urn:taro:utexas.hrc.00276 Terrence McNally: A Preliminary 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. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin McNally, Terrence, 1939- The papers, which document McNally's career as a dramatist, include all of his major works for stage, screen, and television, as well as correspondence, posters, production photographs, programs, and reviews. Articles by and about McNally, awards, and photographs are present in the papers. His public appearances, which include benefit performances, conferences, lectures, speeches, tributes, and memorials, are also represented. Terrence McNally Papers 1950s-2002 60 boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 2 oversize folders (26.8 linear feet) Acquisition:

Gifts, 1999-2003 (Gift no. 11458, 11513, 11686, 11870, 12188)

 Access:

Open for research

 Processed by:

Liz Murray, Emily Barker, Sean Castilla, 2003

 Scope and Contents

This collection of Terrence McNally's papers includes all his major works for stage, screen, and television, as well as unproduced works, correspondence, and career-related material. McNally's achievements include numerous plays, operas, and musicals such as Corpus Christi; Dead Man Walking; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; The Full Monty; Kiss of the Spider Woman; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; The Lisbon Traviata; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Master Class; A Perfect Ganesh; Ragtime; The Rink; The Ritz; and The Visit. His collaborations with John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Jake Heggie, as well as his long-time association with the Manhattan Theatre Club, have been particularly productive and rewarding. Early in his career he was the recipient of two Guggenheim fellowships, followed by numerous awards, including four Tony Awards, an Emmy Award for Andre's Mother, and Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards, among others. McNally's generous gift of his papers to the Ransom Center incorporates material previously held at the Wisconsin Historical Society. In all, the collection dates from McNally's high school years through the present.

The collection is organized in three series: I. Works; II. Career-Related and Personal; and III. Works of Others.

The works in Series I are arranged alphabetically by title. Unless described otherwise, the works are stage plays. Within titles, scripts are presented in order of creation, followed by correspondence, posters, production photographs, programs, and reviews. Translations and international productions are grouped separately, under each title.

The Career-Related and Personal material in Series II includes articles by and about McNally, awards, correspondence, interviews, papers and notes from high school and college years, and photographs, including an early series by Richard Avendon. Correspondence is arranged chronologically from 1955-2002. McNally's many public appearances, including benefit performances, conferences, lectures, speeches, tributes, and memorials, are also well-represented. His love of the opera is reflected in the opera-related projects and writings including his long-standing participation in the Metropolitan Opera Radio Network's Opera News on the Air, as well as articles written on the subject.

Series III contains articles and programs collected by McNally but not directly related to his work, as well as writings by Tom Bywaters, Steven Lyons, and Royce Ryton.

Numerous books, serials, audio tapes, videos, compact discs, and memorabilia received with the papers have been transferred to appropriate departments within the Ransom Center.

 Terrence McNally Papers--Folder List I. Works 1 1 All Together Now, script drafts with notes, n.d. And Things That Go Bump in the Night Early versions, variant titles 1 2 Mmm! 1 3 There Is Something Out There 1 4-7 Scripts 1 8 Broadway production script, annotated 2 1 Minneapolis production, 1964, reviews and associated material 2 2 Broadway, Royale Theatre production, 1965, opening night telegrams and correspondence 2 3 Articles about Andre's Mother, teleplay, American Playhouse, 1989 2 4 Script, first draft, Jan. 22, 1989 2 5 Correspondence and reviews 2 6 Apple Pie (three one-act plays for television: Tour, Next, and Botticelli), 1968, correspondence, production photographs, and reviews Bad Habits 2 7-10 Scripts, Dunelawn and Ravenswood 2 11 Rewrite during Manhattan Theatre Club rehearsals, March 1990 2 12 Production photographs, Booth Theater, 1974 3 1 Programs, reviews, and related material 3 2 Television treatments 3 3 Ravenswood, teleplay, first draft, 1979 3 4-5 Banana Peels, screenplay, drafts, 1990 3 6 Better and Worse, television pilot Bingo!, musical 3 7 Scene outline, lyrics, Blanco! script, holograph notes 3 8-9 Scripts, 1987 4 1 Scripts, cont'd 4 2 Boo!, film outline 4 3-4 Botticelli, teleplay script and play reviews, 1969 Broadway, Broadway (originally Bye Bye Broadway) 4 5-9 Scripts 5 1-3 Scripts, cont'd 5 4 Programs and reviews, 1978 By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea (Dusk) 5 5-8 Scripts, 1995-96 5 9 Reviews and programs, Bay Street Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club, 1995-96 Central Park (The Food of Love), opera with Robert Beaser 6 1 Script and score, 1999 6 2-3 Programs and reviews 6 4 Unused libretto for composer Aaron Jay Kernis, 1998 Common Ground ( Mr. Roberts), teleplay Scripts 6 5 First draft, Jan. 1999 6 6 Edited pages, April 1999 6 7 Third draft, May 1999 6 8 Advertising with cast list, SHOWTIME premiere, Jan. 2000 Corpus Christi Scripts 6 9 First draft, Labor Day, 1997 6 10 Original, Sept. 1997 7 1 First revision 7 2 Undated, uncorrected draft 7 3 North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA), draft, Dec. 1997 7 4 Rehearsal script, mid-way, McNally's copy 7 5 Manhattan Theatre Club, spring 1998 draft 7 6 Grove Press proofs, 1998 7 7 German published edition, 1999 7 8 Correspondence, 1998 7 9 Reviews and general articles, various performances [oversize removed to Box 61] 7 10 Bailiwick Arts Center, Chicago, 2001 Manhattan Theatre Club, 1998 7 11 Production photographs 8 1 Programs 8 2-3 Reviews 8 4 New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco, 2000 8 5-6 International productions Cuba Si 8 7 Script 8 8 Reviews, 1968 8 9 Screenplay Dead Man Walking, opera San Francisco Opera 8 10 Vocal/piano score, n.d. 9 1 Vocal/piano score, Nov. 1999 9 2 Script, revised 3/13/00 9 3 Photographs, McNally at reception; with Jake Hegge and Sister Helen Prejean 9 4-7 Programs and reviews 10 1 Reviews and articles 10 2 Programs and reviews, various performances 10 3 New York City Opera, 2002 10 4 International productions 10 5 The Education of Young Harry Bellair, Esq. or The Way of the World, pilot script, 1983-84 [also includes Teacher's Break, pilot script, copy, revised 8/2/84] 10 6-7 Faith, Hope & Charity, Hope scripts, programs, and reviews, 1988 10 8 The Five Forty Eight, teleplay based on the story by John Cheever, script, revised July 1979 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune 11 1-3 First drafts, Nov.-Dec. 1986 11 4-7 Second drafts, Feb.-May 1987 11 8-9 Production drafts, 1987 Translations 11 10 Danish, 1988 12 1 French, 1991 12 2 Italian 12 3 Japanese 12 4 Romanian, 1997 12 5 Spanish 12 6 Correspondence Posters [removed to oversize folder] 12 7-8 Programs and reviews, various performances 13 1 Belasco Theater, New York, 2002 13 2 Boston Post Road Stage Company, 1990 13 3-6 Manhattan Theater Club/Westside Arts Theater (Bates/Welsh), 1987-89 13 7 Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1988 13 8 Syracuse Stage, 1988 14 1 Westside Arts Theater, New York (Weitz/Kane), 1988 14 2 International productions 14 3 Comedy Theatre, London, 1989 14 4 Ittre, Belgium, 1990 Screenplay 14 5 Rough treatment, May 1989 14 6 First draft, March 1990 14 7-8 Revision, June-July 1990 15 1-2 Revised first drafts, Sept. 1990-Feb. 1991 15 3 Pacino rewrites, Oct. 1990 15 4 Shooting script, Jan. 1991 15 5 Rewrites, Feb.-March 1991 15 6 Casting 15 7 Shooting schedule 15 8 Draft press kit 15 9-10 Publicity, correspondence, and reviews The Full Monty, musical Scripts 16 1-2 First drafts, with correspondence 16 3-4 New York City Workshop draft and final, Feb. 2000 16 5 San Diego rehearsal script, April 2000 16 6-7 Revisions, post opening night, June 2000 16 8 Rewrites 17 1-2 Articles and reviews, 2001-02 17 3 Programs, various performances 17 4 International programs and reviews 17 5-6 Goin' to the Chapel, screenplay, 1986 Here's Where I Belong, musical based on Steinbeck's East of Eden 17 7 Script 18 1-2 Programs, reviews, and sheet music, 1968 18 3 Honkytonk, musical film, story outline and songs 18 4 House, written with Jon Robin Baitz, play reviews 18 5 Iris and Luigi Meet the Wolfman, screenplay, revised first draft, 1980 It's Only a Play (originally Broadway, Broadway) 18 6 Script 18 7 Programs and reviews 18 8 Manhattan Theatre Club, 1986 18 9 UCLA Doolittle Theatre, 1992 18 10 Ken, short story Kiss of the Spider Woman, musical 19 1-6 First draft and revisions, 1988-89 19 7-9 Rehearsal version, SUNY Purchase, 1990 20 1-8 Scripts and rewrites, 1990-1993 20 9 Proofs, Samuel French edition, 1996 20 10 Correspondence, 1990-95 Poster, Broadhurst Theatre, signed by cast [removed to oversize folder] 21 1 Programs and reviews, various performances 21 2 Broadhurst Theatre, New York, 1992 21 3 SUNY Purchase, 1990 21 4 International productions 21 5 London, 1992 21 6 Toronto, 1992 21 7 The Lady of the Camellias, adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, program and reviews 21 8 Last Gasps, teleplay, script, 1969 21 9-10 The Last Mile, teleplay, scripts, notes, working papers, and reviews, 1992 21 11 Let it Bleed, scripts and program Lips Together, Teeth Apart 22 1-6 Scripts, various drafts, 1991 22 7 Published version, setting copy, NAL/Dutton, 1992 Translations 23 1 French 23 2 German, 1992 23 3 Italian, 1993 23 4 Correspondence, 1991-93 Posters [removed to oversize folder] 23 5-6 Programs and reviews, various performances [oversize removed to Box 61] 23 7 Alley Theatre, 1993 24 1-2 Manhattan Theatre Club, 1991 24 3 Market Theatre, Albany, New York, 1992 24 4 Theatre in the Square, Marietta, Georgia, 1993 24 5 International productions The Lisbon Traviata 24 6 Notes and script fragments Scripts 24 7 Undated early version 24 8 Original typescript 24 9-11 Revision, May-June 1985 25 1-2 Revision, May-June 1985, cont'd Manhattan Theatre Club 25 3 Rehearsal draft, spring 1989 25 4-7 Revisions: 4/24, 5/17 and 6/2/89 26 1-2 Revisions, cont'd: 6/15 and 6/30/89 26 3-6 Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 9/4-11/8/90 26 7 Published "final" version Translations 27 1 French 27 2 German 27 3 Italian 27 4 Swedish 27 5 Programs and reviews, various performances 27 6 Bailiwick Repertory, Chicago, 1991 27 7-8 Manhattan Theatre Club, 1989 28 1 Manhattan Theatre Club, cont'd 28 2 Marines Memorial Theater, San Francisco, 1990 28 3 Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1990 28 4 Theatre Off Park, New York, 1985 28 5-8 International productions Love! Valour! Compassion! 28 9 Research and notes 28 10 Preliminary draft Scripts 28 11 First draft, Dec. 1993 29 1-6 Revisions, March-Aug. 1994 30 1-2 Revisions, Sept.-Oct. 1994 30 3 Pre-Broadway production 30 4 Translations, French and Spanish 30 5 First night correspondence, Manhattan Theatre Club 31 1-2 Reviews and programs, various performances 31 3-6 Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, 1995 32 1-2 International productions 32 3-5 Film version, reviews 33 1-3 Mama Malone, scripts for television pilot, 1982 A Man of No Importance, musical 33 4-8 Scripts, June 2000-Aug. 2002 33 9 Programs, Lincoln Center Theater at the Newhouse, 2002 34 1 Man to Man, preliminary script, 1984 Master Class 34 2-4 Scripts, 1995 Translations, 1996 34 5-7 French 34 8 Italian 34 9 Japanese 35 1 Correspondence, 1995-96 Posters [removed to oversize folder] 35 2 Production photographs, various performances 35 3-5 Programs and reviews [oversize removed to Box 61] 35 6 Golden Theatre, New York, 1995 36 1 Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1995 36 2 Plays and Players Theatre, Philadelphia, 1996 36 3-4 Stage Theatre, Denver, 1999 36 5-7 International productions, various 37 1 International productions, cont'd 37 2 Australia 37 3 Canada 37 4 France 37 5 Germany 37 6 Italy 37 7 Book version, publicity 37 8 Screenplay by Leonard Foglia, fourth draft, 1998 38 1 McNally's Talleys, script for Circle Repertory Company benefit 38 2 Musicals, untitled, with Skip Kennon [?], drafts of scripts 38 3 Native Tomatoes/Local Peaches, television comedy pilot, 1988 Next 38 4 Scripts 38 5-6 Programs and reviews, various performances 38 7 Berkshire Theatre Festival, with production photographs, 1968 38 8 Television pilot, final draft, 1976 Noon 38 9 Scripts 38 10 Programs and reviews for Morning, Noon, and Night, 1968-69 38 11-12 Screenplay, first draft 1970, including early treatment Juicy, n.d. 39 1 Pal Joey, musical concert adaptation, programs and reviews, 1995-98 39 2-3 Paying Up, script collaboration, 1993 A Perfect Ganesh 39 4-8 Scripts, 1992-93 40 1 Fragments 40 2 Spanish translation 40 3 Correspondence, 1993-98 40 4-5 Programs and reviews 40 6 International productions 40 7 Screenplay, first draft, 1996 40 8 Plaisir d'Amour, scripts and program for benefit 40 9 The Play of Malcome, script based on James Purdy's novel, 1964 41 1-2 Positively 10th Street, television pilot drafts, 1978-79 41 3 Prelude and Liebestod, notes, programs, reviews, 1987-89 41 4 Prelude, Fugues, & Rifts, script, programs, and reviews, 1991 41 5-8 Puccini, screenplay drafts, 1986-97 Ragtime, musical Scripts 41 9 1994 42 1-4 1995 42 5-7 1996 43 1-3 1997-98 43 4 Correspondence, 1996-98 43 5 Production photographs 43 6 Programs and reviews, various performances [oversize removed to Box 61] 43 7-8 Ford Center for the Performing Arts, New York, 1996-98 44 1-2 Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles, 1997 44 3 Livent promotional materials The Rink, musical 44 4-8 Scripts and rewrites, 1983-95 44 9 Correspondence, 1983-84 45 1 Programs and reviews, various performances, 1988-96 45 2 Martin Beck Theatre, New York, 1984 45 3 International productions 45 4 Cambridge Theatre, London, 1988 The Ritz (originally The Tubs) 45 5-7 Scripts for The Tubs, n.d. 46 1-6 Scripts, cont'd, 1974 47 1-2 Scripts, cont'd 47 3 Programs, reviews, and production photographs for The Tubs, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1974 47 4-7 Scripts and revisions for The Ritz, 1974-75 48 1 Programs and reviews, various performances, 1974-97 48 2 Screenplay, second draft, 1976 48 3 Film reviews 48 4 The Roller Coaster, script, 1960 48 5 Sam Found Out or the Queen of Mabababwe, teleplay written with Wendy Wasserstein, scripts and reviews, 1988 48 6 Sand between the Sheets, teleplay, first draft, 1991 48 7 Sex and Love, programs and reviews, Caracas, 2000; poster removed to oversize file folder 48 8 Some Christmas Letters, text and programs, 1999 benefit concert 48 9 Some Easter, play for Circle Repertory 1987 gala, script and programs Sweet Eros and Witness 48 10-13 Scripts 48 14 Production photographs 49 1 Reviews, 1968-69 49 2 Screenplay, first draft 49 3 Television script ideas 49 4 Terrence McNally: Five Short Plays, program and reviews, 1996 49 5 This Side of the Door, script, 1963 49 6 Time Framed (2:00 PM), script for The First Annual Playwrights Support Fund Benefit, May 9, 1983 49 7 Tour in " Collision Course," scripts and reviews, 1968 49 8 Trying Times II: L/S/M/F/T, teleplay scripts, 1989 49 9-10 XXIII Skidoo, scripts, 1983 49 11 Two-Thousand Sixty-Eight, play for Circle Repertory Company's 20th anniversary benefit, 1988, script and program 49 12 Untitled corrected playscript; notes for plays Up in Saratoga 49 13-14 Scripts, 1988 50 1-2 Scripts, cont'd, 1988-892 50 3 Programs and reviews, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, 1989 50 4-5 Urban Blight, scripts, programs and reviews, 1988 The Visit, musical 50 6-9 Scripts, 1999, with Frank Galati's notes and editing 51 1-3 Scripts, cont'd, 2000 51 4 Correspondence, Angela Lansbury and Frank Galati 51 5 Programs and reviews Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone? 51 6-9 Scripts, 1969-70 52 1-3 Scripts, cont'd 52 4 Programs and reviews, 1971 52 5 Yale Repertory Theatre 52 6 New York, various venues Whiskey 52 7 Scripts 52 8 Production photographs 52 9 Programs and reviews, 1973 52 10 The Wibbly, Wobbly, Wiggly Dance that Cleopatra Did, scripts and program, 1993 52 11 Women's Rites, script, 1967 52 12 You and Hugh ( Hugh and Son), libretto and program, 1994 Collected plays, publicity and reviews 53 1 Collected Plays: Volume II, 1996 53 2 15 Short Plays, 1994 53 3-4 Three Plays, with setting copy, 1990 53 5 Reviews, various titles II. Career-Related and Personal 53 6-8 Articles about McNally 54 1 Articles by McNally Awards By play title 54 2 A-L 54 3 M-V By year, playwright 54 4 1985-93 54 5 1994-96 54 6-7 1998 54 8 1999-2001 Tony Awards 55 1 1993, Kiss of the Spider Woman 55 1 1995, Love! Valour! Compassion! 55 2 1996, Master Class 55 3 1998, Ragtime 55 4 2001, The Full Monty (nominated) 55 5-6 Benefits, 1987-2002 55 7 Career-related writings, primarily for publications 55 8-9 Letters from a Playwright, New York Guide, May-Aug. 1979 56 1 Conferences and festivals, 1988-98 56 2 OPERA America's 24th annual conference, 1994, including McNally's keynote address 56 3 William Inge Festival, 1994 Correspondence 56 4 1955-68 56 5 1989-92 56 6 1993-97 56 7 1998 56 8 1999-2002 56 9 Undated 57 1 Daybooks, blank 57 2 The Dramatists Guild, 1985 57 3 Guggenheim Fellowships, 1966 and 1969 57 4-7 High school and college papers and writings 58 1 College plays, programs, 1959-1960s 58 2-3 Interviews 58 4 Lectures and speeches 58 5 Address to members of the League of American Theaters and Producers, Toronto, 1991 58 6 Juilliard commencement, May 22, 1998 58 7 The Faces of Love: An Evening of Songs by Jake Heggie, narrated by McNally, Lincoln Center, May 2000 58 8 Opera-related projects and writings 58 9-12 Texaco-Metropolitan Opera Radio Network, Opera News on the Air, 1981-92 59 1 1995-2000 59 2 Articles on opera in Horizon, 1985 59 3 Wozzeck, for the Metropolitan Opera Guild's Great Opera cassette series, 1989 59 4-5 Photographs, including Richard Avendon photos of McNally [oversize removed to Box 62] 59 6 McNally with President Bill Clinton at the White House, 1998 59 7-9 Tributes and memorials, including Jimmy Coco, Fred Ebb, Ruth Goodman Goetz, John Kander, Jimmy Kirkwood, Angela Lansbury, Patricia Brooks Mann, Leonard Melfi, and Chita Rivera III. Works of Others 60 1 Articles and clippings about others [oversize removed to Box 61] 60 2-3 Bywaters, Tom. Summer of 1991 and Summer of 1993 60 4 Lyons, Steven. Cockroach Infestation 60 5-6 Programs, various non-McNally performances 60 7-9 Ryton, Royce. The Unvarnished Truth 61-62 Oversize