PENUMBRA THEATRE:
An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Penumbra Theatre Company (Saint Paul, Minn.). | |
| Title: | Theater records. | |
| Dates: | 1990-1997. | |
| Abstract: | Minutes, financial statements, and other records from the board of the Penumbra Theatre Company, a professional African American theater company based in St. Paul, Minnesota. | |
| Quantity: | 0.4 cubic feet (1 box). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description section for shelf location. |
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Penumbra Theatre Company was founded in 1976 by Lou Bellamy, a St. Paul resident and a professor in the University of Minnesota's theater and dance department. Bellamy was prompted to found the theater in large part because of the paucity of work available in the Twin Cities area for African American performers. Perhaps best known for launching the career of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson, the theater's mission is to present productions from an African American perspective and increase awareness of the contributions of African Americans to the American theater tradition. Since its inception, the theater has been located in the heart of St. Paul's Black community, the Rondo neighborhood, and has hired only Black directors, though as much as eighty percent of its audience is white.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Penumbra Theatre Company Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession Number: 15,344
Processing Information:
Processed by: Lara D. Friedman~Shedlov, September 1998
Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, March 2020.
Digitization was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.
Catalog ID number: 990017349440104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| 151.E.3.2F | Background information. | ||||||||||
Digital version
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| Bylaws, undated. | |||||||||||
Digital version
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| Annual report, 1996-97. | |||||||||||
Digital version
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| Board of directors rosters, undated and 1990-1992. | |||||||||||
Digital version
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| Minutes and related documents, October 1990-October 1992, March 1993-October 1993. 6 folders | |||||||||||
| Includes minutes, financial statements, memoranda, correspondence, reports, and other materials. Minutes document the theater's study and analysis of its audience, funding efforts, and marketing strategies. They also include information on the theater's expansion and reorganization in 1990. | |||||||||||
October-December 1990
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January-May 1991
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June-December 1991
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January-May 1992
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June-October 1992
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March-October 1993
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| Newsletters, Summer/Fall 1995. | |||||||||||
Digital version
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| Audience Survey, Fall 1991. | |||||||||||
Digital version
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RELATED MATERIALS
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- African American theater -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
- Theater -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul -- Finance.
- Theater audiences -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
- Theater management -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.
- Person:
- Bellamy, Lou.
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