Welcome
Documenting the international history of theatre for youth and theatre education, the Child Drama Collection is the world’s largest such archival repository, containing more than 9,000 books and dating back to the 16th century. The collection, an invaluable resource for scholars into the field’s methodology and pedagogy, includes materials providing theoretical and practical documentation on theatre education from preschool to high school, arts curriculum and training, standards and assessment, management and practices, artistry and plays for young audiences.
Collections of note
Jonathan Levy Papers
Books and manuscripts documenting the early history of theatre for youth, the status of children in society, and the cultural taste and sensibility of child education.
Irene Corey Papers
Original renderings, sketches, correspondence, notes and photographs underscore Irene Corey’s pioneering work in theatrical costume, set and makeup design.
Childsplay Records
The organizational records of Childsplay, a nonprofit professional theatre company for young audiences founded in 1977 in Tempe, Arizona.
The David, Sonja, and Benjamin Saar Yellow Boat Collection
Features production materials and the original 54 Benjamin Saar paintings used to inspire the writing of “The Yellow Boat,” an award-winning play about the first child to contract AIDS in Arizona in the 1980s.
Lowell and Nancy Swortzell Theatre Arts Collection
The personal and professional papers of these two founders of the Educational Theatre Program at New York University in 1966.
Work we're passionate about
Costumes, scripts, designs and ephemera
Arizona State University’s Child Drama Collection attracts scholars, playwrights, performers and students from around the globe. Here, Katherine Krzys, former curator of the collection, walks us through the world’s largest repository of materials related to children’s theatre.
Information
Access the collection
To view materials in this collection, please make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling 480-965-4932.
Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.
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