The William Hayden Boyers papers primarily document Boyers’s work as a theatre director. A majority of the records relate to his work as director and faculty advisor of the Oberlin College Gilbert and Sullivan Players, an organization that he founded in 1949. After his retirement from Oberlin College, Boyers served on the faculty of Saint Paul’s Episcopal College in Lawrenceville, Virginia. The collection contains correspondence, a class syllabus, several programs, and a series of slides relating to his time at Saint Paul’s. At both of these institutions he also directed several French plays, the programs and production notes for which are included in this collection. Although Boyers was a member of the Oberlin College French department for 39 years and served as Chair of the English Department at Saint Paul’s College, there is virtually no documentation in the collection relating to his teaching, research, or involvement in professional organization. The collection of prompt books, scripts, libretti, and other production materials demonstrate Boyers’s love for and commitment to theatre.

Also included in this collection are the poems and prose of Boyers’s wife, Dorothy Stark Boyers. These writings concern such topics as family and personal relationships and appear to be unpublished.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series 1. Correspondence, 1962, 1972, n.d.

This series contains nine letters and three postcards to and from W. Hayden Boyers, as well as three blank postcards. The bulk of the letters all come from Boyers’ time at Saint Paul’s College and concern production and travel logistics.

Series 2. Miscellaneous Materials, 1944, 1971-72

There are two items in this series. One is a speech written by Boyers on the study of foreign languages and the other is a syllabus for his course at Saint Paul’s College entitled “Modern Drama.”

Series 3. Newspaper Clippings and Articles, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1972

This series contains two periodicals (one of which is in French) relating to theatre, as well as several articles and advertisements concerning shows that Boyers directed. Included in this series is a news article announcing a performance by the Saint Paul Players of Don-Jo Victorious, an original adaptation by Boyers of Moliere’s Don Juan. (Programs for this production are included in the following series.)

Series 4. Programs, 1962-72, n.d.

The programs are divided into three sections. The first, “Performances by Boyers,” consists of programs for shows that Boyers directed, produced or oversaw, most of which were performed at either Saint Paul’s College or Oberlin College. They include Gilbert and Sullivan operettas as well as French plays. The second, “Other theatre,” contains programs from his travels in London as well as one program from Nashua, New Hampshire. The third, “Church and college,” consists of programs from Saint Paul’s College and one from the Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs 68th annual convention, where the Oberlin College Gilbert and Sullivan Players performed as part of the program.

Series 5. Prompt Books, Scripts, Libretti and Production Notes, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1970, 1972, n.d.

The prompt books, scripts, libretti and production notes relate to Boyers’ productions, primarily of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and French plays. Many of the scripts are marked up with direction notes. A few of the production notes include set design drawings.

Series. 6. Scrapbooks, 1950-51, 1954-65

This series includes six scrapbooks from the Oberlin College Gilbert and Sullivan Players. They contain photographs, periodical clippings and programs, and pertain to both Oberlin and Cape Cod events.

Series 7. Writings by Dorothy Stark Boyers, 1967, 1981-82, n.d.

This series consists of unpublished works of poetry and fiction, including two novels, by Boyers’ wife, Dorothy Stark Boyers. All are in typed manuscript form.

Series 8. Non-textual Materials, 1952-67

The non-textual materials are subdivided into the following three subseries.

Subseries I. Photographs, 1952-66

This subseries consists of photographs of Gilbert and Sullivan production performances at Oberlin College. There are also miscellaneous rehearsal photographs of the Gilbert and Sullivan Summer Players in Cape Cod. Many of the photographs and individuals are unidentified.

Subseries II. Slides and Filmstrip, 1956, n.d.

This subseries contains one filmstrip and three boxes of slides. One of the boxes, labeled “G&S Summer ’56 Cape Cod, Oberlin College,” contains images of students in costume and of productions from the Gilbert and Sullivan Players at Cape Cod in 1956. The other two boxes, each labeled “Duplicates,” appear to contain images of students and faculty at one or more receptions at Saint Paul’s College. The filmstrip, entitled “Medieval Theatre - The Miracle and Mystery Plays, Part I,” consists of a series of medieval paintings.

Subseries III. Reel-to-Reel Recording, 1967

This subseries includes a reel-to-reel recording (five reels) of a special performance of The Pirates of Penzance by the Gilbert and Sullivan Players. It was performed three times as part of the program honoring Boyers’s retirement during the 1967 Commencement weekend. Playing the leads in this performance are Jane Warsaw (Mabel), Frank Spoto (Frederick), Lee Shlosberg (Major General), David Cornell (Pirate King), and Terrence Tobias (Samuel).  (Source: Oberlin Alumni Magazine, August 1967, pp. 33-35)

Accession 142 was received in one installment from W. Hayden Boyers on 9 August 1971. Accession 1983/13 was received in one installment from Dorothy Stark Boyers on 11 May 1983.

For more materials concerning the Oberlin College Gilbert and Sullivan players, see RG 19/3/3 - Gilbert and Sullivan Players.