Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1298

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (1 box)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Adelaide B. Snyder director's copy of The Beautiful People by William Saroyan, after 1941, Ms. Coll. 1298, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

after 1941 (inclusive)

Creator:

Snyder, Adelaide B.

Form:

Plays (performing arts compositions), Scripts, Stage directions, and Notes

Abstract:

Adelaide B. Snyder (1881-1962) was a director and producer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who worked most notably at the Little Theatre of Philadelphia, now known as the Plays and Players Theatre. This collection contains her director's copy of The Beautiful People, a play written by William Saroyan and published in 1941. This copy is heavily annotated and includes extensive stage directions and other director's notes.

Adelaide B. Snyder was born on November 18, 1881 and died on July 2, 1962. She was a director and producer in Philadelphia, PA. Few specifics are known of her career, but there is evidence that she worked for the Little Theatre of Philadelphia (founded in 1911), now known as the Plays and Players Theatre. In the spring of 1950, she produced The Little Theatre of Philadelphia's production of Macbeth. Snyder was married to Fred N. Snyder, with whom she had a child, Rudolph N. Snyder.

The Beautiful People was a play written in 1941 by renowned American novelist, playwright, and short story author, William Saroyan. Saroyan was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 and won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film adaptation of his novel The Human Comedy. He was born August 31, 1908 in California to Armenian immigrants and is known for drawing heavily from his own life and experiences for his works. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1979 and passed away on May 18, 1981.

This collection includes Adelaide B. Snyder's director's copy of The Beautiful People, written in 1941 by William Saroyan. The printed script had been cut out and pasted on ruled paper to go into a binder. There are sections cut out of the ruled paper that allow the director to see both sides of the page after pasting it. This copy is heavily annotated and includes extensive stage directions and details about the logistical aspects of the production that correspond to specific moments in the play. Additionally, the printed characters list at the beginning of the copy is accompanied by handwritten names, presumably the actors who filled the roles.