Virgil C. Johnson Papers

Abstract

Virgil Johnson is an award-winning costume designer whose work has been seen at numerous theaters in Chicago, including Goodman, Court, Victory Gardens, Body Politic, Steppenwolf, Northlight, St. Nicholas and Apollo. Collection includes costume sketches and renderings as well as programs and notes.

Biographical/Historical

Virgil Johnson’s career as a costume designer spanned four decades, beginning at the New York City Opera into his retirement as a Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University. He worked on productions at many Chicago theaters, including the Court, Victory Gardens, Body Politic, Steppenwolf, Mercury, Northlight, Apollo, Chicago Shakespeare Repertory, Ravinia’s Murray Theatre and Lyric Opera. He designed costumes for 16 productions at the Goodman Theatre as its resident costume designer from 1969 to 1978, and continued to design for the Goodman through the 1990s. He also designed for theaters outside the Chicago area, several of which are represented in the collection. He earned Joseph Jefferson Awards for his work on The Government Inspector (Goodman Theatre, 1985), A Little Night Music (Goodman Theatre, 1994), Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 1999) and Follies (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 2011). He won the Michael Merritt Award for Excellence in Collaboration and Design in 2001.

After earning his BFA in Design and Art History from Boston University, Johnson began his professional career in 1961 as a design assistant with the New York City Opera. During those early years, he also worked for the Washington Opera Society, Turnau Opera, and Yonkers Playhouse. Johnson spent the 1964-1965 season in wardrobe for the APA/Phoenix Repertory Company in New York City.

After relocating to the Chicago area, Johnson earned his M.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University in 1967. The same year, he joined the staff of the Goodman Theatre, and served as its resident costume designer from 1969 to 1978.

In 1981, Johnson became associate professor and director of the Costume Design program for Goodman/DePaul School of Drama. He joined Northwestern’s Theatre Department faculty in 1985 and served as Department Chair from 2002 to 2004. He was guest curator of costume collections at Evanston Historical Society (1978-1990) and designed five costume exhibitions at the Chicago Historical Society. He narrated a historical fashion show at the Chicago Cultural Center (commissioned by the Chicago Fashion Exchange).

Johnson retired in 2007.

Scope and Contents

The Virgil Johnson collection contains costume drawings, research, photographs and accompanying materials, covering the years 1967-2015. The drawings represent Johnson’s work at several Chicago area theaters, as well as the Missouri Repertory Theatre (now the Kansas City Repertory Theatre) and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The collection includes designs for 21 productions at the Goodman Theatre, where Johnson was resident costume designer, 1969-1978, and continued his work with the theater as a freelance designer into the 1980s and 1990s.

Arrangement

The materials in the Virgil C. Johnson Papers have been arranged into two series:

• Series 1: Costume Designs and Productions, 1967-2012, undated
• Series 2: Exhibitions and Programs, 1987-2015, undated

Related Materials

• Body Politic Theatre Collection
• Goodman Theatre Archive
• Joseph Nieminski Papers
• Northlight Theatre Records
• Nicholas Theatre Records
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company Records

Subject Headings

• Johnson, Virgil C. – Archives.
• Theaters – Illinois – Chicago – History – Sources.
• Costume Designers – Illinois – Chicago – History – Sources.

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Costume Designs and Productions, 1967-2012, undated

Scope and Contents

This series includes more than 1,000 drawings, sketches, fabric swatches, costume plots, research, production notes, programs, photographs, slides and promotional materials for productions from 1967 to 2012. Most of the drawings are watercolor and/or gouache on watercolor paper.

Arrangement

Materials vary in size and have been housed by size. Drawings have been arranged into small (a), medium (b), and large (c) boxes. One production (Goodman Theatre, 1985: The Government Inspector) contains drawings of a smaller, fourth size (d). Costume design for all productions was provided by Virgil C. Johnson unless otherwise noted. Records are described in the container list alphabetically by theater, then chronologically by production. Out-of-state theaters follow, arranged alphabetically by state, then by theater. Accompanying materials are listed at the beginning of each production, then drawings listed alphabetically by character followed by working drawings listed alphabetically by character. Please note, some drawings may include multiple characters and are listed under the first character named on each drawing.

The 1971 Goodman production Poor Bitos, each actor dual characters. Some of the drawings represent the costume modifications for the dual characters. In addition, most drawings feature the costumes for more than one actor. The following list of dual characters is transcribed from the program: Maxime (Saint Just), Philippe (Jesuit Father), Charles [Revolution], Julien (Danton), Lila (Marie Antoinette), Amanda (Madame Tallien), Vulturne (Mirabeau), Brassac (Tallien), Deschamps (Camille Desmoulins), Victoire (Lucille Desmoulins), Bitos (Robespierre), Joseph [Revolution], Delanoue (Merda), Robespierre as a child [no drawing].

Johnson’s designs for Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 at Shakespeare Repertory Theater, are listed with designs from Chicago Shakespeare Theater. This was the final production under CST’s former name.