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Jean V. Cutler (1927 -2010) choreographer, director, and Professor of Theater was born in Hampton, Virginia, in 1927. Performing at an early age, Cutler developed an enduring interest in film and experimental theater, including poetic theater, surrealism and futurism. He received his B.A. in English from Lynchburg College in 1955 and earned a M.A. (1959) and Ph.D. (1962) in Speech at the University of Illinois, submitting a dissertation titled "Realism in Augustin Daly's Productions of Contemporary Plays." As a student, Cutler staged premieres of avant-garde works by former School of Music faculty Kenneth Gaburo, an electronic music pioneer, and Lejaren Hiller, a founder of computer music at the University of Illinois, including Hiller's "Blue is the Antecedent of It" and "Cuthbert Bound." During this period, he also choreographed two works--"Revelation in the Courthouse Park" and "Water! Water!"--by innovative composer Harry Partch.
After completing his doctorate, Cutler became an instructor at the University of Oregon, where he taught and served as the University Theater Director. Cutler returned to Urbana in 1968 to develop "Web," a work about the playwright Web Smalley that was the second in a series of films about the creative process in the performing arts. In the spring of 1970, Cutler produced and directed Kenneth Gaburo's "LINGUA III: In the Can (a dialectic mix in 3 rounds)" at the University of Oregon Theater Workshop. Cutler also interviewed Harry Partch during the early 1970s with the intention of making a film, "The End of Life is Perception," that was never finished. After retiring from the University of Oregon in 1980, Cutler continued to direct and participate in the theater community. Between 1983 and 1986, he organized a professional theater company in Washington, D.C., and directed several plays. During the 1990s, he participated in North Carolina's visiting artist program at Mitchell College and Forsyth Technical Community College.
This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Gift
Initially acquired by the University of Illinois Music Library and transferred to the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music in 2007.
The original films and reel-to-reel audiotapes were heavily spliced and when appropriate the processing archivists repaired failed splices following accepted archives preservation standards. In addition several bags of film outtakes were sampled and spliced together before they were mounted to archival quality film cores.
The collection is arranged in two series, Series 1: Audiovisual recordrins which is arranged alphabetical by performance/motif title; and Series 2: Performance Notes and Publications.
Consists of original 16mm and 8mm films, reel-to-reel audio tape recordings, color slides, photographs, and personal papers pertaining to Jean Cutler's career as a graduate student in the Department of Speech, College of LAS, at the University of Illinois (1958-1962), as well as from his time as Professor of Theater at the University of Oregon (1962-1980) and, later, as a visiting artist in North Carolina (ca. 1990s). In addition there is an original manuscript for Cutler's book, "Sculpture of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Essay" (University of Oregon Press, ca. 1976). Of particular interest among these materials are two collaborative works, "Blue is the Antecedent of It" (1959) and "Cuthbert Bound" (1960) by Cutler and Lejaren Hiller, an early pioneer of electronic music at the University of Illinois.
These materials were part of a larger collection of Cutler's personal papers that was donated to the University of Illinois Music Library in 1996 and transferred to the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music in 2010. Materials retained by the Sousa Archives relate exclusively to Cutler's collaborations with Harry Partch and Kenneth Gaburo.
Film reel
16mm film. Taken from original container: "Hansel + Gretel L. Lee Baldridge Benny Masters Investigation Models in a line." Film number 1-1.
Film and audio reels
Scotch audio. PJ-1.
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Peter Jamison "An Actor" Interview - PJ 2
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. March 16, 1968 - Interview #6 p Peter Jamison - PJ 3
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Peter Jamison #1 - March 16, 1968 - Excerpts removed 10/8/68 / PJ4.
16mm film. Original for Jamison. Film number 2-1
16mm film. P. Jamison master. Film number 2-2.
16mm film. P. Jamison - original. Film number 2-3.
16mm film. P. Jamison - outtakes. Film number 2-4.
Audio reels
AudioTape - 7" Audio - 7.5 IPS . Performance copy of the Bacchae, Feb 1963, put together using Parch and Hiller excerpts.
Scotch 111 - 7" audio. Critique of The Bacchae 1963 - 3 3/4 0 U of O
Production materials and photographs
Papers related to the production of Blue is the Antecedent of It.
Photographs in costume.
Film reels and slides
8mm film. Oatmeal (Revelation), Jaden. Film number 5-14.
8mm film. U. Theater. Film number 5-15.
Slides of paintings and sculptures. March 1972
Slides of sunsets.
Slides of trapezes and clowns.
16mm film. B roll. Film number 5-2.
16mm film. Film number 5-3.
16mm film. Film number 5-1.
16mm film. Outtakes. Film number 5-4.
16mm film. Film number 5-5.
Audio reels and production materials
Scotch - 7" audio - lots of splices. LJH-I (no original box)
Burgess 111 - 7" audio - 7.5 IPS. Cuthbert Bound - 2nd tape. Sound only, no vocals. LJH-2
Burgess 111 - 7" audio - 7.5 IPS. Cuthbert Bound - Complete performance. LJH-3.
Materials related to the production of Cuthbert Bound
Film reel.
16mm film. Labeled on reel. Film number 7-1.
Audio recordings.
Scotch 111 - 7" audio - 3.75 IPS. Taken from original box label: "Overture at slow speed - Sun Morning Concert - Bells/Swish/Swoops - Electronic."
Ampex 444 - 7" Audio - 1 mil Polyester. Master #1 . Taken from original box label: "A - 1st half traditional- 2nd half "Partch like" but too simple."
Ampex 444 - 7" Audio - 1 mil Polyester - 7 1/2 IPS. Taken from original box label: "Master #2 - Intermission - B - Electronic Hiller type - 1st 3/4 of tape."
Ampex 641 - 7" Audio - 1 mil Polyester . Taken from original box label: "Post-Show. First 1/3 is Hiller-type electronic - last 2/3 is blank".
Melody - 7" audio - polyester. Taken from original box label: "D - First 1/2 of tape: Electronic manipulation - 2nd half of tape blank".
Audio recording.
Scotch 311 - 7" audio - 7 1/2 IPS. LJH-X - L.A. Hiller Seven Electronic Studies 1962
Film reels.
16mm film. Film number 10-1.
16mm film. Text from original box: Models in TV studio. Last bit has "Triss". Film number 10-2.
Films from the University Theatre.
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Dialogue from The Investigation - INV
16mm film. Film number 11-1.
16mm film. University theatre. Film number 11-2.
16mm film. Audience Shots. Text on original box reads "Use with the 1. concept of audience or 2. concept of male-female."
Films and audio recordings for a production of King Lear staged at the University Theatre.
Scotch 111 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. 71/2 King Lear w/ Cordelia an early rehersal
Scotch RB7 7 Audio 7 _ ips. Lear Intermission / Lear-A
Scotch RB7 7 Audio 7 _ ips. Overture, 13 3-minute works. c. 36 mins. / LEAR-B
Scotch RB-7 - 7" Audio. Tape 2A - LEAR-C
Scotch RB-7 - 7" Audio . Tape 1b - LEAR-D
Ampex 641 - 7" Audio - 1 mil Polyester . LEAR-E - Lear Act IV - Tape 1c
Ampex 641 - 7" Audio - 1 mil Polyester . Tape 2B - III, 6 Entreact - Lear F
Ampex 641 - 7" Audio - 1 mil Polyester . Tape 2c - Lear Act I - LEAR-G
Scotch 111 - 7" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. LEAR-H - Original sound effects
Sunset - 7" Audio - recorded at 71/2 I.P.S. Lear I - actors reading cues and speaches for music
AudioTape - 7" audio. LEAR-J - Very Early in rehearsal - actors reading
16mm film. Original. Film number 12-1.
16mm film. Lear-stop/Bosch images. Film number 12-2.
16mm film. Original - with memo dated June 29, 1976. Film number 12-3.
Film and outs reels
16mm film. Original. Film number 13-2
16mm film. Two heavily spliced small reels merged onto one core. Film number 13-3.
16mm film. Film number 13-4
16mm film. Original. Film number 13-1.
16mm film. Original. Film number 13-7. (date taken from original container)
16mm film. Film number 13-8
16mm film. Film number 13-9.
16mm film. Film number 13-5
16mm film. Original. Film number 13-6.
Audio reels
Scotch 111 - 7" Audio - 1.5 mil Acetate. U of O - A little of the overture/ Court entrance/ Rustic's Entrance
SoundTape - 7" Audio - 1.5 mil Polyester . U of O - Background Tape - no leaders - music
Film reels
16mm film. Collage 2. Film number 15-1.
16mm film. Up-left, collage 1, Interlude 2, 3rd. Madrigal, Interlude 4, 9th Madrigal, Interlude 6, 12th Madrigal (FOG)
16mm film. Samples from a bag of outs - including footage of "Freida" (blond woman) and brunette woman in leotard - splices run together. Film number 15-2.
Film reels.
16mm film. Tape spliced summer. Film number 17-1.
Audio reel
Scotch 7" Audio - 3.5 IPS "Incidental music, composed by Philip Bayles realized with the Moog synthesizer"
Film reel
16mm film - "sprinklers" - merge of two finger reels of heavily spliced footage. Film number 20-1.
Audio reel
AudioTape - 7" Audio - 7.5 IPS - (rehearsal and performance schedule enclosed in box) - University of Oregon production
Audio reel
Scotch 7" audio - "Tartuffe 0-28D May5, 1975 1 7/8." No original box.
Film and audio reels
Scotch 190 - 7" Audio - 1.0 mil acetate. "U of O / The Unicorn ... my production in 1968"
16mm film. Film number 23-1.
Film reels
16mm film. Film number 24-2.
16mm film. "European Train Documentary." Film number 24-1.
16mm film. Film number 25-1.
16mm film. Film number 25-2.
SoundCraft - 7" audio - 1 mil Acetate. Master tape Duplicate
SoundCraft - 7" audio - 1 mil. Acetate. Master tape - T. Trombley
Ampex 7" Audio 1 mil. Mylar 7 _ ips. Taken from original box label: "Feb 21 rehearsal: Nina singing at beginning of Twelfth Night production (w/ harpsichord, viola de yamba and tambourine). Sonnets set to music by R. Trombley."
16mm film. Film number 26-1.
Scotch 111 - 7" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Unknown U of I production. Taken from original box label: "Not Partch music ot Trombey's piano-also 2nd My dreams are getting better all the time".
16mm film. Film number 27-1.
Films, audio, and documents related to Web, a production completed at University of Illinois
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley #3 - Web 1 - Sensibility (?) in making. Film number 28-6.
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley Invterview #II Tape #1 - Web 2.
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley #1 of #III - Web 3 - Family ___
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley #2 of #III - Web 4
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley #IV #1 - Web 5 - Smalley Interview
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley #IV #2 - Web 6
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley #IV #3 - Web 7.
Scotch 141 - 5" Audio - 1.5 mil acetate. Smalley Interview #II Tape #2 - Web 8
Materials related to the production of Web
Preface and Acknowledgements, Introduction, Photographic Essay
Photographic Index, Bibliographical Index
2-5x7 index cards