Collection of Theatrical Press Clippings

Ksenija Sukuljevic-Markovic

The Theatre and Theatre Collections / Le théâtre et les collections de documents

International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts
16th International Congress, London, 9-13 September 1985
Proceedings of the Congress

Société Internationale des Bibliothèques et des Musées des arts du spectacle
16ème Congres Internationale, Londres, 9-13 september 1985
Procès-Verbal

London 1986, pp.99-102

The Collection of Press Clippings on the Theatre, as an integral part of a larger compilation of material on this subject matter, plays a very important role in the research into theatrical history, although its significance is not any less when the so-called "live" theatre is concerned. It often represents the essential source of information on our theatrical art, particularly so when one takes into account the fact that many libraries, theatres, theatrical archives and private collections were destroyed by war. Therefore, press clippings containing even the least bit of news on theatrical events in our country, become exceptionally valuable, whenever archival documents, programmes, posters, photos and other theatrical data are not available. Needless to say this is particularly so with theatre directing, fine art, music, dance and other areas of the Theatre Art.

However, the Collection of Press Clippings not only bears witness to the existence of the theatre, but also makes available detailed information on its achievements not only in the past but the present. The role of the Collection is proved to be of great value to the creative artists in the theatre as well as to those who manage it. Also, it is at the disposal of those outside the theatre, namely, to scientific researchers, journalists, critics and other parties involved in similar research. Their task is made easier when they can find all they need in one place.

Press Clipping Catalogues may be found in some theatrical institutions, libraries, archives, museums and in private collections. However, these are usually small and the subject matter is rather limited.

The Theatre Museum of Serbia possesses a very considerable collection of press clippings on the theatre in general and its system of classification has proved the envy of all. For this reason, it is used by many daily.

The Collection was founded at the Theatre Museum of Serbia in 1950 and through the years it has grown to some 250,000 clippings, while its subject matter includes more than 100 different topics. As such, it is unique to the Museum and has become indispensable to those who use it.

The Collection is divided into two sections with further divisions into groups according to dates. These are further classified in accordance with subject matter in chronological order. The Old Press Clipping Section covers XIX and a part of XX Century up to 1944 and the Current Section covers the period from 1944 to the present day.

The Old Section is divided into four groups:

Group I is made up of the clippings from the earliest period in the existance of our theatre (namely XIX Century);
Group II spans from 1900 to 1918;
Group III contains clippings from 1918 to 1941 and
Group IV from 1941 to 1944

The Current Section is divided into two groups:

Group I from 1944 to 1951; and
Group II from 1951 to the present day

The clippings are further classified into drama, opera and ballet and these are further divided into subject matter and kept in chronological order. There are several main subjects and as an example we shall mention but a few, such as: History of the Theatre, Theatres and Personalities, Festivals, On Tour, Repertoire etc. with numerous sub-divisions.

Although some of these subjects are more closely connected with the live theatre than others. Nevertheless, almost all may be of service to it and assist its activities. Obviously, Theatre and Theatres and Personalities are of most interest to the live theatre. Clippings referring to the Theatre heading are classified into groups according to the name of the theatre in towns of Serbia and are divided into drama, opera and ballet. These are further classified in alphabetical order. Each show has its separate envelope labelled with the name of the show, author's name and the date of first performance (premiere). If a show has been on the repertoire several times, each premiere or revival has a separate envelope. Clippings referring to shows are miscellaneous, containing various announcements, notes, chronicles.critical reviews or write-ups.

The heading Theatres and Personalities contains all profiles of theatrical artists: writers, dramatists, composers, conductors, directors, choreographers, actors, opera singers, ballet dancers, costume and set designers and other artists collaborating on a theatrical performance. The clippings are heterogenous in their content and take in biographical and bibliographical information, announcements, interviews, critical reviews, write-ups and essays. They are classified in alphabetical order and kept in separate envelopes.

The Museum Collection has a separate catalogue containing index cards with essential advisory information classified into groups and subject matter. In fact, the system is the same as for Press Clippings.

The Collection is augmented by purchases, donations, legacies left by artists or by acquiring entire theatrical documentation from parties who pass it on to the Museum, as well as through regular subscriptions to press clipping organisations whose job it is to cut out relevant items from the daily and other press.

In recent times, Old Clipping Section is being completed by taking photocopies from clippings found in various libraries and collections of old press clippings from many places (Xerox). The copies make a special group and the method of classification is different. They are sorted out according to the headlines in newspapers and magazines from which they have come and are kept in chronological order.

Systematic collection, keeping and careful processing of clippings from the press for the Museum Collection deserves more attention to detail but for reasons of time and space, we have tried to summarise the work we do in the Theatre Museum of Serbia, which serves as an example to other collections kept at various theatres. In larger towns, particularly in Belgrade, clippings are collected systematically from the special organisation, taking clippings from the press throughout Yugoslavia, but this has been dating back to the last ten or twenty years. Before, this work was carried out by the librarians in the theatrical libraries. These clippings were then glued into notebooks of a larger format and kept in chronological order, but not classified into subject matter or type or article it came from.

However, whatever the system of collection and wherever clippings may be kept, the fact is that they are being used by the multitude of numerous people; those from the theatre and those outside it. On this occasion, we would like to pay attention to the profile of the theatrical user as he is the most important to us. Here we differentiate two types: theatrical creators and internal representatives of a theatrical organisation. Namely, those who create and those who manage creative activities in the theatre.

The need to use the Collection of Press Clippings is evident in both groups to a lesser or larger degree. The artistic director or a dramatist get acquainted, through the Collection, with the series of information essential in their bringing about the final decision on the activities of their houses. Most of all this applies to the repertoire and to the signing of contracts with their artists. During the selection of the repertoire for the theatrical season, or when selecting the drama or musical - ballet show, they learn about the author, composer, their work performed earlier and which they wish to revive and, most of all, they get to know the details of the participants, through the articles written by the critics.

The interest of theatrical artists towards the press write-ups is quite considerable, amusing and worth paying attention to. Here, in the first place are directors of plays and operas, followed by choreographers, conductors, actors, singers, dancers etc. While working on the show, the director tries to learn as much as possible about the author, his play, earlier interpretations, staging, music, actors' creations of roles and the success they have had with the critics and the public. He reads all the clippings referring to the show, reviews, consults the subject matter in order to cast the performers for his show. He studies the clippings relating to one performance, regardless of venue, when and in how many theatres it was staged. Relying on the long experience in handling the Collection, I have come to the conclusion that directors have shown most interest in it.

Considerably less interest is shown by the actors, singers and dancers and when they do use it, all they want to see are critics' reviews on performers. If the role is of an exceptional significance to the repertoire, the interest in information is correspondingly greater. Costume designers, set designers and musical collaborators of the theatrical performances also get their information from the clippings but to a much lesser extent for reasons that critical reviews and write-ups contain very little information on their contributions.

The better the collection, the more interest among the theatrical artists to use it; the better classification, the more use it will be to them. The interest depends on the versatility and the number of clippings contained in it from the daily press and periodicals, audio-visual reviews heard on the radio or seen on the television. If the critic is well known and highly thought of, then the interest in what he says is naturally greater. The necessity to use the Collection grows with the knowledge that it is well arranged and available.

Although many factors influence the use of the Collection, from my own experience in this type of work over many years, I can honestly say that the interest in it is considerable. This is confirmed by annual reports on the number of visits made by various interested parties, which remains unabated.

Also, it is an undeniable fact that today, when the modern technology has found its widest application in the services of the live theatre with tape recorders, TV and Video films, being used to record theatrical events, press clippings have not lost their value and the need to refer back to it still exists as ever before. Of course these technological developments are recent but even so, there are some performances which for some reason or another are not recorded. Also, we would like to point out that the criteria on the basis of which some performances are selected for recording cannot be accepted without reservations. Very often we witness the best shows remain unrecorded. The durability of modern tapes is limited and thus one has to go back to the classical sources of information, to documents, written words, press clippings .... Therefore, these collections do not lose in value. On the contrary, they should be developed systematically, kept and arranged in order that they may serve not only today but in the future, to generations to come and enable insight into theatrical art of the past epoch as well as that of today.

16th Congress

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