Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Drama Season of the University of Michigan is a theater group on campus. Prior to 1952 known as the Ann Arbor Drama Season; the organization did not function from 1943 to 1948. The records collect scrapbooks, 1938-1942 and 1949-1961, containing clippings, programs, and production photographs; also correspondence files, legal and financial papers relating to operation of this Ann Arbor, Michigan, professional theater program, during the directorships of Robert Henderson, John O'Shaughnessy, and Valentine Windt.

The Drama Season records span the years 1929-1966. The material consists of scrapbooks from 1938 to 1942 and 1949 to 1961 (2 linear ft.) which contain mainly clippings from local and national newspapers, along with some programs and photographs.

Also included are alphabetically arranged administrative files relating to the operation of the theater and the performances. Materials include correspondence, legal and financial files and press releases. The bulk of this material is from the 1950s and 1960s.

The photographs series includes a photo album and production photographs, mostly from the 1950s and autographed photos of Lillian Gish and Billie Burke.

Philip Kerr, a professional actor, taught theatre at the University of Michigan from 1984 to 2012. In addition to teaching courses in the Department of Theatre and Drama, he directed many productions put on by the department. This collection includes material documenting these productions and his role as a faculty member.

The Philip Kerr Papers document Kerr's time at the University of Michigan as a professor in the Department of Theatre and Drama. They primarily contain records and publications from productions in which Kerr was director or an actor, as well as administrative records reflecting Kerr's role and experiences as a faculty member within the Department of Theatre and Drama, especially his efforts to improve the quality of the department, such as the establishment of the Bachelor in Fine Arts degree program. The collection is arranged into five series: Biographical, Correspondence, Photographs, Productions, and Topical.

Student at the University of Michigan, later professional stage actor. Playbills from Detroit and University of Michigan productions, theatrical publications, miscellaneous correspondence, clippings, and writings; and photographs.

The Forsyth collection includes some correspondence, journals (1914-1917), playbills from productions in the Detroit and Ann Arbor area, clippings about his theatrical career, and miscellaneous photographs.