The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Dr. Gerald N. Wachs Collection of Tom Stoppard 1967-2013
© 2017 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Wachs, Dr. Gerald N. Collection of Tom Stoppard |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1967-2013 |
| Size: | 7 linear feet (11 boxes, 1 oversize folder) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | The Dr. Gerald N. Wachs Collection contains materials relating to the production of Tom Stoppard’s plays on stage and screen – including advertising, playbills, reviews, and ephemera – and cards, letters, and photographs signed by Stoppard. Of particular note are drafts and working copies of scripts and screenplays, and first run programs. Also included are materials which were used in the preparation of Gerald Wachs’ Tom Stoppard bibliography, published by Oak Knoll Press in 2010 as Tom Stoppard: A Bibliographical History. |
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Wachs, Dr. Gerald N. Collection of Tom Stoppard, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Gerald N. Wachs, M.D. (1937-2013) was a doctor and dermatologist from Millburn, New Jersey. He worked for Schering Pharmaceuticals for twenty years, before founding and running a dermatology and cosmetic surgery practice in Summit, New Jersey.
His civic commitments and intellectual interests were both broad and deep: Wachs served on the Millburn Board of Education for seven years and was the president of the township’s Board of Health, he was a Life Master in bridge, and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Wachs had an intense interest in the humanities. In his retirement he collected books and manuscripts relating to 19th century English poetry.
In 2007, Wachs began a personal correspondence with Tom Stoppard and acquired the playwright’s signature on many editions of his books, screenplays, and ephemera from his plays. Many books and other materials in Wachs’ collection were rare enough that Stoppard said he did not own them himself. In 2012 he co-published a standard bibliography on Stoppard with William Baker. Wachs died on November 8, 2013, in New York, at age 76.
Tom Stoppard was born Tomás Straüssler on 3 July 1937 in Zlín, Czechoslovakia. He spent his early childhood in Singapore and India, before moving to England in 1946 with his mother and stepfather. Educated in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, he became a journalist for the Western Daily Press (1954-1958) and the Bristol Evening World (1958-1960). In 1962 he became a theatre critic for Scene magazine in London. He began writing plays for radio and television in the early 1960s.
His first big success came when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1966. The play came to the attention of Kenneth Tynan, then working for the National Theatre, and it was produced at the National in 1967 and on Broadway in 1967, winning a Tony Award for Best Play (USA) in 1968.
He has written prolifically for television, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, and The Real Thing. He co-wrote the screenplays for Brazil, The Russia House, and Shakespeare in Love, and has received one Academy Award and four Tony Awards. Themes of human rights, censorship and political freedom pervade his work along with exploration of linguistics and philosophy. He spoke out on behalf of Czech dissidents, supporting the playwright Vaclav Havel when he was charged with subversion. Professional Foul (1978) was written for Amnesty International's Prisoner of Conscience Year in 1977.
The Dr. Gerald N. Wachs Collection of Tom Stoppard is organized into six series:
Series I, Correspondence, contains a small collection of correspondence. This includes correspondence between Wachs and Stoppard, cards and letters signed by Stoppard, and correspondence between Wachs and the bookseller Charles Seluzicki. Materials are arranged chronologically.
Series II, Tom Stoppard: A Bibliographical History, contains materials relating to Wachs’ 2010 book. Most of the material in this series consists of web printouts and reference lists. Material is arranged alphabetically by subject heading, with a copy of the book contract at the end of the series.
Series III, Plays, Films, and Radio Productions, contains materials relating to the production of Stoppard plays. This includes playbills and programs, scripts, screenplays, reviews, press releases and ephemera from productions, such as pins and tickets. Most of the reviews are web printouts from productions after 2007, but many of the playbills and programs are from earlier productions. Researchers should refer to Series VI for production posters and some oversized newspaper reviews. Materials span 1967-2013 and are arranged alphabetically by play title.
Series IV, Other Writings, contains non theatrical writing by Stoppard, articles about Stoppard and his plays, interviews, and materials relating to Stoppard’s involvement in the production of two texts - an anthology of A.C.H. Smith’s poetry, and a Writers Guild Foundation publication on comedy. Materials are arranged chronologically.
Series V, Photographs, contains publicity photographs and headshots for productions of Stoppard's plays, as well as photographs of Tom Stoppard. Some photographs in this series are signed by Stoppard or cast members. Materials are arranged alphabetically by play title, with photographs of Stoppard at the end of the series.
Series VI, Oversize contains theatrical and film posters, two LP covers, a signed sketch by Stoppard, and a selection of play reviews. Materials are arranged alphabetically by play title, where possible.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:
Playbill and Program Collection
Gerald N. Wachs Collection of Nineteenth Century English Poetry
Series I: Correspondence |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Tom Stoppard to Others, 1977-2002 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Gerald Wachs to Tom Stoppard, November 13, 2007 |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Charles Seluzicki to Gerald Wachs, undated |
Series II: Tom Stoppard: A Bibliographical History |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | After Magritte, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Arcadia, 2004-2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Artist Descending a Staircase, 2004-2007 |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Adaptations and Translations for the Stage, 2004-2009 |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Chronology, Online Resources, Nonfiction, 2004-2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Collections, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 11 | Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth, 2004 |
| Box 1 Folder 12 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 13 | Hapgood, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 14 | Indian Ink, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 15 | Jumpers, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 16 | Minor Plays for the Stage, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 17 | Night and Day, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 18 | Plays for Radio and "Complete Review" section, 2006-2007 |
| Box 1 Folder 19 | Plays for Radio, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 20 | Plays for Television, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 21 | Plays, Screenplays, Fiction, Nonfiction, Collections, 2009 |
| Box 1 Folder 22 | Rock 'n' Roll, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 23 | Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead; Plays for the Stage, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 24 | Screenplays, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 25 | Secondary Bibliography, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 26 | Secondary Bibliography, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 27 | The Coast of Utopia, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 28 | The Invention of Love, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 29 | The Real Inspector Hound, 2004-2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 30 | The Real Thing, 2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 31 | Travesties, 2004-2006 |
| Box 1 Folder 32 | Tom Stoppard: A Bibliographic History – Book Contract and British Library Publishing Catalog, 2010-2011 |
Series III: Plays, Films, and Radio Productions |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | Arcadia – Playbills and Programs, 1993-2013 [1/2] |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | Arcadia – Playbills and Programs, 1993-2013 [2/2] |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Arcadia – Reviews and Press, 2008-2011 |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Artist Descending a Staircase – Radio Play Script, BBC Italia Prize Entry, 1972 |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | Artist Descending a Staircase – Playbills and Programs, 1988-1990 |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | Artist Descending a Staircase - Review, 2010 |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Brazil – Screenplay, Working Draft, October, 1983 |
| Box 2 Folder 8 | The Cherry Orchard (Chekhov/ Stoppard Adaptation) – Playbills and Programs, 2009 |
| Box 2 Folder 9 | The Cherry Orchard (Chekhov/ Stoppard Adaptation) – Reviews and Press, 2009 |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | The Coast of Utopia – Playbills and Programs, Lincoln Center Theater, 2006-2007 |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | The Coast of Utopia – Program Inserts, circa 2007 |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | The Coast of Utopia – Press and Reviews, 2002-2007 |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | The Coast of Utopia – Pins, circa 2007 |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Dalliance – Playbill, National Theatre 1986 |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | Dirty Linen/New Found Land – Playbills and Programs, 1986 |
| Box 3 Folder 7 | The Dog it was That Died – Radio Transmission Script, ITV Granada,1988 |
| Box 3 Folder 8 | Empire of the Sun – Screenplay, Warner Brothers Pictures, January, 1986 |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | Empire of the Sun – Screenplay, Revised 3rd Draft, September, 1986 |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | Enigma - Screenplay, 1st Revision, October, 1996 |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Enter a Free Man – Playbill, St. Martins Theatre, 1968 |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour - Script, 1977 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – Program, Mermaid Theatre, March, 1978 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – Press and Reviews, British American Repertory Company, 1979 |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – Program, National Theatre, 2009 |
| Box 4 Folder 7 | Hapgood – Mimeographed Script, 1994 |
| Box 4 Folder 8 | Hapgood – Promotional Material and Tickets, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, December, 2010 |
| Box 4 Folder 9 | Hapgood – Press and Reviews, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, 2010 |
| Box 4 Folder 10 | Henry IV (Pirandello and Stoppard Adaptation) – Programs, Donmar Warehouse Theatre, 2004 |
| Box 4 Folder 11 | Heroes – Program and Inserts, Wyndham Theatre, 2005 |
| Box 4 Folder 12 | Heroes – Reviews, 2008 |
| Box 4 Folder 13 | The Human Factor - Film production notes and players list, MGM, 1979 |
| Box 4 Folder 14 | The Human Factor - Release Script, 1980 |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Indian Ink – Playbills and Programs, 1995-2003 |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | The Invention of Love – Signed Book Jacket, Grove Press, undated |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | The Invention of Love – Playbills and Programs, 1997-2001 |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Ivanov (Chekhov/ Stoppard Adaptation) - Program, Donmar Theatre, 2008 |
| Box 5 Folder 5 | Jumpers – Playbills and Programs, 1972-2004 |
| Box 5 Folder 6 | Jumpers – Beyond My Reach, Sheet Music, undated |
| Box 5 Folder 7 | Jumpers – Review, 2008 |
| Box 5 Folder 8 | L'amour des Trois Oranges (1922, Sergei Prokofiev) – Annotated Translation by Stoppard, undated |
| Box 5 Folder 9 | Largo Desolato (Havel/ Stoppard Translation) - Playbills, Beyond the Wall Productions, 2006 |
| Box 5 Folder 10 | Largo Desolato (Havel/ Stoppard Translation) – Review, 2008 |
| Box 5 Folder 11 | Night and Day – Playbills and Programs, 1978-2010 |
| Box 5 Folder 12 | Night and Day – Review Packet, Remy Bumppo Theater Company, 2010 |
| Box 5 Folder 13 | On the Razzle – Script, November, 1985 |
| Box 5 Folder 14 | On the Razzle – Playbills and Programs, 1981 |
| Box 6 Folder 1 | Poodle Springs - Screenplay, Mirage Enterprises, August, 1991 |
| Box 6 Folder 2 | Professional Foul - TV Camera script, BBC2, circa 1977 |
| Box 6 Folder 3 | The Producers (Mel Brooks) - Cast Change Insert, undated |
| Box 6 Folder 4 | The Real Inspector Hound – Playbills and Programs, 1968-2008 |
| Box 6 Folder 5 | The Real Inspector Hound – Reviews, 2008 |
| Box 6 Folder 6 | The Real Thing - Script, Simon and Kumin Casting, January, 1984 |
| Box 6 Folder 7 | The Real Thing – Playbills and Programs, 1983-2010 [1/2] |
| Box 6 Folder 8 | The Real Thing – Playbills and Programs, 1983-2010 [2/2] |
| Box 6 Folder 9 | The Real Thing – 2 Signed Excerpts, undated |
| Box 6 Folder 10 | The Real Thing – Reviews, 2008-2010, undated |
| Box 6 Folder 11 | The Russia House - Screenplay, 2nd draft, signed, August, 1989 |
| Box 7 Folder 1 | Rock 'n' Roll – Playbills, Bernard R. Jacobs Theatre, October, 2007-January, 2008 |
| Box 7 Folder 2 | Rock 'n' Roll - Playbills and Programs, 2007-2009 |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Rock 'n' Roll – Reviews and Press, 2007-2010 |
| Box 7 Folder 4 | Rock 'n' Roll – Tickets and Pin, 2007 |
| Box 7 Folder 5 | Rock 'n' Roll – 'Glossary' from Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, May, 2009 |
| Box 7 Folder 6 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Screenplay, final revision, Brandenberg International, January, 1989 |
| Box 7 Folder 7 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead – Playbills and Programs, 1967-2010 |
| Box 7 Folder 8 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead – Venice Film Festival Program, 1991 |
| Box 7 Folder 9 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead – Reviews, 2008-2009 |
| Box 8 Folder 1 | Rough Crossing - Programs and Playbills, 1984-2008 |
| Box 8 Folder 2 | Rough Crossing – Reviews, 2007-2008 |
| Box 8 Folder 3 | The Seagull (Chekhov/ Stoppard Adaptation) – Programs and Playbills, 1998-2008 |
| Box 8 Folder 4 | Shakespeare in Love - Screenplay, white cover, 1998 [1/2] |
| Box 8 Folder 5 | Shakespeare in Love - Screenplay, white cover, 1998 [2/2] |
| Box 8 Folder 6 | Shakespeare in Love - Screenplay, yellow cover, Miramax Films, 1998 |
| Box 8 Folder 7 | Shakespeare in Love – Screenplay, red cover, Miramax Films, signed by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, 1998 |
| Box 8 Folder 8 | Shakespeare In Love – "Written By" Review, March, 1999 |
| Box 8 Folder 9 | Sleepy Hollow – Screenplay, signed by four principal actors, 1999 |
| Box 9 Folder 1 | Stoppard Goes Electric - Playbills and Programs, 2007 |
| Box 9 Folder 2 | Stoppard Goes Electric – Reviews and Press, 2007 |
| Box 9 Folder 3 | Stoppard Goes Electric – Script Photocopies, 2007 |
| Box 9 Folder 4 | Travesties – Playbills and Programs, 1974-2005 |
| Box 9 Folder 5 | Travesties – Reviews, 2008 |
| Box 9 Folder 6 | Undiscovered Country – Playbills and Programs, 1979-1981 |
Series IV: Other Writings |
| Box 9 Folder 7 | Articles about Tom Stoppard, 1979-2010 |
| Box 9 Folder 8 | Paradise and Purgatory – Manuscript Draft, March 18, 1981 |
| Box 9 Folder 9 | Laughter is the Best Medicine – Correspondence and Drafts, Writers Guild Foundation, 2003 |
| Box 9 Folder 10 | Interviews with Tom Stoppard, 2007-2009, undated |
| Box 9 Folder 11 | A.C.H. Smith Poetry Anthology - Correspondence - Stoppard to Anthony Astbury (Grenville Press), April-August 2009 |
| Box 9 Folder 12 | A.C.H. Smith Poetry Anthology – Drafts and Corrected Proof, circa 2009 |
| Box 9 Folder 13 | A.C.H. Smith Poetry Anthology – Signed Copy to Wachs, circa 2009 |
Series V: Photographs |
| Box 9 Folder 14 | The Human Factor – Promotional Photos, 1979 |
| Box 9 Folder 15 | Night and Day – Tom Stoppard and Maggie Smith, November 28, 1979 |
| Box 9 Folder 16 | Poodle Springs (HBO) – Photographic Slides and Prints, Tom Stoppard, James Caan, Dina Meyer, 1998 |
| Box 9 Folder 17 | The Real Inspector Hound – Headshots, 2008 |
| Box 9 Folder 18 | The Real Things – Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close, January 6, 1984 |
| Box 9 Folder 19 | Tom Stoppard – Signed Photographs, undated |
| Box 9 Folder 20 | Tom Stoppard and Gerald Wachs, undated |
Series VI: Oversize |
| Box 10 | New Found Land - LP album cover - signed, 1976 |
| Box 10 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – LP album cover, 1978 |
| Box 10 | "Pushing the Envelope" – Pen and Ink Drawing – signed and framed, October, 2008 |
| Box 11 Folder 1 | Poster – Arcadia - Duke of York's Theatre, 2009 [1/2] |
| Box 11 Folder 2 | Poster – Arcadia - Duke of York's Theatre, 2009 [2/2] |
| Box 11 Folder 3 | Poster – Artist Descending a Staircase - Helen Hayes Theatre, 1989 |
| Box 11 Folder 4 | Poster – Empire of the Sun – Movie, 1987 |
| Box 11 Folder 5 | Poster – Heroes - Wyndham's Theatre, 2005 |
| Box 11 Folder 6 | Poster – Jumpers - Aldwych Theatre, 1986 |
| Box 11 Folder 7 | Poster – Rock 'n' Roll - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, signed by cast, 2007 |
| Box 11 Folder 8 | Poster – Rock 'n' Roll - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 2007 |
| Box 11 Folder 9 | Poster – Rock 'n' Roll - Huntington Theatre Company, 2008 |
| Box 11 Folder 10 | Poster – Rock 'n' Roll - Duke of York's Theatre, 2006 [1/2] |
| Box 11 Folder 11 | Poster – Rock 'n' Roll - Duke of York's Theatre, 2006 [1/2] |
| Box 11 Folder 12 | Poster – The Cherry Orchard - The Old Vic Theatre, 2009 [1/2] |
| Box 11 Folder 13 | Poster – The Cherry Orchard - The Old Vic Theatre, 2009 [1/2] |
| Box 11 Folder 14 | Poster – The Coast of Utopia - Lincoln Center Theater, signed by cast, 2007 |
| Box 11 Folder 15 | Poster – The Real Inspector Hound – Criterion Theatre, 1968 |
| Box 11 Folder 16 | Poster – The Real Inspector Hound – Theatre Four, signed, 1972 |
| Box 11 Folder 17 | Poster – The Real Thing – Plymouth Theatre, 1984 |
| Box 11 Folder 18 | Poster – The Real Thing – Strand Theatre, 1984 |
| Box 11 Folder 19 | Poster – The Real Thing – T. Schreiber Studio/ The Gloria Maddox Theatre, 2009 |
| Box 11 Folder 20 | Poster – Travesties – Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1975 |
| Box 11 Folder 21 | Reviews – Miscellaneous, 1973-2007 |
| Box 11 Folder 22 | Reviews – Miscellaneous, 1973-2008 |
| Box Oversize folder | Poster – Hapgood - Lincoln Center Theater, 1988 |
| Box Oversize folder | Poster – Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – National Theatre, 2009 |