Ella Richey Wells Collection
SPEC.TRI.ERW
Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
7.17 Cubic feet
circa 1910s-1977, 1991
Ella Richey Wells was a teacher and actress. The Ella Richey Wells Collection contains newspaper clippings, reviews, scrapbooks, programs, and costumes from her performances. Materials are dated circa 1910s-1977, 1991.
(2) flat boxes; (2) costume boxes; (1) carton; (1) 2.5” letter document box; (1) 2.5” legal document box; (1) artifact; (1) card box; (1) oversize folder
English
Wells, Ella
Arrangement of Materials
This collection is unprocessed. Materials are arranged in the order received. The cataloged material is arranged at the end alphabetically by title.
Acquisitions Information
Accession No. 2003.22: Donated by Marjorie Clark, 2003; Accession No. 2003.49: Donated by Joy Reilly, 2003.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], Ella Richey Wells Collection, SPEC.TRI.ERW, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University
Access to Materials
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.
Use of Materials
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processing Information
This collection is unprocessed; finding aid written by: Courtney Bishop, 2018 May.
Biographical Note
Ella Richey Wells (1910-2002) was born in Delaware, Ohio. She received her bachelor’s degree in Latin, Speech, History, and English in 1932, from Ohio Wesleyan College; she received her master’s degree in English Dramatic Literature in 1942, from Bread Loaf School of English, which is a part of Middlebury College in Vermont. Wells was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Theta Alpha Kappa, Delta Pi, and Delta Zeta. She also spent five summers at Bread Loaf Theatre in Vermont doing experimental work with poets, including Robert Frost and Alfred Kreyborg, creating poetic dramas. She remained active in theatre and continued her education with courses at New York University, Ohio State University, and Taxco Summer School in Mexico. Wells began her teaching career at Hyatt High School in Powell, Ohio, and also taught in Worthington, Ohio, and at Barrett Junior High School in Columbus, Ohio. She combined teaching and acting and has over forty documented plays, radio and television appearances, commercials, and local movies.
Scope and Contents
The Ella Richey Wells Collection contains newspaper clippings, reviews, scrapbooks, programs, and costumes from her performances. Materials are dated circa 1910s-1977, 1991.
Wells, Ella
Clippings (information artifacts)
Costumes (character dress)
Scripts (documents)
Theater programs
Women dramatists, American--20th century
Women teachers--20th century
Scrapbook: Theatre Technology
1
1931
Scrapbook
2
1
1928-1954
Scrapbook
2
2
1954-1956
Scrapbook
2
3
1960-1971
Black and white photograph of unidentified performance
1
undated
Performance costume: Caftan with tie, vertical stripes, multi-colored polyester terrycloth
3
1
undated
Performance costume: Caftan, gold/beige/lavender print rayon blend
3
2
undated
Performance costume: Caftan, white, sleeves open down outside satin
3
3
undated
Performance costume: Evening gown, yellow print, one shoulder strap with bra piece polyester
3
4
1950-1951
Scope and Contents
Used in Miranda, Players Club, 1950; The Women, OSU Stadium Theatre, 1951, Third Best Sport, Playhouse on the Green
Performance costume: Dress, pale green, sleeveless, handkerchief-skirt style hem rayon crepe
3
5
undated
General Note
Stain on hem and material degradation.
Performance costume: Full-length gown, cotton, white with small blue dots, skirt ruffle, short puff sleeves, net yoke, taffeta underdress with netting, cotton voille
3
6
undated
Performance costume: Peasant blouse, white cotton with lace, worn for "The Miser" (OSU) rehearsal
3
7
1977
Performance costume: Evening gown, green and blue taffeta
4
1
undated
Cane used in "I Was Young...Now I'm Wonderful!" performed by Grandparents Living Theatre
4
2
1991
Hat/wig box
5
undated
Hawthorne (Nathaniel) "Feathertop" script
6
1
undated
"The Absence of a Cello" script
6
2
circa 1959-1965
"Amphitryon 38" script
6
3
circa 1938
"Breath of Spring" script
6
4
circa 1959
"The Cocktail Party" script
6
5
undated
"Eclipse" script
6
6
undated
"An Enemy of the People" script
6
7
undated
"Gammer Gurton's Needle" script
6
8
circa 1922
"George Washington Slept Here" script
6
9
circa 1941
"Goodbye, My Fancy" script
6
10
circa 1950
"The Heiress" script
6
11
circa 1948
"Life With Mother" script
6
12
1949
"The Lion in Winter" script
6
13
circa 1966
"The Little Foxes" script
6
14
circa 1942
"The Matchmaker" script
6
15
circa 1955-1957
"Miranda" script
6
16
circa 1948
"The Miser" script
6
17
undated
"Our Town" script
6
18
circa 1965
"Papa Is All" script
6
19
circa 1942
"The Rose and the Thorn" script
6
20
undated
"The Royal Family" script
6
21
undated
"Sabrina Fair" script
6
22
circa 1955
"The Sea Gull" script
6
23
circa 1939
"The Skin of Our Teeth" script
6
24
circa 1944
"The Third Best" script
6
25
circa 1954-1959
"The Three Sisters" script
6
26
undated
"Tiger at the Gates" script
6
27
circa 1955-1956
"The Trojan Women" script
6
28
undated
"Turn to the Right" script
6
29
circa 1916
"Witness for the Prosecution" script
6
30
circa 1954
"The Women" script
6
31
undated
"Just Women" director's script
6
33
1937
"Just Women" scripts
6
34
circa 1937
"Baby Teeth" film program and flyer
7
1
undated
News clippings
7
2
undated
News clippings
7
3
undated
Photographs
7
4
undated
Photographs
7
5
undated
Players Club jubilee program and clippings
7
6
undated
Programs
7
7
undated
Resumes, contract, correspondence
7
8
undated
"The Royal Family" cast information
7
9
undated
Souvenir programs
7
10
undated
Scope and Contents
Katharine Cornell (autographed), Cornelia Otis Skinner, Oklahoma!, The Great Waltz, Hot Mikado, Macbeth (Maurice Evans), Antony and Cleopatra (Bankhead, Tearle), Othello (Paul Robeson), Hamlet (Evans), The Taming of the Shrew (Lunt, Fontanne).
"Romeo and Juliet" stars clipping
7
11
undated
Scope and Contents
Programs include: Katharine Cornell (autographed), Cornelia Otis Skinner, Oklahoma!, The Great Waltz, Hot Mikado, Macbeth (Maurice Evans), Antony and Cleopatra (Bankhead, Tearle), Othello (Paul Robeson), Hamlet (Evans), The Taming of the Shrew (Lunt, Fontanne)
"I Was Young...Now I'm Wonderful!" poster at the Grandparents Living Theatre
8
1
undated
Scope and Contents
2 copies
"Theatre Arts" magazine
8
2
1940 June
Ella Richey Wells in costume with cat framed photograph
8
3
undated
Gray Swingle Prize, North Fourth School certificate
9
1
1922
Ella Richey Wells framed photograph
9
2
undated
Fur tips
3
9-10
undated
Fan
3
11
undated
Ribbon
3
12
undated
"Good Housekeeping" script by William McCleery
PS3525.A16 G58 1950
circa 1950
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"Good Housekeeping"
"The Hope of the World" script by Helen M. Roberts
PS3535.O17415 H663 1946
circa 1946
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"The Hope of the World"
"The Juggler of Our Lady" script by Anatole France
PN1601 .P6
1949 December
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"The Juggler of Our Lady"
"King John" script by William Shakespeare
PR2818.A2 K43 1910z
circa 1910s
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"King John"
"Look Homeward, Angel" script by Ketti Frings
PS3545.O337 L617 F7 1958b
1958
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"Look Homeward, Angel"
"Say It With Flowers" script by Helen Louise Miller
PS3513.O795 S39 1946z
circa 1946
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"Say It With Flowers"
'Sweethearts" script by W. S. Gilbert
PR4713 .S933 1880z
undated
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"Sweethearts"
"Write Me a Love Scene" by Florence Ryerson and Colin Clement
PS3535.Y5 W75 1938
circa 1938
Separated Materials
To access this item see the library catalog record:
"Write me a Love Scene"