On view through June 1: In the past year, three playwrights have conducted research in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation (RBSCP), including Mat Smart for his recent hit, The Agitators. Playwrights often seek out the archives to gain a better understanding of the past, and scholars of design, photography, graphic art, and gender studies can also learn a great deal from exploring the history and culture of theater.

The items in this exhibit are taken from our extensive collection of theater materials, which includes a significant collection of twentieth-century British plays, thousands of playbills, photographs, drawings, letters, and posters, as well as a world-class collection relating to the work of Gilbert and Sullivan.