I have been collecting theater programs since 1966. I am not certain why I kept as many as I have. They are designed to be of limited use. But there they were.
From Broadway. London. Los Angeles. Oxford. Portland. Seattle. Salem. Paris. Athens. And with a range of plays just as broad.
All the way from the usual tourist schlock. The Mousetrap. Evita. Cats. Phantom of the Opera. Starlight Express. Les Miserables. Miss Saigon.
To the more unusual. My Fat Friend with John Inman of Are You Being Served. The full series of D'Oyly Carte (de mortuis nihil nisi bonum) Gilbert and Sullivan productions. A Little Night Music with Jean Simmons (the actress, not the tongue guy) and Hermione Gingold. Billy -- when Michael Crawford was a comedian with a character actor's singing voice instead of his current false Caruso. The amazing Chita Rivera in the pedestrian Kiss of the Spider Woman, And Victor Borge.
Some of the programs contain the autographs of the stars.
It was fun to look through them. But I have not seen most of them in years. They were prime targets to head to the dump.
But reprieves come in odd ways.
On Friday night, I attended a local high school production of Little Shop of Horrors. It was not very good. However, when I was introduced to the drama teacher, an idea hit me. Why not pass on my collection to someone who would really appreciate it?
I made the offer. The drama teacher accepted. The collection will have a far better home than I have offered it over the past five decades.
If only it was that easy to divest myself of some of my other goods.
4 comments:
Steve, you should get this collection appraised before donating it. With those signatures, you might be amazed. Ephemera which usually isn't saved, brings big bucks. At least, you should if you want a tax write-off!
For now, I am only interested in getting rid of things. Valuable or not.
I felt the same way when I was getting rid of everything before I moved here. Now, though, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had had some of my old vinyl records appraised. I had an eclectic collection with some rare items that ranged from Captain Beefheart to Mildred Bailey, some in pristine condition. They all went to the Salvation Army. I hope someone saw the value there and cashed in before they went to the Thrift Store.
I have a mother lode of vinyl in the basement that is going to make some Salvation Army shopper very happy.
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