Skip Navigation
*To search for student contact information, login to FlashLine and choose "My Campus" tab.

Search by campus:

Special Collections and Archives

Sheila Smith, Papers

Sheila Smith, Papers, 1905-[ongoing]


INVENTORY

Prepared by Jennifer Rummel, November 19, 2002
2 record storage boxes, 2 cubic feet, 11th floor
 

Biographical Note

Sheila Smith was born in Conneaut, Ohio, in 1933 and has been performing ever since. She made her professional debut at the age of 14 in the Corps De Ballet of The Merry Widow for the Cleveland 500.This beginning was followed by eight seasons of Summer Theatre at Cain Park and three years as staff actress at The Cleveland Play House. In 1950, Smith received the Cleveland Rotary Club Scholarship and chose to attend Kent State University. At the University, she was active in University Theatre, Orchestra, and Dance.

Smith made her Broadway debut in 1956 in Ziegfeld Follies. Following her debut, she appeared in Fiorello, Hot Spot, To Broadway with Love, Mame, and many more. She has received the Theatre World Award, the San Francisco Critics Award, and the Kent State University Special Achievement in the Performing Arts award. In addition to her Broadway performances, Smith has performed in many Off-Broadway, national, and regional productions. She has also had television appearances ranging from Charlie's Angels on PBS' Great Performances. In 2002, Smith was a co-producer, adaptor, and stager of the musical Bertha: The Sewing Machine Girl. She also portrayed Mrs. Higgins in a production of My Fair Lady in Austin, Texas. In 2003, Smith is making her feature film debut in Paramount's Marci X.

Scope and Content

The Sheila Smith papers include items relating to theater productions and her performances. It contains a collection of Broadway programs that range from The Little Minister in 1905 to Auntie Mame in 1958. One large series of interest is of Smith's theater work in Ohio. The series contains programs, newspaper clippings, and photographs of northeast Ohio productions in which Smith performed. Another item of interest is a scrapbook of Ohio theater from 1913-1920 that was given to Smith by a family friend, Hazel Coughlin. There is also a series of materials relating to Smith's experiences at Collinwood High School and Kent State University. The collection also contains sheet music, scripts, and scores from various productions.

Description of Series

Box 1

Series 1 -- Broadway Programs

  1. The Little Minister (Boston): 1905
  2. Ziegfeld Follies (New York): 1913
  3. Lightnin' (Chicago): 1922
  4. For Goodness Sake (Chicago): 1922
  5. Greenwich Village Follies (Boston): 1924
  6. Poppy (New York): 1924
  7. Melody Man (New York): 1924
  8. Ziegfeld Follies (New York): 1924
  9. Trelawny of the Wells (New York): 1925
  10. Holiday (New York): 1929
  11. School for Husbands (New York): 1933
  12. Green Bay Tree (New York): 1934
  13. Merrily We Roll Along (New York): 1934
  14. Country Wife (New York): 1935
  15. White Horse Inn (New York): 1936
  16. Tovarich (New York): 1937
  17. Mercury Theatre-Julius Caesar & Shomaker's Holiday (New York): 1937
  18. Male Animal (New York): 1940
  19. Corn is Green (New York): 1941
  20. This is the Army (New York): 1942
  21. Porgy and Bess (New York): 1942
  22. The Pirate (New York): 1942
  23. Glass Menagerie (New York): 1946
  24. Another Part of the Forest (New York): 1946
  25. Finian's Rainbow (New York): 1947
  26. Man and Superman (New York): 1947
  27. Streetcar Named Desire (New York): 1947
  28. Command Decision (New York): 1948
  29. The King and I (New York): 1952
  30. Auntie Mame (New York): 1958
Series 2 -- Ohio Theatre
  1. Scrapbook: Hugh Coughlin's scrapbook of Ohio Theatre: 1913-1920
       -See note in scrapbook for contents.
  2. Cleveland 500: 1947-1949
  3. Peninsula Players: 1950
  4. Euclid Little Theatre: 1952
  5. Musicarnival: 1954
  6. Cleveland Play House: Miscellaneous Programs: 1936, 1950
  7. Cleveland Play House: Children's Theatre: 1947-1950
  8. Cleveland Play House: Caesar and Cleopatra: 1952
  9. Cleveland Play House: Finian's Rainbow: 1952
  10. Cleveland Play House: Darkness at Noon: 1953
  11. Cleveland Play House: Othello: 1953
  12. Cleveland Play House: Midsummer Night's Dream: 1953
  13. Cleveland Play House: Regina: 1953
  14. Cleveland Play House: Bloomer Girl: 1953
  15. Cleveland Play House: Love of Four Colonels: 1954
  16. Cleveland Play House: Tree Grows in Brooklyn: 1954
  17. Cleveland Play House: School for Scandal: 1954
  18. Cleveland Play House: Women's Committee: 1954
  19. Cleveland Play House: Best Foot Forward: 1954
  20. Cleveland Play House: Mrs. McThing: 1955
  21. Cleveland Play House: 60th Anniversary: 1975
  22. Cleveland Play House: Building a Theatre: 1984
  23. Cain Park Theatre: History: 1938-1945
  24. Cain Park Theatre: School of the Theatre: 1947-1949
  25. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1947
  26. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1948
  27. Cain Park Theatre: Crew Show: 1948
  28. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1949
  29. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1950
  30. Cain Park Theatre: Crew show: 1950
  31. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1951
  32. Cain Park Theatre: Script-Desert Song: 1951
  33. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1952
  34. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1953
  35. Cain Park Theatre: Season: 1954
  36. Cain Park Theatre: 50th Anniversary: 1988
  37. Cain Park Theatre: Miscellaneous
  38. Programs: Hedda Gabler: 1940
  39. Programs: Captain Carvallo: 1950
  40. Programs: Sadler's Wells Ballet: 1950
Series 3 -- Biographical
  1. Collinwood High School-Folder 1: 1946-1950
  2. Collinwood High School-Folder 2: 1946-1950
  3. Kent State University: 1950-1952
  4. Kent State University: Registration Cards
  5. Kent State University: School Correspondence
  6. Kent State University: Personal Correspondence
  7. Kent State University: Scholarship/Honors
  8. Kent State University: Invitations
  9. Kent State University: Gamma Phi Beta
Series 4 -- Television Appearances
  1. Pappy Howard: 1952
  2. Community Chest Campaign: 1953
  3. Bob Hope "Live": 1953
Series 5 -- Miscellaneous
  1. Post Card: Taylor Holmes Co. (Chicago): 1916
  2. Metropolitan Guide (New York): 1924
  3. Stage Magazine: May 1936
  4. Josephine Hull Letter: Oct. 1941
  5. On the Town -Score and Script: 1951
  6. Gentlemen Prefer Blonds -Score: 1954

Box 2

Series 5 -- Miscellaneous (continued)
  1. Melody Circus (Detroit): 1955
  2. Lute Song -Sheet Music: 1948 and Audio Tape: 1959
  3. Programs: 2002
  4. White Gloves
  5. Photo Collage of Sheila Smith in various performances.

Return to List of Special Collections
Return to Theater/Film Collections (text only index)