| Dates: | 1980-1999 |
| Size: | 2 linear feet in 4 boxes |
| Repository: | Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605 |
| Collection number: | spe.ctc-nap |
| Immediate source of acquisition: | Donated by Nicholas A. Patricca in 1988 and 1999. |
| Conditions governing use: | Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection |
| Conditions governing access: | Materials are open without restrictions |
| Physical location note: | Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least 24-hours prior to your research visit to coordinate access. |
| Preferred citation: | When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is: Nicholas A. Patricca Papers [Box#, Folder#], Special Collections, Chicago Public Library |
| Finding aid author: | Original author unknown. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Sarah Zimmerman, 2021 |
Abstract
Collection documents the work of Nicholas Patricca, a Chicago playwright and an artistic director at Chicago New Plays, a collective service organization dedicated to the development of playwrights working in Chicago. Materials include original scripts and production materials for 18 plays written by Patricca.
Biographical/Historical
Dr. Nicholas A. Patricca began his award-winning writing for theater in 1980. That year, his first play The Examen was produced at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. Since that time, he wrote, published and produced several full-length dramatic works, one-acts and dramatic monologues and poems, including An Uncertain Hour, The Fifth Sun, The Lemon Tree and Gardinia’s ‘n’ Blum. Many of his shorter pieces have been performed as dramatic monologues and have been featured in a variety of literary magazines.
Dr. Patricca was a founding member of the Chicago Alliance for Playwrights, and member of Dramatists Guild, Writers-in-Prison Committee and was coordinator of the Chicago Network for Justice and Peace. He was a founding member and artistic director of Chicago New Plays, a collective service organization dedicated to the development of playwrights working in Chicago theater. He served as Playwright-in-Residence at the Commons Theatre in Chicago (1985) and is an alumnus of the Victory Gardens Playwrights Ensemble and former Artistic Associate at Bailiwick Repertory. His plays and performance poetry have been produced internationally as well as throughout the U.S.
Dr. Patricca is a professor emeritus at Loyola University Chicago. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology from the University of Chicago (1972).
Scope and Contents
The collection documents the work of Nicholas Patricca, a Chicago playwright and an artistic director at Chicago New Plays, a collective service organization dedicated to the development of playwrights working in Chicago. Materials include original scripts and production materials for 18 plays written by Patricca, including monologues and poetry.
The Nicholas A. Patricca Papers are one of the founding archives of the Chicago Theater Collection. After having received an initial donation of scripts from 1987, Special Collections received a second donation in 1999 that consisted of extensive research and script materials from his collaborative work with playwrights Anne V. McGravie, Dwight Okita and David Zak on the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns. The work was produced at Bailiwick Repertory in the summer of 1995.
Arrangement
The Nicholas A. Patricca Papers have been arranged into two series:
- Series 1: Biographical, 1987-1999, undated
- Series 2: Scripts and Productions, 1980-1997, undated
Separated Materials
Videotapes have been removed to the Chicago Theater Videotape Collection
Related Materials
- Bailiwick Repertory Records
- Commons Theater Records
- Patricia L. (Pat) Hart Papers
- Organic Theater Records
- Victory Gardens Theater Records
- Published plays are available on the 7th floor in the Literature department at Harold Washington Library Center
Subject Headings
- Patricca, Nicholas A. – Archives.
- Victory Gardens Theater – Sources.
- Bailiwick Repertory Theater – Sources.
- Radiance of a thousand suns -- Sources.
- Theater – Illinois – Chicago – Sources.
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Biographical, 1987-1999, undated
Scope and Contents
This series consists of resumes, general newspaper clippings and correspondence about Nicholas A. Patricca.
Arrangement
Files are arranged by topic.
| Box 1 | Folder 1 | Biography- Resumes, professional summaries, 1987-1999, undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 2 | Biography- CAIP/USIS Artists’ Exchange to the Philippines, 1998 November-December |
| Biography- (Excerpts) Playwright Nicholas Patricca is interviewed by Robert Colucci. Video recording (30 minutes). [See: Chicago Theater Videotape Collection #2.1], 1987 | ||
| Biography- Playwright Nicholas Patricca interviewed by Arnold Aprill. Video recording (30 minutes) [See: Chicago Theater Videotape Collection #2.4], 1988 January 9 | ||
| Biography- A Playwright Speaks: Nicholas Patricca is interviewed by Robert Colucci. Video recording (30 minutes) [See: Chicago Theater Videotape Collection #2.11], 1990 January 25 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 3 | Correspondence- Incoming, 1997 |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 | Correspondence- Outgoing, 1990 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 | General- Promotional material from readings, 1990, undated |
Series 2: Scripts and Productions, 1980-1997, undated
Scope and Contents
Series 2 includes multiple versions of typescripts and research and production information.
Arrangement
Files are arranged alphabetically by play title.
| Box 1 | Folder 6 | The Decline of the West (A Brief One-Act Play). Script, 1982 |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 | The Decline of the West- Review for the LionHeart Gay Theatre production, 1982 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 | The Defiant Muse. Script, excerpt from Governor’s Award, Illinois Arts Council, 1996 September 13 |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | Dream Machine (A Farce in One Act). Script, 1985 |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 | Dream Machine- Promotional material for the Deja Vu Coffeehouse reading, [1986] February 6-March 15 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | Dream Machine- Promotional material, review for the LionHeart Gay Theatre, “Cafe Homophobe” production, 1985 December 5-14 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 | Dream Machine- Review for the Organic Lab Theatre, Summer Shorts Festival production, 1986 July-August |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 | The Examen- Script, labeled “Production Text”, 1980 |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 | The Examen- Promotional material, reviews for the Victory Gardens Theater production, 1980 May 30-July 6 |
| Box 1 | Folder 15 | Father (Performance Poem). One-page monologue marked with performance information, 1989 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 | Father- Published text, San Miguel Writer, vol. 3, with notes on performances, 1990 June |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 | The Fifth Sun- Script, labeled “Victory Gardens Theater Production Text”, 1984 |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 | The Fifth Sun- Program, promotional material, clippings for the production at Victory Gardens Theater, 1984 September 26-November 4 |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 | The Fifth Sun- Program, promotional material, reviews for the Group Theatre Company production in Seattle, 1986 March 13-April 6 |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 | The Fifth Sun- Program for the Spaulding University production in Louisville, Ky., undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 21 | The Fifth Sun- Program and review for the College Theatre, Birmingham-Southern College production in Birmingham, Ala., undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 22 | Frankie and Nikki (Dramatic Monologues). Frankie, Monologue, 1987 |
| Box 1 | Folder 23 | Frankie and Nikki- Published text for Frankie and Nikki, The Sun, issue 165, 1989 August |
| Box 1 | Folder 24 | Frankie and Nikki- Published text for Frankie and On the Northeast Corner of Belmont and Sheffield Facing South, San Miguel Review, 1989 |
| Box 1 | Folder 25 | Frankie and Nikki- Program, with text for Frankie and other poems (in Italian and English) for “Riari 78,” in Rome, 1990 March |
| Box 1 | Folder 26 | Gardenia’s ‘n’ Blum (Una Commedia Italiana). Script, labeled “Victory Gardens/Body Politic Production Text, Draft”, 1986 |
| Box 1 | Folder 27 | Gardenia’s ‘n’ Blum- Program, promotional material, reviews for the Victory Gardens Theater, Play Expo production, 1987 June 5-July 19 |
| Box 1 | Folder 28 | Hail Mary I (A Dramatic Monologue). Unmarked text, with performance information, 1986 |
| Box 1 | Folder 29 | Hail Mary I- Reviews for the Organic Lab Theater, Summer Shorts Festival production, 1986 July |
| Hail Mary I- Goodman Theatre, directed by Steve Scott, lights by Geraro Bilel, with Lucina Paquet. Video recording (approx.. 15 minutes, color) [See: Chicago Theater Videotape Collection #1.19], 1988 August 1 | ||
| Box 1 | Folder 30 | Hail Mary II. Unmarked text, 1987 |
| Box 1 | Folder 31 | Hail Mary II- Reviews for the Organic Lab Theater, Summer Shorts Festival production, 1987 July |
| Box 1 | Folder 32 | Homeboy (A Ten-Minute One-Act Play for One Male Actor). Unmarked text, with promotional materials from Club Lower Links, Crimes of Reckless Youth: A Series (Boys Behind Bars)—Post-Structuralist Punk Performance Poetry featuring Nicholas A. Patricca, 1987 |
| Box 1 | Folder 33 | The Idea of Chaos (Life, Sex, Death and Order) at Key West. Published text, Lamia Ink, The Poets Theatre Issue, 1990 |
| Box 2 | Folder 1 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns: The Hiroshima Project by Nicholas A. Patricca, Anne V. McGravie, Dwight Okita, and David Zak. Copyright and trademark information, 1995 |
| Box 2 | Folder 2 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Correspondence with David Cortright, President of the Fourth Freedom Forum, 1994-1996 |
| Box 2 | Folder 3 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Correspondence with Martin Harwit, former Director of the National Air and Space Museum (Enola Gay exhibit), 1995-1997 |
| Box 2 | Folder 4 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Correspondence with Dramatic Publishing regarding publication of the play, 1997 |
| Box 2 | Folder 5 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Manuscript notebooks belonging to Nick Patricca, 1994, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 6 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- The A-Bomb Story: Theory Becomes Reality, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 7 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Biographical Sketches, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 8 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- The Bomb and Man’s Consciousness, by W.H. Auden, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 9 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Enola Gay Perspectives (http://www.glue.umd.edu/~enola), undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 10 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Miscellaneous articles and information, 1994, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 11 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- The Scientists: Their Views 20 Years Later, by William L. Laurence, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 12 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Newspaper clippings on the canceled Smithsonian Enola Gay exhibit, 1995, undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 13-15 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script for the Smithsonian Enola Gay exhibit, 1994 |
| Box 2 | Folder 16 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Terms, glossary, undated |
| Box 3 | Folder 1 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Score notes, 1997 |
| Box 3 | Folder 2 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Score (copy 1), 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 3 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Score (copy 2) |
| Box 3 | Folder 4 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script notes, undated |
| Box 3 | Folder 5 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Unmarked script, This is Not My Life by Dwight Okita and Chuck Larkin; labeled “Draft: 5-20-95”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 6 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script, marked with light cues; labeled “Merged Master Text / 4 July 1995 / & n.p.”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 7 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script rewrites, Anne McGravie; labeled “Merged Master Copy / 12 June 95”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 8 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script rewrites, Dwight Okita; labeled “Merged Master Copy 6/18/95”, with correspondence, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 9 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Merged Master Copy 6/12/95”, with blocking, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 10 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Final Master Copy 7/04/95” and “Opening Night Text 16 July 95”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 11 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Production Text 16 July 1995”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 12 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Production Text 16 July 1995”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 13 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Final Master Copy October 95”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 14 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Final Master Copy October 95” and “Sue’s Comments”, 1995 |
| Box 3 | Folder 15 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Final Master Copy February 1997”, with McGravie comments, 1997 |
| Box 3 | Folder 16 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Final Master Copy February 1997”, with Okita comments, 1997 |
| Box 3 | Folder 17 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Script; labeled “Final Master Copy February 1997”, with Zak (?) comments, 1997 |
| Box 4 | Folder 1 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns: The Hiroshima Project. World Premiere, Bailiwick Repertory. Directed by David Zak, costumes by Michael Alan Stein, lighting design by Robert Dalleska and original music and sound design by Joe Cerqua. Production photographs, 1995 |
| Box 4 | Folder 2 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Program, promotional material, reviews and clippings, 1995 |
| Box 4 | Folder 3 | If the Radiance of a Thousand Suns- Royalties and production rights, 1994 |
| Box 4 | Folder 4 | The Lemon Tree (An Unfinished Play in One Act). Unmarked production text for Randolph Street Gallery performance, 1987 October 9 |
| Box 4 | Folder 5 | The Lemon Tree- Unmarked script; labeled “Revised Version”, 1986-1987 |
| Box 4 | Folder 6 | The Lemon Tree- Unmarked script; labeled “Lionheart Production Text, Theatre Building, Chicago”, with program and promotional material, 1988 September |
| Box 4 | Folder 7 | The Little Star of Great Courage (A Christmas Story). [La Pequeña Estrella de Gran Valor.] Unmarked script; labeled “Produced December 1983, Shown on Mexican Cable Vision, December 24, 1983”, 1983 |
| Box 4 | Folder 8 | The Little Star of Great Courage- Program (in Spanish) for the Centro Cultural “El Nigromante” production in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 1983 December 16 |
| Box 4 | Folder 9 | The Little Star of Great Courage- Photographs for the Centro Cultural “El Nigromante” production in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 1983 December 16 |
| Box 4 | Folder 10 | Oh, Holy Allen Ginsberg: Oh, Holy Shit Sweet Jesus Tantric Buddha Dharma Road (A Full-Length Serio-Comedy in Two Acts). Script; labeled “Version 4.00”, 1994 |
| Box 4 | Folder 11 | Oh, Holy Allen Ginsberg- Program, reviews for the Bailiwick Repertory, Pride Performance Series 93 production, 1993 May 31-June |
| Box 4 | Folder 12 | The Pursuit of Happiness. Script; labeled “Winter 1985”, 1985 |
| Box 4 | Folder 13 | The Pursuit of Happiness- Press release, reviews for the Organic Lab Theater production, 1986 February 20-March 16 |
| Box 4 | Folder 14 | Richard (Dramatic Monologue). Text marked with line changes; labeled “Randolph Street Gallery Production Text”, 1987 |
| Box 4 | Folder 15 | Testosterone, Amino Acids, and a Whole Lot More: A Closet (Smallish) Drama. Unmarked text published in Outlines, vol. 3, no. 6, 1989 November |
| Box 4 | Folder 16 | An Uncertain Hour (A Full-Length Play in Two Acts). Unmarked text; labeled “Version 6.2”, 1994 |
| Box 4 | Folder 17 | An Uncertain Hour- Programs, reviews and correspondence for the Bailiwick Repertory production, 1994 May 23-June 26 |
