urn:taro:utexas.hrc.00230 James Roose-Evans: An Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Text converted by SPI Content Sciences Inc., July 2003. Finding aid written in English. James Roose-Evans Papers ca. 1961-1977 1 box (.42 linear feet) TXRC99-A12 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin Roose-Evans, James, 1927- The collection documents Roose-Evans' work as founder and director of the Hampstead Theatre and the Stage Two theater workshop. The bulk of the papers consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence with author Laurie Lee, and others in the theater field. In addition to the correspondence, there are funding and proposal letters, a written plan for the formation of the Stage Two Theater Workshop, letters of recommendation and a substantial amount of notes and scripts. Acquisition:

Purchases, 1973, 1977

 Access:

Open for research

 Processed by:

Dale Sauter, 1999

 Biographical Sketch

James Roose-Evans, theater director and author, was born in London on November 11, 1927. He completed his education at Oxford University in 1957. Roose-Evans began his career as an actor, but by 1954 had started directing. He founded the Hampstead Theatre Club in 1959, and served as artistic director until 1971. In 1969, while at the Hampstead, Roose-Evans also founded and became director of Stage Two, an experimental theater workshop and research center.

Roose-Evans also lectured at, and conducted various theater workshops in the United States throughout his career. In addition, he has directed numerous West End productions, including Under Milk Wood, Cider with Rosie, Private Lives, The Happy Apple, An Ideal Husband, Spitting Image, 84 Charing Cross Road, The Seven Year Itch, The Best of Friends, and Mate, a Personal Affair. Roose-Evans has also authored books on theater, as well as a series of children's books in the 1970s. He is a member of the Royal Society of Arts, the Welsh Arts Council, Southeast Wales Art Association, and the Welsh Dance Theatre.

 Sources:

Contemporary Authors. New Revision Series, Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1983.

Who's Who in the Theater. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1981.

 Index Terms People Cecil, David, Lord, 1902 Crinkley, Richmond Hobson, Harold, 1924 Kulukundis, Eddie Lee, Laurie Muggeridge, Malcolm, 1903- Rawlings, Margaret, 1906- Saunders, James, 1925 Snow, C.P. (Charles Percy), 1905- Williams, Kenneth, 1926- Wilson, Sandy, 1924 Wolfit, Donald, Sir, 1902-1968 Subjects English theater, 20th century Lee, Laurie. Cider with Rosie The Hampstead Theatre Scope and Contents

The papers of James Roose-Evans, ca. 1961-1977, document his work as founder and director of the Hampstead Theatre and the Stage Two theater workshop. The bulk of the papers consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence with author Laurie Lee, and others in the theater field. There is also a substantial amount of notes and scripts pertaining to Roose-Evans' adaptation of Lee's Cider with Rosie. The papers are divided into two series: I. Hampstead Theatre, Stage Two Theater Workshop, ca. 1961-1977, n.d. (9 folders), and II. Cider with Rosie Materials, ca. 1962-1969, n.d. (4 folders).

The Hampstead Theatre, Stage Two Theater Workshop series is grouped together alphabetically by last name of the correspondent. The majority of this correspondence relates to Roose-Evans' promotion of, and requested funding for, the Stage Two theater workshop. This correspondence was arranged and kept by Roose-Evans in groupings that reflect the topic and relationship of the communication, and is enhanced by handwritten notes from him. In addition to the correspondence, there are funding and proposal letters, a written plan for the formation of the Stage Two Theater Workshop, and letters of recommendation for one of Roose-Evans' U. S. lecture series. Prominent correspondents include: Lord David Cecil, Richmond Crinkley, Harold Hobson, Eddie Kulukundis, Laurie Lee, Malcolm Muggeridge, Margaret Rawlings, James Saunders, C. P. Snow, Kenneth Williams, Sandy Wilson, Sir Donald Wolfit, and others. All correspondents in the collection are indexed.

Series II contains only materials relating to Roose-Evans' adaptation of Cider with Rosie for the stage. Highlighting these materials are correspondence between Lee and Roose-Evans about the adaptation, the original lighting plot by Roose-Evans (with illustrations) on the production, as well as portions of a prompt copy. Also included is a program of the production from 1963, and an undated publicity photograph.

 Folder List I. Hampstead Theatre / Stage Two Theatre Workshop, 1961-1977, n.d. Correspondence 1 1 A-C 1 2 F-H 1 3 K-N 1 4 P-R 1 5 S-T 1 6 V-W, Y 1 7 Funding proposal and letters, 1970, n.d. 1 8 Letters of recommendation for Roose-Evans, 1968, n.d. 1 9 Plan for formation of experimental theater company, typescript copies, 1968 II. Cider with Rosie Materials, 1962-1969, n.d. 1 10 Correspondence and manuscript poem from Laurie Lee, 1962-1969, n.d. 1 11 Notebooks with lighting plot, n.d. 1 12 Program and publicity photograph, 1963, n.d. 1 13 Prompt copy, typescript with corrections, n.d. Index of Correspondents

Names in bold appear in the RLIN record.

Abrahams, Doris Cole (Albion Plays Limited; Albion ProductionsLimited)--1.1 Ashcroft, Peggy, Dame--1.1 Asher, Jane--1.3(filed with Paul McCartney) Barrault, Jean Louis (Théâtre des Nations)--1.1 Bates, Alan, 1934- --1.1 Beaumont, Hugh, 1908-1976 (H. M. Tennent Ltd.)--1.1 Beaumont, Timothy Wentworth--1.1 Bennett, Alan, 1934- --1.1 Betjeman, John, Sir, 1906- --1.1 Bloom, Claire, 1931- --1.1 Bowen, John, 1924- --1.1 Bron, Eleanor--1.1 Brook, Peter (Centrel International de Recherche Theatrale)--1.1 Campbell, Michael, 1924---1.1 Carrick, Edward, 1905- (pseud. of Edward Anthony Craig)--1.1 Casson, Dame Sybil--1.1; see also Thorndike, Sybil, Dame, 1882-1976 Cecil, David, Lord, 1902- --1.1 Coldstream, William, 1908- --1.1 Coward, Noel, 1899-1973--1.1, 1.8 Craig, Edward Anthony--see Carrick, Edward Crinkley, Richmond--1.1 Forsyth, James, 1913- --1.2 Fox, Edward, 1937- --1.2 Garland, Patrick (The British Broadcasting Company; Poetry Int. 70)--1.2 Gascoigne, Bamber--1.2 Gielgud, John, Sir, 1904- --1.2, 1.8 Guinness, Alec, Sir, 1914- --1.2 Guthrie, Tyrone, Sir, 1900-1971--1.2 Hale, John--1.6 (filed with SandyWilson) Harbottle, Laurence--1.3 (filed with Eddie Kulukundis) Hartnoll, Phyllis (The Oxford Companion to the Theatre)--1.2 Hepworth, Barbara, Dame, 1903-1975--1.2 Hicks, David (fl. 1969)--1.2 Higham, David--1.2 Hobson, Harold, 1924- --1.2 Howard, Robin (Contemporary Ballet Trust Ltd.)--1.2 Howarth, Donald--1.2 Kramer, Larry--1.3 Kulukundis, Eddie--1.3 Lee, Laurie--1.3 Lockwood, Margaret--1.3 Maguire, Robert S.--1.3 Marcus, Frank--1.3 McCartney, Paul--1.3 Miles, Sarah, 1941- --1.3 Miller, Jonathon, 1934---1.3 Milligan, Air Commodore--1.4 (filed with Sir Max Rayne) Moro, Peter (Peter Moro & Partners)--1.3 Muggeridge, Malcolm, 1903- --1.3 Muir, Willa, 1890- --1.3 Nikolais, Alwin (A.N. DanceTheatre)--1.3 Pilbrow, Richard (Theatre Projects Ltd.)--1.4 Pinter, Harold, 1930- --1.4 Profumo, Valerie (Mrs.John)--1.4 Pulman, Jack--1.4 Rawlings, Margaret, 1906---1.4 Rayne, Max, Sir--1.4 Redgrave, Michael, Sir--1.8 Redgrave, Vanessa, 1937- --1.4 Rice, Peter, 1935---1.4 Richards, Alun, 1929- --1.4 Robson, Flora, Dame, 1902---1.4 Ross, Kenneth, 1941- --1.4 Saunders, James, 1925- --1.5 Scales, Prunella--1.5 Shulman, Milton, 1913---1.6 (filed with B.A. (Bertram A.) Young) Snow, C. P. (CharlesPercy), 1905- --1.5 Spencer, Colin--1.5 Spender, Stephen, 1909- --1.5 St. Just, Maria--1.6 (filed with GoreVidal) Thomas, Myfanwy--1.5 Thomas, R. S. (Ronald Stewart), 1913- --1.5 Thorndike, Sybil, Dame, 1882-1976--1.8; see also Casson, Dame Sybil Travers, Ben, 1886- --1.5 Vidal, Gore, 1925---1.6 Wesker, Arnold, 1932- --1.6 Wheldon, Huw P., 1916- (BBC Television Centre London)--1.6 Whitaker, Ben, 1934---1.6 Williams, Kenneth, 1926- --1.6 Wilson, Sandy, 1924- --1.6 Wolfit, Donald, Sir, 1902-1968--1.6 Young, B. A. (Bertram A.)--1.6