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Department of Theatre and Film Studies publicity files
Descriptive Summary | |
| Title: Department of Theatre and Film Studies publicity files | |
| Creator: University of Georgia. Department of Theatre and Film Studies | |
| Inclusive Dates: 1961-2018 | |
| Language(s): English | |
| Extent: 46 Linear Feet | |
| Collection Number: UA18-009 | |
| Repository: University of Georgia Archives | |
Collection Description
Historical Note
The University of Georgia Department of Theatre and Film Studies' roots reach back to 1893, when UGA students formed the Thalian Dramatic Club, one of the oldest college dramatic clubs in the country. In 1926, a second dramatic club, the Blackfriars, was formed at UGA, and there was an immediate rivalry between the two groups. In 1931, the two clubs merged under the leadership of journalism professor Edward C. Crouse to become the Thalian-Blackfriars, the official theatrical club of the University of Georgia with its own playhouse in Seney-Stovall Memorial Theatre. By 1932, the new "University Theatre" was offering its first season ticket campaign. In 1939, the Department of Dramatic Art was created with Professor Crouse as its first Department Head; the following year the named changed to the Department of Drama. The productions were mounted in Seney-Stovall Chapel until 1941, when the Fine Arts Building was completed with its 1600 seat theatre and small Cellar Theatre.
In 1951, the department incorporated Speech, becoming the Department of Speech and Theatre; the two fields split in 1969, creating the Department of Speech Communication and the Department of Drama and Theatre. In 1976, the department expanded to incorporate screen media, in particular cinema. A film studies minor was added in 1999, and a film studies major in 2006. In 1995, the department expanded its scope of inquiry further to incorporate the study and practice of digital media as a type of dramatic art, and the use of interactive media in live performance. In 2004, to reflect its expanded scope, the department's name was changed to Theatre and Film Studies.
Scope and Content
The collection consists primarily of promotional materials, press releases, posters, and playbills for University of Georgia theatrical productions from the 1950-2010s.