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Introductory Information
- UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television: A Rich History with Roots in Hollywood's Golden EraA timeline of what is now the School of TFT, starting with the College of Applied Arts in 1941.
- UCLA Theater DepartmentCurrent homepage of the Department of Theater, with information on undergraduate/graduate programs, upcoming performances, and more.
- Theater Season: UCLA Theater DepartmentInformation on current and past Theater Department productions.
- UCLA Center for Performance StudiesFounded in 2005 by Professor Emerita Sue-Ellen Case, CPS hosts significant research projects by faculty and students, organizes seminar series, and sponsors a biannual graduate conference organized by UCLA graduate students in the field of performance studies.
- UCLA Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA)CAP UCLA brings innovative performing artists live to multiple stages both on campus and downtown, including dance, music, theater, spoken word and multidisciplinary collaborations. CAP UCLA was previously known as UCLA Live until 2012.
- UCLA Student Organizations: TheaterA listing of current student theater clubs and ensembles on the UCLA campus.
Theater Department Materials in UCLA Library Special Collections
University Archives are housed in UCLA Library Special Collections. Below are selected finding aids for materials in Special Collections related to the history of the Theater Department. More information about accessing and using materials in Special Collections is available on their FAQ pages.
- UCLA University History in Library Special CollectionsUniversity Archives houses materials relating to the history and administration of UCLA dating from its founding in 1919 to the present.
- Guy Edward Hearn papers, 1926-1974Eddie Hearn (1913-1987) was a founding member of the UCLA Theater Arts Department, and was largely responsible for the UCLA Macgowan Hall production facilities. He retired from UCLA (1978) and began designing or consulting on theaters around the world and was responsible for the continental seating concept installed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles. The collection consists of working scripts, theater brochures and programs, set designs, theater building plans, and student assignments related to Hearn's career as a UCLA instructor and theater designer.
- James M. Klain School of Theater, Film & Television photographs 1931-1997Record Series 671 contains photographs taken and/or collected by James M. Klain on behalf of UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television.
- Macgowan (Kenneth) PapersKenneth Macgowan (1888-1963) was a drama critic for newspapers and magazines, a publicity director, producer and director with the Actor's Theater (1927-29), and the first department chair at the UCLA Theater Arts Department (1946-58). He was also interested in the anthropological field of archaeology. The collection consists of materials related to Macgowan's careers in theater, motion pictures, and academia as well as material related to his interest in anthropology.
- Ralph Freud Theatre, Motion Pictures and Television Interviews, 1961-1970Ralph Freud (1901-1973) was a stage actor in Detroit before becoming the director at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. In 8 years, he played over 200 roles and directed more than 40 productions. In 1938, he became a lecturer for theater courses in the English Department at UCLA and was active in the creation of a separate Theater Arts Department, where he became a full professor and emeritus professor. The collection consists of taped interviews with theater, motion picture, and television professionals, conducted by Ralph Freud, Victor Jory, and Professor Freud's students from UCLA's Theater Arts Department.
- Scene change, role change: oral history transcript / William W. Melnitz ; interviewed by Bernard Galm, [1976]Transcript of a four-hour interview completed under the auspices of the UCLA Oral History Program. Forms part of: Oral History collection, Dept. of Special Collections, University Library, University of California, Los Angeles. Melnitz recalls his upbringing in Germany, his early theater work there, teaching at UCLA, and his role as founding dean, College of Fine Arts.
- Theater Arts Department. Correspondence files of Kenneth Macgowan. 1949-1655Record Series 15 contains the correspondence of Kenneth Macgowan, of the UCLA Theater Arts Department. Kenneth Macgowan served as an instructor and the first department chair at the UCLA Theater Arts Department (1946-1958).
- UCLA University Archives Biographical Files Reference CollectionContains biographical information and photographs of faculty and staff affiliated with: the Los Angeles State Normal School (LASNS), 1881-1919; the University of California, Southern Branch, 1919-1926; the University of California, Los Angeles, 1927- . Materials include curriculum vitae, photographs, press releases, and newspaper clippings.
- UCLA University Archives Photographic Files Reference CollectionContains photographic prints, photographic negatives, and slides of buildings, events, and organizations affiliated with: the Los Angeles State Normal School (LASNS), 1881-1919; the University of California, Southern Branch, 1919-1926; and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 1927-current. For construction photos of UCLA's Westwood campus buildings see Record Series 640/Campus Planning Committee and Office of Architects and Engineers. Additional UCLA photographs are also located in Record Series 684/Library Photographic Services. For photographs of people affiliated with UCLA, see Biographical Files.
- UCLA University Archives Subject Files Reference CollectionContains information on academic programs, buildings, events, and organizations affiliated with: the Los Angeles State Normal School (LASNS), 1881-1919; the University of California, Southern Branch, 1919-1926; and the University of California, Los Angeles, 1927- . The contents of the Subject Files (Reference Collection) include: reports, statistical data, histories of academic departments, organization charts, pamphlets, and other miscellaneous items.
- University of California, Los Angeles. Department of Theater Arts records 1918-2002Record Series 16 contains the minutes of meetings, publications, and promotional materials for theatrical productions generated by the Theater Arts Department at the University of California, Los Angeles. Also included are 16 bound volumes of Greek plays directed by Evalyn Ann Thomas, a member of the Los Angeles State Normal School faculty in Reading and UCLA faculty in English.
- University of California, Los Angeles Department of Theater Arts collection of production material for theater performances, 1947-1993Collection consists of production material for theater performances staged by Univ. of CA, Los Angeles Theater Arts Dept. faculty and students. Includes photographs, list of cast and company members, playbills and promotional items, casting information, annotated scripts, set and costume designs, blocking diagrams, lighting schemes, and prop lists.
Additional Materials
- Interview of Jan Popper: Opera Potpourri (1979)UCLA professor of music and director of the UCLA Opera Theater. Founder of the UCLA Opera Workshop. Includes some discussion of the Theater Arts Department.
- Interview of Martha Deane: Dance Education at UCLA (1966)UCLA professor of physical education and director of the women's division of the Department of Physical Education. Deane was a member of the committee that established the Theater Arts Department at UCLA.
- Interview of Ralph Freud: A Career in Professional and University Theater (1969)UCLA professor of theater and director of the Pasadena Playhouse. Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
- Scene change, role change: oral history transcript / William W. Melnitz ; interviewed by Bernard Galm, [1976]Transcript of a four-hour interview completed under the auspices of the UCLA Oral History Program. Forms part of: Oral History collection, Dept. of Special Collections, University Library, University of California, Los Angeles. Melnitz recalls his upbringing in Germany, his early theater work there, teaching at UCLA, and his role as founding dean, College of Fine Arts.
Depending on the year of deposit, departmental dissertations and theses can be available in the print collection, and/or online via Proquest and the open access eScholarship repository. Records may also vary depending on changes in the name of the department/program/degree historically (e.g. "Theater Arts," "Theater," etc.).
- Catalog Search for "Dissertations, Academic UCLA Theater"Retrieves results for dissertations and M.A. theses from 1949-present.
- Catalog Search for "Dissertations, Academic UCLA Theater Arts"Retrieves results for dissertations and M.A. theses from 1949-1991 only.
- Catalog Search for "Dissertations, Academic UCLA Theater and Performance Studies"Retrieves results for dissertations and M.A. theses from 2008-present only.
- eScholarship: UCLA Theater and Performance Studies Theses and Dissertations (2012-present)Open access copies of dissertations deposited in the eScholarship platform, 2012-present.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new windowIndex to doctoral dissertations from 1637 to the present, with abstracts since 1980. A number of master's theses are also indexed, with abstracts since 1988. Many are available for download in pdf format. UCLA has access to all full text dissertations in the database. Non-UCLA users may use Dissertations Express to purchase digital or print copies of individual dissertations.
The UCLA campus has several different theatrical venues. Not all of these theaters are administered by the Theater Department, but they are spaces where both UCLA and visiting performance take place.
- Billy Wilder Theater (Hammer Museum)The Billy Wilder Theater, home of the UCLA Film & Television Archive's public programs, is among a handful of venues nationwide able to exhibit an entire century's worth of moving images in their original formats. While primarily used for moving image screenings, the Hammer Museum also hosts a number of speaking events and performances in the space.
- Freud PlayhouseLocated in Macgowan Hall on the UCLA campus, the Freud is a 562-seat proscenium theater, and the main hub for performances by the UCLA Department of Theater.
- The Geffen PlayhousePartnered with UCLA, the Geffen Playhouse (formed in 1995) offers a mix of classic and contemporary productions, and was originally envisioned by Gilbert Cates, ex-dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. The Geffen also maintains extensive education and community engagement programs.
- The Glorya Kaufman Dance TheaterA 299-seat dance and performance theater located in Kaufman Hall on the UCLA campus. Built in 1932, it was renovated in 2005 and hosts a number of dance performances during the year.
- James Bridges TheaterLocated in 1409 Melnitz Hall on the UCLA campus, the 278-seat theater was completely renovated in 2003 with a state of the art sound system and is one of the few theaters in the U.S. that can accommodate both nitrate and safety film stock in 16mm, 35mm and 70mm, as well as a variety of video formats, including the latest in 4K digital projection.
- Little TheaterThe Little Theater is located in Macgowan Hall and has a procenium stage. It can accomodate drama, music and dance, speaker presentations, panel discussions and ceremonies, and seats up to 200.
- Royce Hall (Center for the Art of Performance)Built in 1929, Royce Hall is an historical space with 1800 seats that has hosted many visiting performing arts productions, including programming from UCLA Live and its successor CAP UCLA.
- UCLA Nimoy Theater (Center for the Art of Performance)Located near the UCLA campus on Westwood Boulevard, the UCLA Nimoy Theater is a reimagining of the historic Crest Theatre with a focus on live performance from Los Angeles and around the world.
- California and Los Angeles News SourcesUCLA Library guide to selected papers in CA, including databases and microfilm.
- Daily Bruin ArchiveUCLA Daily Bruin is the student newspaper at UCLA, published by and for UCLA students. Historical issues of the paper have been digitized from microfilm and are freely available on the Internet Archive. This guide links to the reels by date.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times This link opens in a new window
Full page and article images with searchable full text from the first issue in 1881 to 1995. For full text access to current issues, see Los Angeles Times [1985-present].
- UCLA MagazineArticles from the UCLA Newsroom, including arts and culture coverage, spotlights on faculty research, and more.
Selected Books by Current UCLA Theater Faculty
The Chinese Atlantic: Seascapes and the Theatricality of Globalization by ISBN: 9780253047366Date: 2020-05-05Moving across film, painting, performance, and installation art, Metzger traces flows of money, culture, and aesthetics to reveal the ways in which routes of commerce stretching back to the Dutch Golden Age have molded and continue to influence the social reproduction of Chineseness.
Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design by ISBN: 9780060816506Date: 2007In Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design, Academy Award-nominated costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis showcases one hundred years of Hollywood's most tantalizing costumes and the characters they helped bring to life. Drawing on years of extraordinary research, Landis has uncovered both a treasure trove of costume sketches and photographs - many of them previously unpublished - and a dazzling array of first-person anecdotes that inform and enhance the images.
Theatricality of the Closet: Fashion, Performance, and Subjectivity between Victorian Britain and Meiji Japan by ISBN: 9780810145900Date: 2023-09-15Examines fashion and clothing controversies of the nineteenth century, drawing on performance theory to reveal how the apparently superficial or frivolous deeply affects the creation of identity. By interrogating a set of seemingly disparate examples from the same period but widely distant settings--Victorian Britain and Meiji-era Japan--Carriger disentangles how small, local, ordinary practices became enmeshed in a global fabric of cultural and material surfaces following the opening of trade between these nations in 1850.
Trainers: Or, the Brutal Unpleasant Atmosphere of this Most Disagreeable Season: A Theatrical Essay by ISBN: 9781786828576Date: 2020-02-27Based on Montaigne's intellectual love affair with political thinker Étienne de La Boétie, Sylvan Oswald's play Trainers is a visionary story exploring the different ways we can connect as lovers, activists, and humans.
Millennial North Korea: Forbidden Media and Living Creatively with Surveillance by ISBN: 9781503614918Date: 2024-10-15North Korea may be known as the world's most secluded society, but it too has witnessed the rapid rise of new media technologies in the new millennium, including the introduction of a 3G cell phone network in 2008. In 2009, there were only 70,000 cell phones in North Korea. That number has grown tremendously in just over a decade, with over 7 million registered as of 2022. This expansion took place amid extreme economic hardship and the ensuing possibilities of destabilization. Against this social and political backdrop, Millennial North Korea traces how the rapidly expanding media networks in North Korea impact their millennial generation, especially their perspective on the outside world.
