Research Catalog
Christopher Scott papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company
- Title
- Christopher Scott papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, 1960-2002.
- Author
- Scott, Christopher, 1945-2002.
- Supplementary Content
- Finding Aid
Items in the Library & Off-site
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4 Items
| Status | Container | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person. | Box 1 | Mixed material | Supervised use | *T-Mss 2003-054 Box 1 | Performing Arts Research Collections - Theatre |
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person. | Box 2 | Mixed material | Supervised use | *T-Mss 2003-054 Box 2 | Performing Arts Research Collections - Theatre |
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person. | Box 3 | Mixed material | Supervised use | *T-Mss 2003-054 Box 3 | Performing Arts Research Collections - Theatre |
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person. | Box 4 | Mixed material | Supervised use | *T-Mss 2003-054 Box 4 | Performing Arts Research Collections - Theatre |
Details
- Description
- 3 lin. ft. (4 boxes).
- Summary
- The collection contains correspondence, mainly personal letters by Ludlam to Scott, scripts and notebooks by Ludlam, writings by Scott including his memoirs of working with Ludlam, and records of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, primarily publicity such as mock-ups and art work by Scott for printed material and the programs and fliers themselves, as well as photographs and clippings and a small amount of correspondence, minutes and reports.
- Subjects
- Genre/Form
- Scripts.
- Access (note)
- Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.
- Biography (note)
- Christopher Scott helped found the Ridiculous Theatrical Company with actor/playwright Charles Ludlam in 1967.
- Charles Ludlam (1943-1987), a satirist, wrote, staged and acted in 29 plays, inventing a completely new comic theater.
- Christopher Scott worked in various capacities at the theater, serving as an actor, business manager, publicist and patron during its formative years.
- Indexes/Finding Aids (note)
- Collection guide available in repository and on internet.
- Call Number
- *T-Mss 2003-054
- OCLC
- NYPG04-A18
- Author
- Scott, Christopher, 1945-2002.
- Title
- Christopher Scott papers on the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, 1960-2002.
- Restricted Access
- Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.
- Biography
- Christopher Scott helped found the Ridiculous Theatrical Company with actor/playwright Charles Ludlam in 1967. Scott met Ludlam at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, Long Island in 1961 when he was a sophomore and Ludlam a senior. After Ludam was expelled from the school's Drama Club, they founded the Student Repertory Theatre in a loft above a liquor store in Northport, Long Island with Scott's mother paying the $25 a month rent.Charles Ludlam (1943-1987), a satirist, wrote, staged and acted in 29 plays, inventing a completely new comic theater. His Ridiculous Theatrical Company emerged in the 1960s in a Greenwich Village basement breaking all the conventional rules of the stage. Campy and outrageous, with roots in vaudeville, old movies and gothic novels, and an openly gay sensibility, the theater was a dynamic force in 1970s and 80s New York. Successful works by Ludlam included BLUEBEARD, THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, and TURDS IN HELL. Ludlam, who usually appeared in his own plays, both as male characters and in drag, had probably his greatest acting success in the title role in CAMILLE. A recipient of various fellowships and awards, he was also a character actor in film and television and taught and staged productions on college campuses. When he died of AIDS in May 1987, his obituary was on the front page of the New York Times and over a thousand people attended his memorial service. His partner and featured performer, Everett Quinton, kept the Ridiculous Theatrical Company going with new plays and Ludlam revivals until financial problems forced him to disband it in 1996.Christopher Scott worked in various capacities at the theater, serving as an actor, business manager, publicist and patron during its formative years. As his background was in the fine arts, he designed sets and publicity for productions, and took publicity photos of the actors. From 1978-1981, he served as executive director of the company, but left after the failure of LOVE'S TANGLED WEB. Aside from the theater, Scott's professional career was as an advisor and consultant to art and cultural agencies such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York City Commission of Cultural Affairs and to individual artists and designers.
- Indexes
- Collection guide available in repository and on internet.
- Connect to:
- Research Call Number
- *T-Mss 2003-054