Purchase, 2009.
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MSS 591, Richard Hoffman collection of American and British theater and film scripts, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Processed and encoded by Christiana Dobrzynski, February 2009.
Richard Lee Hoffman, the Brooklyn-based theater collector and bookdealer, built a number of literary collections around American and British playwrights over a period of many years.
Hoffman has said that he entered the United States Army in the 1950s as an actor and left as a writer. His military experience led to an assignment to create a television program titled “Your Army in View,” which consisted of interviews and live drama. After his discharge from the service in 1955, Hoffman taught in the drama department of The City University of New York. During this period he was awarded a Eugene O'Neill fellowship for playwriting. He also seriously began to collect rare books and first editions of contemporary American dramatists, notably the playwrights Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, and Neil Simon. Richard Hoffman’s interest in collecting first editions led to his career as an antiquarian bookdealer.
The Richard Hoffman collection of American and British theater and film scripts spans the dates 1956–2003 and comprises four linear feet of play scripts and screenplays, mostly Broadway and Off-Broadway plays. Assembled by the writer and Brooklyn-based bookdealer Richard Hoffman, the collection also includes a few accompanying photographs, playbills, and theater programs. Hoffman assembled a broad representation of seventy-seven American and British plays, including multiple scripts by playwrights and screenwriters James L. Brooks, Frank D. Gilroy, Tom Jones, Lyle Kessler, and Hugh Leonard. Most items are the working script copies of cast and crew members and thus the cover wrappers and inside pages show normal wear from use. Many scripts bear the annotations, revisions, stage directions, and notes made by cast and crew members. Occasionally, a script includes accompanying playbills or photographs related to the film or play.
Several of the scripts are filming continuities (F4, F25, F38, F41, F50, F53, F62, F70). The collection also includes a teleplay (F16), a storyboard with film treatment (F28), and a press kit for
Arranged alphabetically by playwright or script writer with sub-order by title of script.
MSS 485 Richard Hoffman Neil Simon collection
MSS 484 Richard Hoffman Arthur Miller collection
Worn typescript copy with annotations and revisions of the play in two acts by British playwright Paul Ableman. Title page includes handwritten pencil annotation, "1972 One-Hundred Forty-Seven performances / James Woods / used copy with changes."
Two copies of typescript of semi-autobiographical two-act play by American playwright/screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz. Blue cover wrappers of both typescripts contain autographed signatures from cast members of the opening night (February 19, 1996) at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center Theater in New York City.
Typescript copy with occasional hand annotations of play by American playwright/novelist Eric Bogosian. Title page includes label for "William Morris Agency, Inc." and pencil annotations "Off-Broadway / 94 performances / 1986."
Revised continuity script with hand penned annotations of film by American screenwriter Craig Bolotin. Title page includes annotation "Jack C. Jacobsen / Sound Dept." and pencil list of cast members "Jerry Schatzberg/ Jon Cryer/ Demi Moore - very early / Tim Robbins - first film / Jennifer Tilly - first movie." Script also includes staff and crew list as well as location list. Blue wrappers cover shows some wear from use.
Typescript copy of two-act play by British playwright and two-time Oscar winning screenwriter Robert Bolt. Play originally debuted in Chicester (UK) in 1970 and appeared on Broadway in NYC in 1972. Typescript contains occasional pencil annotations. Title page includes pencil annotations " 1972 / 116 [performances] / Eileen Atkins / Claire Bloom" and " Corrected script for the American production."
Corrected typescript copy of two-act play by British playwright John Bowen. Contains handpenned corrections in ink. Title page contains pencil annotations "64 performances" and "1967 - Dec. 2, 1967."
Copy of typescript of Off-Broadway play by American playwright Michael Brady. Inside wrappers has attached copies of newspaper reviews of play production. Title page includes caption "Represented by: Writers and Artists Agency / 162 West 56th Street / New York, New York / 10019 / (212) 246-9029" and pencilled notes "46 performances / Sarah Jessica Parker / Frances Conroy."
Mimeograph copy of shooting script of 1979 film by Academy Award-winning American screenwriter/producer James L. Brooks. No cover wrappers; title page includes pencil notations "nominated by writers Guild," "Bergen nomination," "1979," "Alan J. Pakula / Burt Reynolds / Jill Clayburgh / Candice Bergen." Title page notes "revised 11/2/1978."
Copy of shooting script for 1979 film by American screenwriter/producer James L. Brooks. Purple cover wrappers show signs of wear from use. Title page inscribed in ink with "Jack C. Jacobsen / Sound Dept." Contains occasional sections of additional pink paper of revised pages dated "REV. 2/5/1979." Appendix includes shooting schedule dated "1/9/1979," and a dining/shopping guide to Boston and a "Boston contact sheet" provided by Paramount Pictures production office to the film crew.
Copy of typescript of the 1975 Broadway musical play by William F. Brown. Title page notes "Final Draft" and "blocking script." Two playbill covers bear autographed signature of Stephanie Mills, the actress who portrayed Dorothy. Paper notecard bears autograph signature of cast member Tiger Haynes.
Release script typescript for the film translated by Moura Budberg from the original Anton Chekov play; film directed by Laurence Olivier. Blue cover wrappers show signs of wear from use. Cover is stamped "printed in England / May 26th 1970."
Copy of typescript for the theatrical play, translated from the original Aristophanes and directed by Greek director Michael Cacoyannis. Typescript contains some pen annotations. Included with script are two yellow legal pad pages of additional handwritten notes in pen. Title page includes pencil notations "1972 / 8 performances / Melinda Mercouri / Priscilla Lopez" as well as "David Black Productions, Inc. / 1564 Broadway / Room 1100 / New York, New York 10036." Yellow wrappers show wear from use; front wrappers bears logo of the "International Famous Agency, Inc."
Unbound copy of typescript with occasional copied annotations included for the play by American playwright D.L. Coburn. The play won a Pulitzer Prize in 1978. Page six of the script denotes "first performance: September 24, 1976 / Los Angeles, California / American Theatre Arts." Typescript includes front dedication to playwright's son and daughter as well as epigraph excerpt from Pushkin's "As Leaden as the Aftermath of Wine." Title page includes "Inquiries / D.L. Coburn 7582 Thistle Lane / Dallas, TX" and stamp for "Flora Roberts, Inc. / 65 East 55th St. / New York, N.Y."
Bound copy of typescript for play by American playwright Michael Cristofer. Contains epigraph by "E. Kubler-Ross, M.D." Play won both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award in 1977. Title page includes pencil notations "315 per. / Geraldine Fitzgerald / Rose Gregorio / Laurence Luckinbill / Mandy Patinkin / Simon Oakland."
Bound copy of typescript for play by British playwright Barry England. Script contains occasional pencil annotations. Red cover wrappers show some wear from use. Title page includes printing "Property of: Donald Albery / New Theatre / St. Martin's Lane / London WC2, England." Pencil annotations on title page include "1970 - Oct. Ethel Barrymore / 144 performances."
Copy of revised typescript for the "television play" by American screenwriter John Gay. Blue cover wrappers show some wear from use. Script includes additional blue pages of revisions throughout, "revised 12/3/1979." Title page information printed includes "David Susskind / Time-Life Productions, Inc. / Time & Life Building / New York, New York 10020."
Copy of typescript for the two-act play adapted from the original Mary Wollestonecraft Shelley novel by American playwright Victor Gialanella. Title page includes pencil annotations "1 performance / John Carradine / David Dukes / Diane Weist / John Glover" and ink printing "Property of: Kippys Productions, Inc. / 144 West 52nd Street / New York, N.Y. 10019." Brown cover wrappers show signs of wear from use.
Copy of typescript for the two-act play by American playwright / screenwriter Frank D. Gilroy. Green cover wrappers show minimal signs of wear from use. Title page of script includes pencil annotations "15 performances / 1979" and ink printed "6 Mangin Road / Monroe, New York 10950."
Copy of typescript for the three-act play by American playwright / screenwriter Frank D. Gilroy. Orange cover wrappers show signs of wear from use. Title page notes "Edgar Lansbury Productions, Inc. / Suite 7-C / 888 Eighth Avenue / New York, N.Y. 10019 / Phone: 765-5910."
"Final Draft" copy of typescript for the three-act play by American playwright John Glennon. The play was performed once on August 5, 1966, at the Eugene O'Neill Memorial Foundation in Waterford, Connecticut. Title page includes sub-title "An Autobiographical Recollection of One Month in the Later Life of Edward Gordon Craig." Script is in very good condition with very minimal signs of wear. Included is separately bound essay "Out of the Cocoon" written "September 27, 1966" by casting director / assistant to the director Debbie Rose. Included also are the resumes / CV's for both Deborah Swados and set designer Kim Swados. Miscellaneous notes and scraps from Kim Swados about set design planning are included. Also included is a photograph of actor Franchot Tone and two photographs of "O'Neill Foundation Site" taken in 1966 in Waterford, Connecticut.
Typescript for the three-act play by American playwright Dick Goldberg. Brown cover wrappers are in good condition with minimal signs of wear. Title page includes printed "Author's representative: Bret Adams Limited / 36 E. 61st Street / New York, NY 10021 / (212) 752-7864" as well as hand notation in pencil "458 performances." Reading copy with pagination on both recto and verso of pages.
Bound copy of "Version C Opening Text" typescript for the two-act play by American playwright John Guare. Script contains both copied annotations and corrections as well as some pencil notations. Title page includes printed "Copyright / St. Jude Productions / c/o R. Andrew Boose / Greenbaum, Wolf & Ernst / 437 Madison Avenue / New York, N.Y. / 212-758-4010," printed logo for "Academy Festival Theatre" and "Barat College / 700 E. Westleigh Rd. / Lake Forest, Illinois / 60045."
Bound copy of the two-act play by American playwright Oliver Hailey. Front clear plastic cover wrappers bears printed logo for the "William Morris Agency, Inc." Title page includes printed "Property of: Clyde Kuemmerle/Hilary James / Nexus Theatre Associates, Ltd. / 234 West 44 Street, Suite 905 / New York 10036."
Bound copy of the play by British playwright David Hare. Script contains copied annotations and revisions. Title page includes copied handwritten annotations "For Updating," "Joe Papp," and "Oct. 28, 1982 / Post Opening Script." Title page also includes pencil notations "1982 45 performances / Kelsey Grammar / Edward Hermann / Kate Nelligan." Title page includes stamped logo of "Property of New York Shakespeare Festival." Play performed at New York Shakespeare Festival in 1982.
Bound copy of continuity script for the film by American screenwriters Paul Carter Harrison and S. S. Schweitzer. Script contains extensive handpenned annotations, corrections, and revisions in ink. Contains several loose sections of blue "revised script" pages as well as a page of additional handwritten notes. Also includes the shooting schedule for the film.
American
Bound typescript for the play by American playwright Lillian Hellman. Script contains the lines for the character "Constance" marked in yellow highlighter. Title page includes printed notation "January 2001 / Lincoln Center Theater / 150 West 65th St. / New York, NY 10019 / 212-362-7600." Blue front cover wrappers bears ink logo for "Lincoln Center Theater" as well as handpenned autograph signature of actress "Cherry Jones."
Bound storyboard with treatment for the animated film by American screenwriters Bobby Herbeck and Todd Langen. Front blue cover wrapper bears pencil annotations "Director Steve Barron 1990."
Information folder for the film by Irish / British screenwriter Robert Herrington. The Bofors Gun was directed by Jack Gold for Universal Pictures Ltd. The folder contains 5 photographs along with a contents list for the information folder, cast list, unit list for film crew, a written introduction to the film, and biographies for several of the film's actors (including Nicol Williamson, Ian Holm, and David Warner).
Typescript for the play by American playwright William M. Hoffman. Script includes epigraphs of excerpts from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" and Chidiock Tichborne's "Elegy." Brown wrapper shows signs of wear and front cover is missing. Title page contains pencil annotations "transferred to Broadway May 1985 -- 285 performances / Finally two yrs. later / Broadway" and "April 1985 49 performances." Title page also bears pasted card with logo for "International Creative Management, Inc." "represented by Luis Sanjurjo."
Copy of "Final reading script" for the play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Pages of script contain copied annotations and revisions. Title page includes copied hand annotation of "For Joe Papp." Title page also contains pencil notations "181 performances" as well as stamp for "Helen Merril / 337 West 22nd Street / New York, N.Y. 10011 / Tel: (212) 924-6314."
Copy of bound typescript for the "musical about winter" by American playwright Tom Jones. Script includes the essay "Some Notes for the Director" written by Tom Jones. Title page includes pencil notation "109 performances" and printed "Property of: / Music Theater International / 119 West 57th Street / New York, N.Y. 10019." Orange cover wrappers show signs of wear from use and front cover has tear covered with tape.
Typescript for the "musical about marriage" by American playwright Tom Jones. Script shows very minimal signs of wear from use. Blue cover wrapper includes stamp with title "I Do, I Do" along with actor's name "Rock Hudson." Includes playbill from the production in the Philadelphia Shubert Theater starring Phil Ford and Mimi Hines.
Copy of typescript for the one-act play by American playwright Lyle Kessler. Title page includes printed "150 West 96th St. Apt. 4G / New York, N.Y. 10025 / 663-0165 (Home) / JU 6-6300 (Service)." Red cover wrappers' edges are brittle and cracked from use.
Ribbon copy (carbon) of typescript for the one-act play by American playwright Lyle Kessler. Papers of script bear watermarks. Title page includes pencil notations "orphans / 285 / Steppenwolf."
Bound copy of typescript for the play by American playwright Lyle Kessler. Grey cover wrappers are brittle and spine of script bears masking tape with "The Viewing - L. Kessler" written in marker.
Bound "Final Draft" of screenplay for film by American screenwriter Ron Koslow. Script includes pre-production rehearsal schedule, filming schedule, and a staff and crew list. Script contains multiple sections of different colored revised pages inserted on several dates of revision. Title page includes pen notation "sound dept." as well as stamp for "Jack C. Jacobsen / 84-44 63 Road, Middle Village / New York, N.Y. 11379 / 212-446-5606."
Copy of the continuity script for the film by American screenwriter Spike Lee. Script is bound without cover wrappers. Title page contains printed "2nd Draft - July 9, 1990 - from Harlem to Bensonhurst and BACK! / Forty Acres and A Mule Filmworks, Inc. / Brooklyn, New York / YA-DIG SHO-NUFF / BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY / WGA East #56609."
Bound copy of the script for the play by Irish / British playwright Hugh Leonard. Brown cover wrappers bear pasted card for the "William Morris Agency, Inc." Title page also bears printed logo for the "William Morris Agency, Inc." with the name "Gilbert Parker" within logo. Script contains several loose unbound pages of revisions inserted.
Bound copy of the script for the play by Irish / British playwright Hugh Leonard. Orange cover wrappers show signs of wear. Included with the script are two pieces of correspondence referencing different versions of the script, one letter from Gilbert Parker to Jonathan Dodd, the other from Jonathan Dodd to Otis Guernsey, Jr.
Bound "revised draft" of continuity script for the film by American screenwriter John Leone. Orange cover wrappers bear label with printed "'Tough Enough' / American Cinema, Sumer -81" on front cover. Script includes extensive revision pages bound into script in different colored paper. Also includes list of "secured locations" for filming, cast list, crew list. Script contains some hand annotations in pen and pencil throughout. Title page bears stamp for "Jack C. Jacobsen" as well as pen notation "Jack C. Jacobsen / Sound Dept."
Bound "final draft" copy of script for the play by American playwright Ira Levin. Title page includes subtitle "A Thriller in Two Acts" as well as printed "Roger L. Stevens / 1501 Broadway / New York, N.Y. 10036 / 212-354-8350" and "Alfred de Liagre, Jr. / 245 West 52nd St. / New York, N.Y. 10019 / 212-PL 7-4133." Maroon cover wrappers show some signs of wear from normal use.
"Third draft" of the musical playscript by American playwright Jacques Levy. Title page also contains printed "Property of: / Ivor David Balding / & Associates Ltd. / The New Theatre / 154 East 54th Street / New York, New York 10022 / (212) PL 2-1370." Gray cover wrappers show wear from use.
American playwright. "Final" revised film script (property of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.), signed with actor's annotations, belonging to Paul Ford who played the part of Harry Lambert. Also includes a three-page "time lapse" for the scene chronology. Yellow paper covers detached.
"February 1986 draft" playscript, "originally commissioned by The Eureka Theatre Company, San Francisco," by American playwright Emily Mann. No cover wrappers.
Bound playscript by American playwright Robert Marascom, possibly 1970. Title page contains printed epigraph excerpt from "Oedipus Rex."
Unbound copy of playscript by Philadelphia-born American playwright Elaine May.
Bound playscript by American playwright Dennis McIntyre. Blue cover wrappers in good condition.
Bound playscript by American playwright Mark Medoff. Title page denotes "Agent: Gilbert Parker / Curtis Brown, Ltd. / 60 East 56th Street / New York, New York 10022 / (212) 755-4200." Red cover wrappers show some wear.
"Release script" continuity script for the film by British playwright David Mercer. Film adaptation of the original play by Henrik Ibsen. Gray cover wrappers bears logo "A World Film Services Ltd. Presentation."
Bound playscript by American playwright Patrick Meyers. Title page bears pencil notation "eighty-five performances / 2 character play." Red cover wrappers show minimal signs of wear.
Bound copy of playscript by American playwright . Title page bears pencil notation "Tony & Pulitzer Prize Play" and printed "Property of: New York Shakespeare Festival / Public Theatre / 425 Lafayette Street / New York, New York 10003 / 677-1750."
"Release script" film continuity script by American screenwriter Adrian Mitchell for the adaptation from the original 1963 play by Peter Weiss.
Bound copy of playscript for the play by American playwright Edward J. Moore. Title page bears pencil notation "1974 / 128 performances."
Bound copy of playscript by British playwright Peter Nichols. Script bears some occasional pencil markings. Title page bears pencil notation "1968 / 154 performances" ink printing "Joseph Cates - Henry Fownes / C & F Productions, Ltd. / 120 East 56th Street / New York, N.Y. 10022." Green cover wrappers are cracked from wear and use.
Bound copy of playscript by British playwright John Osborne. Title page bears printed "David Merrick / 246 West 44th Street / New York, N.Y. 10036 / LO 3-7520." Red cover wrappers are cracked and show signs of wear from use.
Bound playscript by American playwright William Packard for "a new English translation / in rhymed alexandrine couplets." Title page bears printed "Institute for Advances Studies / in the Theatre Arts / 418 West 42nd Street / New York, N.Y. / LO 4-6627."
Bound copy of playscript by American playwright Lonny Price. Script bears hand-penned pagination as well as occasionally copied revisions.
Press release kit for the film by American screenwriter Philip Reisman, Jr. Kit includes ten photographs of cast headshots as well as still shots taken during filming, two playbills, a schedule of events from the film's world premiere at the Tennessee Theatre, and short biographies of several main cast members. Press kit is contained in original "Paramount Press Release" folder.
Bound copy of typescript for the play originally by Rolf Hochuth, adapted for Broadway by American playwright Jerome Rothenberg. Blue cover wrappers are very brittle.
Bound copy of "revised script" for the film by American actor and screenwriter Mickey Rourke. Script contains markings in yellow highlighter for the parts of character Grazziano. Script also includes numerous revised pages inserted on blue and yellow papers. Also included is a letter from Jayne Kachmer at Redruby LTD., Productions to "Richard," the actor reading the part of Grazziano.
Bound copy of "rehearsal draft" "with revisions" of continuity script for the film by Academy award-winning American screenwriter Alvin Sargent. Script bears extensive hand annotated revisions in ink as well as multiple revised pages printed on blue papers. The 20th Century Fox film starred Joanne Woodward.
Bound copy of typescript for play by American playwright Murray Schisgal. Script is dedicated "To Dustin Hoffman." Title page bears pencil annotations "1974 / 233 performances / directed by Dustin Hoffman." Title page also bears stamp "Represented by: / Audrey Wood / International Creative Management / 1301 Avenue of the Americas / New York, New York 10019." Red cover wrappers show some cracking and wear from use.
Bound copy of typescript for the play by award-winning British playwright Peter Shaffer (twin brother of playwright Anthony Shaffer). Title page bears pencil notations "1967 / 337 performances / Michael Crawford." Yellow cover wrappers show some signs of wear from use.
Bound copy of typescript for the play by award-winning British playwright Peter Shaffer (twin brother of playwright Anthony Shaffer). Title page contains hand penciled notation "[Annotations by John Drew Devereaux, the stage manager of the American Broadway production]" and "many changes. An example of changes made for American audiences."
Bound copy of filmscript by American screenwriter Stanford Sherman. Title page bears printed "property of Warner Bros. Inc." Includes color photograph of film's starring actor, Clint Eastwood.
Bound copy of playscript by American playwright Larry Shue. Title page bears pencil notations "Off-Broadway / 1984 / Six-Hundred Eighty-Six Performances."
Bound copy of playscript by Canadian playwright Bernard Slade. Title page bears pencil notation "1978 - opens 212 performances / Jack Lemon - nominated for Tony Award." Title page also contains printed "Property of: Morton Gottlieb / 165 West 46th Street / Suite 1210 / New York, New York 10036 / Telephone: 212-575-7960."
Bound copy of playscript by American playwright / translator Ruth Speirs. Title page bears printed "Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center / 150 West 65th Street / New York, N.Y. 10023." Script contains multiple revised pages inserted as well as revisions made in pencil throughout.
Bound copy of "Final Script" continuity script for film by American actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone. Script contains numerous revised pages inserted with green, pink, and orange papers throughout.
Bound copy of "Final Draft Screenplay" for the film by American screenwriter Joseph C. Stinson. Script contains numerous revised pages inserted on blue papers throughout.
Bound copy of typescript for the play by American playwright Milan Stitt. Title page contains pencil notation "1976 - 396 performances" and printed "Property of: Wayne Adams/Willard Morgan - Producers / The Runner Company / c/o Dorothy Olim Associates, Inc. / 1540 Broadway / New York City 10036 / (212) 896-8282" and "Author's agent: / Helen Merrill / 337 West 22nd Street / New York City 10011 / (212) 924-6314."
Un-bound playscript with minor annotations for this title by American playwright Paula Vogel. "Written at the Bunting Institute, Bellagio Center & Yaddo, 1993."
Bound copy of the playscript by American playwright Kevin Wade. Title page bears pasted card printed with "Represented by / Carol Masius / Writers & Artists Agency / Talent Agency / 162 West 56th Street / New York, New York 10019 / Telephone (212) 246-9029." Front cover wrappers bears printed logo for "Writers & Artists Agency Talent Agency."
Bound "final draft" of screenplay by American screenwriter Michael Werner. Screenplay based on 1962 novel by Robert Rimmer. Script contains some hand penned revisions in ink.
Bound copy of playscript written by American playwright Lanford Wilson. Title page bears Lanford Wilson's autograph. The play "opened on May 20, 2003, at the Signature Theatre Company's Peter Norton Space as the final show of the 2002-2003 Lanford Wilson season."
Bound "clean final script" by American playwright Marie Winn, translated from Vaclav Havel's original Czech play. Title page bears printed logo for "Property of New York Shakespeare Festival." Script is dedicated "to Tom Stoppard."