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Theater Department collection, 1933-present

 Series
Identifier: 04-07-09-001

Scope and Content:

to be added

Dates

  • 1933-present

Access:

Open for Research. Folder 8.4. Is restricted due to confidential nature of the item (Annette Evan’s Will and Testament, 1969-1972).

Historical Sketch of the Wilkes Theater Department:

The Wilkes Theater department has a long history within the institution. The department was initially called the Performing Arts department at Bucknell University Junior College (Established 1933). Paul Gies was hired as Music faculty in 1933. Other instructors in Violin and Piano were added to the faculty in 1934. The 1933-1934 bulletin mentions that at BUJC, a Dramatics club existed with 65 members. In 1938 a theater was constructed in a garage behind Chase Hall, allowing for more elaborate productions., By 1940 Norma Constance Sanguillano became a faculty member in Speech and Dramatics. Music was among the first degrees offered when Wilkes College became an independent institution in 1947, and the Theater Major was added in 1981. Dance classes have been offered since 1984. In 1948, Norma Sanguillano stepped down as the Director of Theater when she got married. She recommended Al Groh, an alumni and war veteran, to take over her position. Groh’s BUJC directorial debut came with the production The Barretts of Wimpole Street, a 1930 play written by Rudolf Besier. He produced numerous shows within the next few decades under his leadership and theatrical vision. The department had much support from the local community, with many donating costumes and citizens showing up with high turnout for all of the shows. From the 50s through the 70s, the department’s shows were sponsored by the Wilkes Barre Kiwanis Club. Al Groh was an instrumental figure of the department, and he was the one to convince benefactor Dorothy Darte to donate millions to construct the building we now recognize at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for Performing Arts. The building was finished in 1965 and the second renovation, which included the Edward Darling Theater, was completed in 1970. Al Groh retired in 1987 and Bruce Phair, another Wilkes Theater alumni, joined the department faculty in 1985, and worked as the facility’s manager for 35 years before his retirement in 2016. The various performing arts departments have been reorganized a number of times. The current form is a division of Performing Arts offering a number of degrees in Music, Theater, and Dance. Presently, the department does four shows a year, with a musical and play every semester. Every winter, “The Nutcracker” ballet is performed. Every Spring semester, the Dance Show is performed by every dance class at Wilkes, including student choreographed routines. There are three majors within the performing arts division (Musical Theater, Theater Arts, and Theater Design and Technology). And there are three minors : Dance, Music, and Theater arts. Theater Department Faculty(2022) include Joe Dawson (Professor, Director), Dr. Leesa Levy (Vocal Professor, Choral Director), Jon Liebetrau (Department Chair, professor, and director), Alex Barnhart (Technical Director), Terry Moore (Master Electrician), Lynne Esgro (Choreographer, Dance Professor), Kristin Degan Boonin (Ballet Professor), and Sean Harris (Tap Professor).

Biographical Note written by Elizabeth Sullivan and Aariyana Gould.

Biographical Sketch of Alfred S. Groh:

Alfred S. Groh was a prominent figure of the Wilkes community and served the campus for over 50 years as a professor, administrator, faculty member, director, and benefactor. Al was born on May 10th, 1921 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was creative from a young age; he would often write childhood poems and developed a love for the theater arts.. Groh grew up in Wilkes-Barre and would often walk by the Junior College as he went to Boy Scouts. He was encouraged by his parents to attend Bucknell University Junior College, and he paid his way through school by working for maintenance. Before spending his professional career at Wilkes, Al Groh first was a freshman student at Bucknell Junior College in 1939, graduating in 1941. During his college years, Mr. Groh studied English, Speech, Drama, Economics, Sociology and Music. After he was finished with his undergraduate studies, he was motivated to apply and attend Syracuse University by the Dean of Women and Director of Thespians Norma Sanguiliano. At Syracuse, he majored in English, Journalism, Radio, and Theater. Groh was on the precipice of graduating when World War II began. He was called to serve in March of 1943 and he and other soldiers received their diplomas anyway before being deployed to Fogia, Italy from 1943-1944. During WWII, Al Groh flew over 50 missions as an engineer gunner in the U.S. Air Force. Amazingly, Groh survived near-fatal airplane battles, including an incident where his wooden seat shot was ejected from beneath him, and another incident where his oxygen tank that was strapped to his back was shattered by enemy shrapnel. His missions earned him a Certificate of Valor; he was recognized for his courageous service in aerial combat. After the war, he returned to Wyoming Valley. For a year, Groh worked at his father’s Studebaker dealership. It wasn’t until 1948 that Norma Sanguiliano asked him to replace her as the Junior College’s Director of Theater. During his undergraduate years at BUJC, the theater productions took place in a garage behind Chase Hall. This is where Al Groh directed his first production Bannets of Wimpole Street. He was originally hired as an English instructor in 1948, teaching English, Speech, and Theatre. He is considered one of the founding fathers of Wilkes, as he aided in drafting the first mission and vision statements of the institution. He was also a close friend of Eugene Shedden Farley, the first Wilkes College president. During his years at Wilkes, he had amazing support from the local community and the Wilkes campus. Local shops donated costumes to the Theater department and his productions received high turnouts from Wilkes-Barre residents. The Wilkes Barre Kiwanis Club sponsored the musicals from the 1950s through the 1970s. Groh was instrumental in convincing a benefactor, Dorothy Darte, to donate millions of dollars to build a performing arts building. The building was completed in 1965, and the second renovation which included a construction of the Edward Darling Theater was completed in 1970. Not only did Groh spearhead the direction of the Performing Arts Center, but he was vital to many activities and events in the Wilkes-Barre community. He was the visionary and founder of the Fine Arts Fiesta, a cultural festival in Wilkes-Barre that takes place annually every Spring to celebrate different ethnicities in the area. The festival was initially called the “United Nationalities Pageant” in 1952 as it celebrated African, Jewish, Swedish, Irish, and other cultures with an emphasis on songs, dance, and food. He wrote the script and Annette Evans narrated the event. It was officially named the Fine Arts Fiesta in 1955 and has been an annual tradition for Wilkes-Barre ever since. While working at Wilkes, Al Groh met Jane Lampe in 1969, who was hired under Farley to be the Dean of Students. They quickly fell in love and got married in their Kingston home in 1977. They had many things in common, including their love for theater and the arts. Their first date was a performance of “The Most Happy Fella” at the Pinocchio playhouse. Jane retired in 1997, Al in 1988. Al Groh passed away at the age of 92 on February 4th, 2013. Jane passed two years later, March 7th, 2015 at the age of 102.

Extent

8 boxes (8 document boxes, 2 oversized boxes, 1 photo slide box, and 1 object box. )

Language of Materials

English

Provenance:

This collection originally belonged to Alfred S. Groh, Wilkes theater professor, dramatist, poet, and founder of the Fine Arts Fiesta. These materials were presumably transferred to the President’s Office and at some point was discovered by Paul Adams, Vice President of Student Affairs, who transferred the collection to the Wilkes University Archives on August 28, 2014.

Acquisition:

Paul Adams transferred the Al Groh papers (000031) to the Wilkes University Archives on August 28th, 2014. Al Groh was a Bucknell University Junior College graduate and the founder of the Wilkes Theater department.

Condition Note:

All of the photographs (in the photo album) in the collection have sustained water damage due to the Agnes flood of 72’. Some are completely ruined, others are partially intact and we are able to see some of the details of the image. The negatives in the collection seem to be in great condition! Some of the slides however are pictures of other departments so when those are processed they will have to be organized in a different collection. The pictures in the big box are also in good condition, with only a few suffering from some water damage. These will have to be processed digitally.

Copyright Status:

Wilkes University retains copyright of the photographs and materials within the collection.

Series Descriptions:

The Theater Department Collection is arranged into five series: Series I: Theatrical Performances, 1937-2018, with two distinct subseries within: Subseries I: Theatrical Performance materials, 1937-2018, and Subseries II: Wilkes Theater photographs,1954-2016, Series II:Music Department productions and materials, 1948-2014, Series III: Alfred S. Groh’s papers,1937-2007, bulk 1960s-1980s, Series IV: Dorothy Dickson Darte Center materials, 1970-2000, and Series V: Al Groh’s Bucknell University Junior College and Wilkes College materials, 1933-1996. Series III contains three subseries : Subseries I:Class Lectures, notes, and papers, 1965-2001, bulk 1965-1980, Subseries II: Correspondence, 1978-2003, Subseries III: Newspaper clippings, 1937-2007, bulk late 1960s - 1980s.

Series I: Theatrical Performances, 1937-2018

Series I: Theatrical Performances, 1937-2018 is arranged chronologically by date of production and contains theatrical programs, photographs, notes, ephemera, photographs and photo negatives of Bucknell University Junior College, Wilkes College, and Wilkes University theatrical productions from its inception to the present day. Series I is arranged into two different subseries: Subseries I: Theatrical performances, 1937-2018, and Subseries II: Wilkes Theater photographs, 1954-2016.

Subseries I: Theatrical Performance materials, 1937-2018

Subseries I: Theatrical Performance materials, 1937-2018 is arranged chronologically by production and contains theatrical programs, photographs, notes,pamphlets and other ephemera of Bucknell University Junior College, Wilkes College, and Wilkes University theater productions. Through the 1930s to the 1950s all theater productions were held in a garage behind Chase Hall until the Dorothy Dickson Darte Building was constructed in 1965. During this time, Al Groh started the drama club “Cue n Curtain,” where those who had an interest in theatre and acting could perform shows. This club was made when there was no true home or major for theatre connoisseurs. When majors were eventually added, the club became home for non-majors, however the club stopped being active around the year 2000. At the new Darte Center, performers had a bigger stage, a state of the arts building, and new lights and a system that showed off the productions best. The Theater department has performed many historically famous shows over the years, such as A Raisin in the Sun (2002), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1968), Guys and Dolls (1970), A Chorus Line (2018), and many other Broadway productions. Also featured within this subseries are programs and photographs from student-run capstones, including 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2019), Lizzie (2019), TikTikBoom (2018), Title of Show (2018), and Apple Tree (2019).

Subseries II: Wilkes Theater photographs, 1954-2016

Subseries II: Wilkes Theater photographs, 1954-2016, is arranged chronologically and contains photographs, photographic negatives, scripts, newspapers, and artistic performance lists. This subseries also includes oversized photographs from many different Wilkes productions over the years, including shows such as Trial by Jury (1977), Lion of Winter (1977), Music Man (1962), and other well-known productions. Past students are featured in these photographs, including Board of Trustees member and 1968 Wilkes graduate, Elizabeth Slaughter.

Series II: Music Department productions and materials, 1948-2014

Series II: Music Department productions and materials, 1948-2014 is arranged chronologically and contains photographs, photographic negatives, pamphlets, music, posters and folders of the past and present music department at Wilkes. The materials in this series show us the rich history of the music department, important Music faculty, as well as the different student ensembles of Choir, Dance, and Band. This series also contains the memorial gala concert program for Richard Chapline in 1988. Richard Chapline was a Juilliard graduate who was a well-liked music professor at Wilkes. He taught classes on music education, and directed the choirs in the late 60s. He worked at Wilkes for 30 years and inspired many young musicians.

Series III: Alfred S. Groh papers, 1937-2007, bulk 1960s-1980s

Series III: Alfred S. Groh papers, 1937-2007, bulk 1960s-1980s, is arranged chronologically into three distinct subseries: Subseries I: Class lecture notes and papers, 1965-2001, bulk 1965-1980, Subseries II: Correspondence, 1978-2003, and Subseries III: Newspaper clippings, 1937-2007, bulk late 1960s-1980s. Subseries I contains lecture notes and papers from Al Groh, Subseries II: Correspondence,1978-2003, Subseries III: Newspaper clippings,1937-2007. Al Groh was an influential figure at Wilkes. Before he served Wilkes for decades as a Theatre Professor, he first was an alumni, graduating Bucknell Junior College in 1941. After fighting in WWII, Groh eventually returned to Wilkes and became a director. He was the one to convince benefactor Dorothy Dickson Darte to donate money to build a true performing arts building. He was close friends with the college’s first president, Eugene Farley. He had amazing support from the local Wilkes-Barre community, and even started the Wilkes-Barre Fine Arts Fiesta, a festival that celebrates food, music, and dance from all different cultures. This event started in 1955 and still continues to this day.

Subseries I: Class lecture notes and papers, 1965-2001, bulk 1965-1980

Subseries I: Alfred S Groh class lecture notes and papers, 1965-2001, bulk 1965-1980, arranged chronologically, contains papers and notes for lecture plans, handouts, assignments, quizzes, and personal materials that Groh himself created and researched for his classes. One class that is featured is Theater Arts 101, where Groh prepared a theater term handout for his students. Another is his Theater Arts 352, his directing class. These documents show Groh’s research and how he prepared for his theater arts classes. They also show what going to college in the 1970s was like for a theater major.

Subseries II: Correspondence, 1978-2003

Subseries II: Correspondence, 1978-2003, is arranged chronologically and contains Alfred S. Groh’s personal correspondence to faculty, family, and actors. It also features Al Groh’s distribution records, which shows how much he donated to charity. Mr.Groh corresponded with people such as David Brinkly, a guest speaker, Ruth Alben, Harry Walker, Carol Bruckner,Christopher Brieseth, Brian Benedetti, Kristin Degnan,and Glenn Roberts. These letters describe who was visiting Wilkes and give us a bit more information on his professional life and his relationship with his coworkers.

Subseries III: Newspapers clippings, 1937-2007, bulk late 1960s-1980s

Subseries III: Newspapers clippings, 1937-2007, bulk late 1960s-1980s, arranged chronologically, these are newspaper clippings that Al Groh cut out and collected. He collected news about plays, playwrights, singers. He also had clippings about the effects of the Vietnam war and a clipping about a film that is based on WWII. All of this subseries can be credited to Al Groh, and it gives us insight into the things Mr.Groh thought were important to collect, save, and remember.

Subseries IV: Alfred S. Groh’s Theater student materials, 1939-1968

Subseries IV: Alfred S. Groh’s Theater student materials, 1939-1968 is arranged chronologically by date and contains student-created materials that Al Groh collected for specific students such as a high school yearbook for Sally Bishop, a notebook written by Elizabeth Slaughter, Class of 1968, and a resume/job profile portfolio for C.B. Miller.

Series IV: Dorothy Dickson Darte Center materials, 1970-2000

Series IV: Dorothy Dickson Darte Center materials, 1970-2000, arranged chronologically, contains building plans, blueprints, letters, and articles that provide insight on the construction of the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center and its influence on the Wilkes campus and community. It also features the 10 year and 30 year anniversary galas, which celebrated the anniversary of the building and honored the contributions of significant theater arts members at Wilkes. With the help of Alfred S. Groh, the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center was built in 1965 and had renovations in 1970 that included the Darling theater. Ever since then, the Darte has served as the vessel for theater and the performing arts at Wilkes.

Series V: Al Groh’s Bucknell University Junior College and Wilkes College materials, 1933-1996

Series V: Al Groh’s Bucknell University Junior College and Wilkes College materials, 1933-1996, is arranged chronologically and contains photo negatives, handouts, administrative signatures, guides, yearbooks, journals, and letters. This series contains materials that document the transition of Bucknell University Junior College becoming an independent institution as Wilkes College. Included in this series are documents and photographs of the history of the Harold R. Stark Learning Center and the Eugene S. Farley Library. Tells the researcher how the library changed location in the 60s, and how and when the Stark building came to be.

Processed By:

Aariyana Gould, Archives Work-Study, supervised by Suzanna Calev, Archivist, Fall-Spring 2021.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for uncoded script

Repository Details

Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository

Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)