 1 item

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 2 6 The Playgoer. 3 items

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 2 35 Porgy and Bess publicity material 4 items

A89-43

 Series 7. Photographs 1 62 Photos of Frances Herriott, Hartford, De Wolf, Sanford, and one of opening night at the Colonial Theater in Boston, September 30, 1935, which includes George Gershwin, Du Bose Heyward, and Rouben Mamoulian. 7 items 2 9 Photo of Annie Brown, 1936, signed. 1 item

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 2 25 Photo of Frances Herriott Sargent. 1 item

A89-4

 2 26 Various Photos--some autographed, many of scenes from or cast of Porgy and Bess. 22 items

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 2 32 Unidentified group photo 1981 1 item

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 2 28 Photos of Ralph Bellamy 1981 8 items

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 Series 8. Miscellaneous printed materials 1 63 News clippings. May 1928-February 1940 5 items 1 64 Undated news clippings. 4 items 1 65 Clippings of critical responses to the New Your production in 1935. 1935 9 items 1 66 Boston clippings. 8 items 1 67 Chicago clippings. February-March 1936 5 items 1 68-69 California clippings. 16 items 1 70 Clippings about the Gershwin Memorial Concert and the Cheryl Crawford production of Porgy and Bess in New Jersey. 1942 5 items 1 71 Gravure section of the New York Herald Tribune Sun, March 1, 1936 and a clipping from the Daily News about Rose McClendon. May 1928-February 1940 2 items 1 72 The March 1939 issue of National Geographic Magazine. March 1939 1 item 1 73 Clippings of obituary notices of Du Bose Heyward. June 6, 1940 3 items 1 74 Undated clippings, including photographs of Todd Duncan, Howard Mitchell (conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra), and pianist Don Shirley. 3 items 2 21 The New Yorker clippings. 3 items

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 2 22 Various clippings. 9 items

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 2 24 Sociometry journal, Theater Arts, March 1945, St. Elizabeth's Hospital clipping. December 5, 1960 3 items

A89-4

 2 27 Various clippings, cards, and broadsides. 8 items

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 2 36 Profile of Lyonel Feninger 2 items

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 2 37 Sociometry journal May 1941 1 item

A89-43

 Series 9. Miscellaneous items 1 75 Contains a note from Frances Herriott concerning the telegrams in folder 15, business cards, and an initialed handkerchief to Frances from Rose McClendon. 7 items 1 76 Verses written for the cast party and a schedule of hotel rates in San Francisco in 1930. 5 items 1 77 Copies of contracts with Merle Armitage Concerts, Incorporated, October 7, 1937 and January 3, 1938, making her stage manager for Porgy and Bess. October 7, 1937 and January 3, 1938 2 items 2 6 Booklet of Plays and Films Seen or Recommended. 1 item

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 2 7 Contracts. 4 items

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 2 8 License to have possession of a pistol. 1 item

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 2 10 Catfish Row business card. 1 item

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 2 11 and 31 Stage manager's time sheet. 2 items

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 2 28 Frances Herriott Sargent obituary 1981 1 item

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 2 29 Memoranda for Stage Managers 1 item

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 2 30 Doodles 4 items

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 2 34 The Art of Rehearsal by Bernard Shaw 1 item

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 Series 10. Books 1 78 The Theater Guild Presents Porgy and Bess, music by George Gershwin (New York: Gershwin Publishing Corporation). A copy of the original score inscribed to Frances Herriott by Gershwin, Heyward, and Mamoulian. The score bears Herriott's production notes, corrections, etc. 1 item 1 79 Porgy: A Play in Four Acts (Garden City, Doubleday, Doran and Co., 1928). The Theater Guild Acting Version. A copy in the original wrappers and signed by members of the cast. 1 item 1 80 Spiritual Songs from the Theater Guild production of Porgy (New York: Bibo, Bloeden, and Lang, 1928) in the original painted wrappers. 1 item Series 11. Museum pieces HM 70 Bell used by Rouben Mamoulian for rehearsal. HM 71 Baton used to conduct the Rhythm Scene, Act II, Scene I. HM 72 Ribbon for the Jenkins Orphan Band in the Picnic Scene. HM 73 Another ribbon for the Jenkins Orphan Band.