Theatre for Youth and Community Collection: A Legacy and a Vision

History and significance

Established in 1980 with the leadership of Lin Wright, the collection began as the repository for records of the Children’s Theatre Association of America (CTAA) and Children’s Theatre. The designation of ASU Library as the site of these records was crucial to the development of the research agenda of the field, contributing significantly to early scholarship in the field of TYA. This collection is the culmination of over four decades of collaboration between the Arizona State University (ASU) Department of Theatre (Lin Wright), ASU Library (Marilyn Wurzburger), and the founding curator, Kathy Krzys.

Key highlights:

Highlights of this collection include the Childsplay Records, 1976-2008 (MSS 222) which are comprised of production files, design materials, playscripts, dramaturgical notes, musical scores, correspondence, study guides, reports, and more, with bulk dates of 1979-2006, document over thirty years of Childsplay’s artistic, performance, educational, and administrative work as a pioneering Arizona professional theatre for young audiences. The company, established in the late 1970s by ASU graduate David Saar, continues to do important work. The records are an important part of the regional history, as well as the history of Arizona State University.

The David, Sonja and Benjamin Saar papers, 1950-2008 (MSS-291) feature production materials and the original 54 Benjamin Saar paintings used to inspire the writing of The Yellow Boat, an award-winning play about the first child to contract AIDS in Arizona in the 1980s. This collection documents the writing of The Yellow Boat, a semi-autobiographical story of the death in 1987 of Saar’s 8-year-old son, Benjamin, a hemophiliac who contracted HIV through blood factor transfusions.

The Irene Corey papers, 1875-2010 (Bulk 1946-1998), (MSS-282) feature original renderings, sketches, correspondence, notes and photographs underscore Irene Corey’s pioneering work in theatrical costume, set and makeup design.

The Lowell and Nancy Swortzell Theatre Arts Collection, 1805, 1903, 1912-2011 (MSS-220) includes materials documenting the life and career of Lowell and Nancy Swotzell, who co-founded the Educational Theatre program at New York University in Fall 1966. The collection includes programs, syllabi, playscripts and more.

The Jonathan Levy Papers, 1956-1999 (MSS-208) include books and manuscripts documenting the early history of theatre for youth, the status of children in society, and the cultural taste and sensibility of child education.

TYFC also houses the ASSITEJ/International and ASSITEJ/USA records, transferred to ASU Library in 1995. These materials document the rich international exchange through conferences, publications, and performances, providing insight into the efforts in the United States to justify TYA as an accepted field. The various materials bear witness to the important activities and educational work of the ASSITEJ/USA, and in a sense, embody its spirit.

At the heart of this article, I want to pose an important question to the field: How will you document your history? Who has the power?

A Short History of ASSITEJ/USA

For over half a century, the US focus of theatre for young audiences was education, social work, and support for efforts of various associations such as the Junior League. With the establishment of ASSITEJ international, “kids theatre” finally gained recognition by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The history of ASSITEJ/USA in the larger context of this history is fascinating. Prior to the founding of ASSITEJ/USA, the American Educational Theatre Association of universities, established in 1937, was a primary vehicle for developing the exponential growth of children’s courses and degree programs.  In 1964, Sara Spencer, founder of Anchorage Press, president of Children’s Theatre Company (1953-55) and one of the founders of the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America, went to the constitutional meeting of ASSITEJ in Venice, determined to include child actor companies and creative drama. Upon her return, she realized that for the children’s theatre in America to truly flourish, it would need to develop a strong professional movement by drawing upon existing educational and amateur resources. Although leaders continually tried to preach the values of creative drama to international delegates from 1964 to 1972, ASSITEJ International ultimately rejected educational drama from its classified membership in 1977.

In the productions highlighted at various ASSITEJ/USA meetings and conferences, we have the opportunity to examine the relationships among youth, theatre, and culture.

The Present 

The TFYC is renowned for collecting internationally, but there also is a wealth of fascinating region-specific history in its holdings. Collecting materials focused on the Greater Phoenix metro area and establishing new relationships with community partners, is an important priority for the future of this collection.

Situated at a major research university, the purpose of the TFYC collection is foremost to serve the ASU community. ASU Library prioritizes donations from the Southwest and Western region of the US, and collections nationally for members and organizations from historically marginalized communities (BIPOC, LGBTQ+).

Stakeholders include ASU faculty such as Amanda Pintore, whose innovative work in devising with the very young, make collecting in areas such as Theatre and Dance for the Very Young (TDVY) a new priority. Pintore notes, “TDVY (performances for children ages 0-6 and their caregivers) is an emergent, dynamic, and experimental field that our students are eagerly engaging with. It is vital to grow this part of the TFYC collection as our ASU community (and beyond) explores the possibilities of artistry and scholarship in the TDVY field.”

The ASU Library employs the core values of librarianship to realize our University’s Charter and Goals, by fostering inclusive and welcoming spaces, programs and events; building inclusive collections; hiring and retaining a diverse workforce; emphasizing resources that demonstrate human diversity, especially those related to the cultures and histories of Arizona and the Southwest; and advocating for, supporting, and engaging in equitable advancement and dissemination of knowledge that promotes ASU’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.

The TFYC Collection is comprehensive in its documentation of award-winning members of the field. One of my favorite collections, however, is the Rosa Lee Scott Papers, 1958-1981, (MSS-273), which  documents the work of a less well recognized educator and actress. Like many actresses at the time, Scott found that education in the arts was a more stable career path. Her life and career trajectory is incredibly similar to that of Anne K. Flagg, Director of the Children’s Theatre Program at the Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio. Scott assisted in the Children’s Theatre Program, under the tutelage of Flagg, an award-winning arts educator. Sadly, both died early as the results of illness. The effects of racism and medical racism are well documented as contributing to significantly higher mortality rates in Black women. In the estimated 5,000 linear feet of the TFYC Collection, these two women and one retired ASU faculty member, Johnny Saldaña, are the only known people of color significantly represented in the collection holdings. Their contributions deserve recognition and the lack of documentation is troubling.

The Current Landscape

At the center of this work is relationship building. It takes time to build trust with new communities and organizations. This work is reparative and at the center of the collections work at ASU Library, particularly within the Community Driven Archives Initiative, (CDA) led by director Nancy Godoy.  I am learning alongside library colleagues on how to host Archives 101 Workshops, zine workshops, and oral history and community scanning events. CDA offers incredible resources, including the Escuelita (“Little School”) for Young Archivists program for K-12 students.

Transparency and shared stewardship are important and necessary as part of developing intentional partnership models. There is no rush or pressure for community members to donate materials. I prioritize committing to long-term relationships, regularly evaluating and adapting, and allocating sufficient resources (time,personnel) for meaningful engagement. Additionally, developing a regional network of institutions invested in stewarding TYA collections is a key strategy to consider.

Opportunities to build relationships are balanced with managing challenges in the archival backlog. To prepare a collection for access and viewing, archival professionals and special collections librarians conduct work known professionally as processing. Processing one linear foot of archival material takes approximately 8 hours, so to process the Theatre for Youth and Community Collection in its entirety would take decades. We are fortunate to have dedicated graduate student assistants in the Theatre for Youth and Community Program at ASU. Three MFA students, Ali Brady (‘25), Kenya Thompson (‘26), and Maddie Nelson (‘26) have brought their enthusiasm and diligence to both processing and outreach projects with ASU Library.

Invisible figures

As TYA/USA approaches its 60th anniversary in 2025, there is an opportunity to reflect on the past of the association and consider its future. I encourage TYA practitioners, organizations, and community members to consider contributing to this living archive. Ensuring diverse representation is a crucial aspect of archival work, especially in the performing arts. In the context of archiving theatre for youth, this includes new directions in our collection policies as well as new approaches to adding to the collection, explicitly prioritizing materials from underrepresented groups. This includes activity seeking works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists, LGBTQ+ creators, and those from other marginalized communities. Furthermore, it includes ensuring representation across various cultural traditions, not just Western or Eurocentric theatre.

Under-documented narratives are a nuanced topic. These can also include (to name a few): refugee or immigrant narratives, disability narratives, stories on socioeconomic diversity, mental health experiences, non-traditional family structures, and stories of environmental and climate change.

Engaging with community leaders and cultural consultants to inform archival practice is crucial. An important new approach to the work in this collection includes community-led documentation. Historically, archival practice has overlooked or misrepresented youth experiences, creating gaps in the historical record. Engaging youth and community members in the process aims to address this disparity. Creating safe, affirming spaces that empower youth and community to actively participate in preserving their own history will be key to the renewed direction of this collection. Strategies for addressing under-historicized narratives in this collection can include collaborative research and storytelling.

Reinventing and reenvisioning are built into this field. TYA/USA has made its commitment to anti-racism abundantly clear. While honoring my gratitude for the donors whose materials represent the core of this collection, I am also firm in my belief that  the Theatre for Youth and Community Collection must engage in critical reevaluation and explore new directions.

Call to Action

There is an opportunity to document the groundswell of innovative, challenging work in the field. How we share our collective history and knowledge is important. Questioning and challenging the status quo has been vital to the survival of TYA. Storytelling is your work, as is a primary function of an archive.

Who keeps your story? What will you leave for future generations? That power is up to you.

Before donating materials, please contact ASU Library directly via the library website at Ask an Archivist. When preparing materials for donation, consider the five Ws:

1. Who created the materials?
2. What types of materials are you donating? What are the formats or file types?
3. When were these items created?
4. Where is the material currently being stored?
5. Why do you consider your materials to be important or significant?

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Shari Laster, Head of Open Collections Curation & Access at Arizona State University Library, for her support in bringing this article to life. Special thanks to Associate Archivist for Specialized Resources Description, Elizabeth Dunham, and Marilyn Murphy, Communications Specialist with ASU Library.