The Carroll Players Chronology: A List of Drama Produced from 1896 to 1996

              Authored by David Molthen, Professor of Theatre Arts, Carroll College
Waukesha, Wisconsin, May 1996
Material for this chronology first was assembled by Karen Deuchars in the summer of 1979 under funding
provided by a Faculty Research Grant to myself. I supervised the project, and also, under the grant
prepared for the inaugural season for the Otteson Theatre. Ms. Deuchars with the assistance of James
Van Ess, Carroll Archives Director, college librarian, utilized the archives and within that collection,
the Rankin materials, assembled in the 1940' s by an unsighted Adela Rankin who was read the
materials and assisted by Hilda Greenquist, then a student. Yearbooks, and playbills in the archives
gained an assemblage of playbills and yearbook xeroxes of Carroll Player photographs and material
that extended from 1896, the May N. Rankin years through 1956, the Mary Elizabeth Thompson years.
Since my own years at Carroll, as a student, began in 1959; as a professor, in 1970, I personally developed
a system of storage/ acquisition and supervised the development of archival records of productions f- rom
the Steinmetz Years ( which began in 1956), and for all productions since my tenure as a faculty member.
This work has been assembled by many dedicated student employees over the years who filed packets
of historical records of productions and seasonal reference materials which were later transferred to the
archives under Mr. Van Ess's supervision.
Since February of 1996 under the direction of Adam Jacobi, a student employee of the department,
further retrieval of Players' memorabilia have continued under my supervision. An audit of playbills,
name by name, resulted in a membership roll of the Carroll Players 1896- 1996 published separately.
Current members of the Players have volunteered the labor of recording the names from playbills and
yearbooks for that separate audit.
This chronology presented at this time of the Centennial Celebration of the Players is currently
incomplete in the following manner:
1. It omits most of the one act studio productions since 1970 as those
playbills, while available in annual seasonal packets in archival records,
were not reproduced for this study, and the Carroll Players Member Roll
audit of playbills. Lack of time prevented those titles, authors, the names of
their student directors, dates to be recorded here; and prevented the names of
their student participants to be listed in the roll. Some one acts, from those
years, when substituted for mainstage productions ( e. g., Evening of Ionesco) do
appear.
2. The titles of productions staged in the Otteson Theatre by the R a n h Theatre
Guild, 19801s, and American Inside Theatre, 19901s, have not been chronicled
here as they were produced in Carroll facilities by independent companies.
3. One act records are most probably incomplete for 1896- 1970 unless these
dramas, too, were substituted for a mainstage evening or chronicled by
archival playbills or in the college yearbooks. Many of the names of these
dramas, authors, their student directors, and production dates will be only
remembered by participants.
4. A list of dramatic recitals, perfomed by Professor Rankin( s students is st ill
being assembled. These were public performances offered by a student as part
of the graduation requirements for dramatics students.
5. The titles and student names of the Childrens Theatre productions staged in the
early 1970' s at the Youmans Little Theatre have not yet been audited or
chronicled although they too can be found in the archives in the appropriate
annual season packets.
6. Information and dates may at times be incorrect. Some playbills failed to
record the year of production; some yearbooks reported productions from a
former year or years without specific dates ( the 1938 yearbook may report
shows from 1936, 1937). For such instances, reasonable conjecture was used at
several points: late 1930' s, 40' s.
7. Some major mainstage productions mentioned in other playbills or in
yearbooks, but not present in archival playbills seem lost:
I I . ,
Justice at Augueville 1904
Petticoat Fever 1941
Pride and Prejudice 1945
Arms and the Man 1947
Hay Fever 1947
Laura 1948
Barretts of Wimpole Street 1948
Cmdida 1948
Papa Is All 1949
Abe Liicoln in Illinois 1950
Taming of the Shrew 1950
All My Sons 1950
Then Shall Be No Night 1955
The Cave Dwellers 1958
These dramas' titles and their other information gleaned from reference
sources or student newspapers are included in the chronology, but no audit has
been conducted for the membership roll; and various chronology facts are
missing. Any persons with copies of these programs should contact the Theatre
Arts Department.
8. In some instances, productions before 1959 of the Glee Club, Music Department
are included where opera, operetta, musical comedies were produced in
tandem with the Theatre Department. The Carrolleers' revues, of the 1970' s-
1990' s, solely produced bv the MUSICD epartment , have not been included but
would represent another form of theatrical production for later research.
9. Being as close to the study as I am, m occasion I offer footnote commentary of a
prejucidial or " rememberance" nature. After worhg under various conditions
in the past 25 years, at one pomt seemg the department threatened with
extinction, and having been a student of the department since 1959, a mind
may warp, an attitude tarnish.
Test footnotes generally specify the above conditions. A blank space among listings indicates that form
of fact was not printed in yearbooks or m playbills. Interested, later researchers might consult the
Carroll College student newpapers of that date.
One would hope that persons with memoribilia of archival or historical interest which would change
information included here; or persons who believe information here to be incorrect, should contact me at
the theatrearts department at Carroll in writing so that changes can be considered.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE CARROLL PLAYERPSR ODUCTIONS- 1896- 1996
+= One Acts " Artist- in- residence as director rather than theatre faculty
** student directors
Performance Title Playwright Director Theatre
Date( s1, Year
June 5,1896 Ridrelieu Bulwer- Lyton May N. Rankin Silurian casino1
December 9,1897 Frederick Halm
January 29, 1901 The Register+ William Dean May N. Rankin ' College Hall'
Howells Carroll
May 23, 1901 As You Like It Shakespeare May N. Rankin Silurian Casino
I The Silurian Casino Theatre opened June 5, 1893, and was located at the site of the present Waukesha Post office. Its
capaccty was 1400 persons.
Student written.
3 Th15 may have been Main Hall? At the turn- of- the- century, The Voorhees Chapel was the area at the south end of
the current Maln Hall. Once one entlre mom used for chapel and classes, today, it is divided into a small classroom and smaller
meetlng rcxlm. The V for Voorhees on the sta~ nedg lass w~ ndowast the second level designate the area. I recall Mr Alfred Lunt in
an intorrnal speech to the Carroll Players at the college in the early 60' s said plays were presented in that area.
The 1979 project identified this title and date. Playbill and yearbook verification could not produce it a second time.
The Lost Silk Hat+
Ashes of Roses+ Constance D'Arcv Mackay
-, The Colon~ alw as the name of the Silurlan Caslno remodeled for film and stage events in 1913- 14.
n The Curtaln was located at the south end. thlrd flnnr Maln Hall The Curtain sign currently displayed in the theatre
department hung outslde the room wh~ chw ar. used tor drama classe? and small production\.
December 16,1921
January 12, 1922
January 19, 1922
-
The Sales Pavillon waz a famous stock- aurtlon house Incated behlnd the current D~ scount L~ quor Bulldlng on Barstow
lirar the Fox R~ ver. Persons came horn all over the bn~ ted State3 I(> purchase Waukesha Countv purebred dairy cattle. The
bulldlng ctmslsted of a sales pavil~ onw lth archltecturr s~ mllatro the current Ganfleld Gvmnaslum at Carroll, a balcony level wh~ ch
surrounded a lower sale floor where purchasers could alsn surround the auctlon. A cattle barn, similar to a state fair exposition
barn, \\. as attached. The Waukesha CIVICTh eatre considered the old bu~ ldlngfo r a theatre in the 1970' s. It was later destroyed to
create the Fox Rlver Apartment complex
> The Audltorlum Theatre waz located at 212- 214 West Maln, the locatlon of the present Walgreens. The theatre intended
ior fllm and stage events seated 400 persons
House, Elkhorn, Wis.
Davisonfheatre.
Beaver Dam, Wis
Grotto Scene from
Merely Mary Ann
I do not know where thls aud~ tonumw as ltrcated
Venfttd by playbill
Shakespeare
Israel Zangwill May N. Rankin
The curtainb
Industrial School of
Waukesha
Auditorium Theatre,
Waukesha
1 I I am ; lot sure whlch It~ atlonat th~ tslm e 1s retered to as College Chapel .
12 Thr 1932 Yearbook, p. 65, refers to a serleb of one acts presented at Carmll Plaven meeting. The titles of these two are
the olll~ o ne> mmtloned although the notatlon mentions " several of the plavs which were presented were ... W isp, The Strongest."
'' The Avon Theatre was the former Auditorium, having been renamed in 1930.
14 Thls product~ onw as most probably produced by the MUSICD epartment with the assistance of the theatre students and
staff. Like the Fortune Teller which follo~. t~ he, playbills have been audited with the names placed in the list of Carroll Players.
1 The names of phvbill participants have been aud~ ted as Carroll Players but this was a Carroll College Glee Club
production
16 Thrr program also announces " The Carroll Dramatrc Department is sponsoring the Coffer- Miller Players who will present
the three- act drama. " Shadows Across the Throne" at Carroll on January 12,1939.
17 Protessor Card, based at the Universitv of Wisconsin- Madison, was founder of the Wisconsin Idea Theatre, and nationally
known tor hrs research and advocacy of reponal theatre. I believe Mr. Kamark also was associated with the University of
Wrsconsin- Madison as a professor.
A Kiss in the Dark+
Dynarmte; A Parody on
Bernard Shaw
1s The 19.12 Yearbook, p. 111, cred1t5 Franc15 Hodgr lor " an excellent temporary stage created in Freshman Hall for the
( tootnote IF, continued from last page) product~ ons 01 Beyond the Horizon and Petticoat Fwer which end the old trek to the
Avon to see Carroll Plays."
19 Page 55,1943 Yearbook.
20 I am uncertain whether Mrs. Siebert was regular iaculty or a guest artist, student.
21 The 1945 Yearbook, page 62, dexnbeb Time for Romance, Christmas Fantasy, and Scenes from Little Women, then
" R~ ghtN otv We're working on Pride and Prejudice " Ko plavbill verif~ cationo f Pride can be located.
22 1947 Yearbook, p. 56, sho\ ck photograplrs ot each of the product~ onsI ~ sted. a nd a photo of Mary Elizabeth Thompson on
the same page entitled " Dramatic Product~ ons." N o playbill verltlcatlon or audtt of an): show listed for 1947 has been accomplished.
An ad\. ert~ slngb roadside In the department l~ sts1 947 tor th13p rtductlon. See also, p. 88.1948 Yearbook.
1944, vearbook veriflcatlon onl!., p. 10; no aud~ t
1930 Yearbook, p. 82, Lo Plavblll ver~ l~ cat~ ocrr na ud~ t
lbid
Ibid.
Ibid.
No plavhill verification or aud~ tS. w 19i1 kearbtr~ lp. 113
Ibid.
195.1 Yearbook, pp. 76.77 No plavh~ llv er~ ilcatlc> on r aud~ t
Ibid.
lean Kilgour was Professor of Women'$ Phvs~ calE ducation
1) In l LWh Dr. S~ nclairr etired as Professor Erner~ rubo f Religion after 38 vears of senlice to Carroll.
7: 1957 l'ldvbill verilled but no audit.
. m 1955 ) carbook, p. 91.
3; Nancv Walsh Weise recalls this show which was not audited or chronicled in sources consulted.
3s See 19% Yearbook, p. 95. Not verified by Playbill.
Fa11,1956 The Glass Menagerie Tennesse Williams Dorothy
Sainsbury-
Steinmetz
1957 Don Juan In ell^^
May 2,3, 1957 Liliom Ferenc Molnar Dorothy
Sainsbury-
Skinmetz
November 1957 Teahow of the August
Not verified by Plavbill. 1957 Yearbook, p UL) Most probably a Readers Theatre; Readers Interpretation Class offering
40 Inaugural Product~ ono f this iaciltty located on the ent~ reg round floor of Main Hall. Seating capacitv of this pmxenium
house \\. as 24;. A photo of the openlng n~ ghct urtaln call 15 held by the theatre deprtment. Th~ sa rea IS now the Computer Science
Department. A wooden model made by one of Mrs. Ste~ nmetz'.; p lavgtwr students and displayed in the Theatre Department
details the tacil~ tva s I remember ~ t as a student and later. protessor
4 I Program note in Man and Superman and tn other pla\ b~ ll< w hlch follow identify this drama as having been produced
u~ idert hv dtrect~ ono f Mrs. Ste~ nmetz YearhA and plavblll resources round have not allowed an audit or verification of this
productton
42 Mustc Professor at Carroll . A propram note lnd~ catesth at a recording by Tosa Recordings may be available for purchase.
I t anvone has a copy of this record~ ngp lease contact the Carroll Theatre Arts Department.
Pmfessor Zana, then a Carroll student, later founded The Ballet and Technology and the Arts Divisions of the
Department of Dance at the Universitv of W~ scons~ n- Mad~ saoffni, l iate programs of the Department of Physical Education.
Youmans Little
Samuel Beckett
Ann Lavender"
U As llstrd in the program cast cred~ tsfo r Cyrano, these one acts were produced as I was a participant in several of them.
So plavbill aud~ wt as used to identify players working on these shows.
45 Advanced Oral Interpretation Class product~ onN. o audit or playbill.
40 The 1963 Yearbook, p. 20 and Cast Credits In Tiger at the Gates playbill establish these dramas.
Feburary 13, 1964 An Evening with the Bard : Shakespeare Dorothy Youmans Little
Scenes from Hamlet, Richard Sainsbury- Theatre
IU, Henry V, Midsummer Steinmetz.
Night's IIream4'
March 1964 1964 Festival of One ~ c t s ~ ~
A Resounding Tinkle+ Michael Rice"
The Sandbox+ Edward Albee
e American Dream+
47 Not llmlted to this single performance whose date was verlt~ edb y a ticket example, other dates were played.
ldent~ fledIn Thurber Carnival Playbill where photos also appear of the Festival and " Evening with the Bard"
Program audited, no date or vear given In plavbill used for audit
See Roar of the Grease Paint playbill, cast credits tor Michael Moynihan
Protessor of Music.
Op. cit.; See note 50, credits for Starr Warrick.
Leslie Bricuse
Musical Director
Patricia M. Bamdt,'
Musical Director
October 29, 30, 31, Peter Ustinov Youmans Little .
No\. ember 1, 7, 1968
ithaut Really T r y ~ n ~ ,
53 Current Shattuck Auditonurn; I v~ ewed a periormance of these beautiful work, at the Yownans Little Theatre which I
belleve was part of a series of offerings of these authentic Japanese works staged as part of a new January Term Course Experience.
5l A5 a student supe~ lsedb v Mrs. Ste~ nrnetz
Music Director;
December 8,1976
21,1223, 1977
- -
>? Protr*. zcv of Musrc
Sh l l l r , productron a h was selected b!. the Amerrcan College Theatre Festival to participate in the January 1977
Ill~ ncir/ sM '~ hcon~ R~ erpir on VIIl Festrval at Beloit College where rt was nominated to represent the Region in the Washington D. C.
Kennrdv Center Festrval. Onlv H of the 13. natronal regrons could participate; Carroll, without an alumni club in Washington did
not prrtorrn at the Kennedy Center. For th~ sp roductron. most of the seating was tom out of the theatre to create a thrust stage
wth the lormer proscenrum stage used for seatlng. -- 3, Th~ s was the fiat all Afro- American production staged at a Wisconsin College or University. It also was the last
production staged rn the Youmans Little Theatre as constructron had begun on the new theatre that spring.
SR Inaugural Performances of the new theatre now renamed the Otteson. The opening night performance champagne
receptlon, 1776, and after- theatre supper was attended by Bert\ Olteson who would pass away within the month. This inaugural
season also Included touring performances b\ Randal Duk Kim. then developing the American Players Theatre of Spring Green;
The Tyrone Guthr~ eto uring company. and the M~ lwaukeeR epertoryTheatre production of Fighting Bob.
Retumlng as Professor Emer~ tao f Drama
Professor of Music.
61 As Rankin Memorial Res~ dentA rt~ st1. 980- 1982.
62 Like the August 1983 Dames as a Summer Straw Hat Theatre venture, which proved ill- advised.
November 4,5,6,11,
, k\ icn. ember 2, 3,
63 Facult\ member; directed The Painting; Heuvelmann and Hermans, were both students; all were presented in the
Ma~ nstajirT heatre.
h- l Mr. Dt Fha was an original stage manager for the Broadway production and the brother of Michael Bennett. He was
contr. icted as an artist- in- residence for Chorus Line wh~ ch was extended an additional two performances November 22.23, to
become the h~ ghestg rosslng productton in the history of Carroll Players. 2681 patrons or 91% capacity for the 11 performances In
whlch t~ ckets tub accounttng allowed verif~ cat~ oonf attendance. The gross after taxes was over $ 13,500.
65 Prem~ ereof a new drama. The 19fi6- 87 season would also Include a tounng perorrnance of Eleanor. A Celebration with
Actress Toni Gillman as Eleanor Roosevelt on September 26.27. 19%. 2 performances; and An Evening with Ben Franklin,
February 6.7.1987 2 performances, created by Robert Bray under the dtrect~ ono f Professor Molthen, a second new drama.
November l, Z3,7,8,
9, 1,15,16, 22,23,1985
66 These four one acts had o r i p l l y been presented in the Studio Theatre of the Otteson and now in the Mainstage;
Valiant Nov. 22.23.1987; Families, February 22,23, 1988; Froegle, February 4,5,1988, Tonques, December 9,10,1987. All were student
dtrected
Frank Di
ilia^^
Paula Foley
Kumnaer*,
Music
Director
John Abrams',
A Chorus Line Michael Bennett, Otteson Theatre
James Kirkwood and
Nicholas Dante,
Marvin Hamlisch,
music
November 4,5,6,11,
November 3,4,10,11,
Martha Foley', Orchestra
Otteson Theatre
.
\(>\. ember 6, 7, 1992
0. -. Dedicated to the memory of Rev. Lyndon C. V~ elt, a ther ot student/ actress Tara Viel.
hk Senlor Student in the department
h'l Artist- in- residence from Soviet Georgia. D~ rected In Georgian Language. , -
- * :
70 Premiere prduct~ onn, ew drama.
*** creator, ** adaptor
0,11,11, 17, 16, 1995
Ric Halterman',
71 Presented and created by a company trom the Lin~ vers~ toyf Utrecht. Holland. The company of sixteen students and
tacultv offering workchops and these pertomances were ~ n res~ denc) tor flvc days.
72 Art~ st-~ n- residencfreo m Teatro LJ Fragud. El Progresso, Honduras. Mr. Cardoza is a member of the acting company of La
Fragua which 1s under the dlrect~ ono f lack Warner S 1 Professor Molthen produced this senes, and paid for a substabtial portion of
~ tcso sts as the college could not afford th~ sty pe ot expense.
L
CENTRAL AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOUR: LANDS OF THE MAYA
" The Diary of Adam and Jerry Bock, Sheldon David M. Molthen
Eve " by Mark Twain+ from Harnick Margaret BellD, Music Director
The Apple Tree Ric HaltermanD, Choreographer
November 19,1993 Southminister Presbyterian Church, Waukesha 73
January 1, 1996 U. S. Embassy Garden, Teplcigalpa, Honduras
January 4, 1996 Home of U. S. Ambassador William and Mrs. ( Joan) Pryce, Tegulcigalpa
January 6, 19% Teatro Reforma, Tegulcigalpa
January 8, 1996 Escuela Inter- nationale, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
January 8, 1996 Escuela Internationale, Lima, Honduras
January 11, 1996 University of Central America, San Salvador, El Salvador
January 12, 1996 Small Salon, National Theatre of El Salvador, San Salvador. Sponsored by the U. S. Embassy
in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Fulbright Scholars Program
January 13, 1996 Democratic Club, Suchitoto, El Salvador as part of the Suchitoto Perpetual Festival of the Arts
January 16, 1996 University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica, School of Fine Arts
February 28,29, Otteson Theatre
1996
April 28, 1996 First Presbyterian Church, Harvard, Illinois
June 7,1996 Centennial Festival of the Carroll Players, Otteson Theatre
Broadway Revue Margaret BellD, Musical Director
Charles BellD. Choreornapher
December 9,1995 Lake Lawn Lodge, Delevan, Wis., H a m Auto of Lake Genwa Christmas Party
January 5, 1996 Drama School, Tegulcigalpa, Honduras
January 6, 1996 Teatro Reforma, Tegulcigalpa
January 6, 1996 Home of Richard and Liliana Joint, for the Honduras Opera Guild, Tegulcigalpa
January 8, 1996 Teatro La Fragua, El Progresso, Honduras
January 13, 1996 Democratic Club, Perpetual Festival, Suchitoto, El Salvador
January 14, 1996 .. Teatro Sol Del Rio, San Salvador, El Salvador
Januar! 16, 1996 University of Costa Rica, San Jose
ianuar!, 17, 1996 De Ja Vu Disco, San jose, Costa Rica
ianuary 22, 1996 Municipal Theatre, Quezeltenago, Guatemala
Februar!. 18, 29, Otteson Theatre
1 YYh
Spanish One Acts:
Los Motirlos Dd Lobo por Jack Warner, adaptor Oscar ~ a r d o z a * ~ ~
Rlrebetl Drrrio
El Orrpcvr del Mor: c. Honduran Folk Tale Oscar Cardoza
La Flor Q~ rFr ut* Carlos Velis David M. Molthen ..
-. .-. In October . 1995, The Apple Tree and Broadway Re\. ue were offered at 5250 each to 103 churchek and civic
org. inlzatl~ 1nh In Lt'aukesha In order to raise money to support student costs ot the Central Amerlcan Tour. Only the Southmin~ ster
Churcl) and Harm5 Auto of Lake Geneva ( for an emplovee hol~ day pans) responded to the plea. Otteson Theatre audiences of
Paint Lour Wagon contributed S26Q In a good will offerlns The college and department spent less than $ 500 in production
r* pelrsey related t o thls tour, requlnng Prntessor Molthen to dlrect the show( s) without compensation, donate another 900 In
order 1t1 ccn. tBur nexpected expenses while on the tour ( oteert he SHOO he had pret~~ ouslpye rsonally utilized in development of the
proKran1 I Tour ~ ieedsre qulred also a purchase oi a video camera and electronic piano, another $ 1650 of ha expenses. One suspects
the churche5 and CIVIC organizations were slmply left breathless, in awe of the 100 yean of service the depamnent had extended in
the past and the~ rla ck of response was based upon that condition as this is the same community which raised over 513,000 to send
, I group pre- pubescent majorettes to march in an Atlanta, Georg~ ap arade some years back. The college's NCEP program did give
each studelit In the tour a subsidy of S1000- the same that ~ t applies to any subsidy of study tours even when an individual
partlclpant 1s not expected to ofter periormances.
74 Or~ glnadl irection from February 1995 was reworked for tour by David Molthen.
January 5,1996 Drama School of Honduras, Tegulcigalpa, Honduras
January 6, 1996 Teatro Refom, Tegulcigalpa, Honduras
January 8, 1996 Teatro La Fragua, El Progresso, Honduras
January 11, 1996 Escuela Americana, Sari Salvador, El Salvador
January 13, 1996 Democrative Club, Festival Perpetual, Suchitoto, El Salvador
January 14, 1996 Teatro Sol Del Rio, San Salvador, El Salvador
January 16, 1996 School of Fine Arts, University of Costa Rica, San Jose
January 22, 1996 Municipal Theatre, Quezeltenago, Guatemala
February 28,29, Otteson Theatre
1996
February 9,10,11, 16, Once Five Years Pass Federico Garcia Charles E. Otteson Theatre
17, 1996. Lorca Enten
April 19,20,21, 26, Tartuffe
27, 1996 I 11 Ga~ emiakh~ v~ ky7T5h eatre
MO1ihre
June 7,1996 Centennial Celebration of the Carroll Plavers, Otteson Theatre I1 Ottwn
Guest director from the Vakhtangov Theatre Moscow