Toni-Leslie James Collection
SPEC.TRI.TLJ
Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
15.05 Cubic feet
1991-2004, 2013 June
Toni-Leslie James (born 1957) is an American costume designer who has designed costumes for theatre, television, dance, feature film, and opera. The Toni-Leslie James Collection contains costume bibles and costume designs created by Toni-Leslie James for various theatre and television productions. The collection also contains scripts and other materials related to her costume design work. Materials are dated 1991-2004, 2013 June.
(12) cartons; (2) 2.5” letter document boxes; (1) flat box; (1) oversize folder
English
James, Toni Leslie
Arrangement of Materials
This collection is unprocessed; materials are arranged provisionally in the following series:
[Series 1: Scripts, Documents](ref19)
[Series 2: Costume Bibles](ref20)
[Series 3: Designs](ref4)
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], Toni-Leslie James Collection, SPEC.TRI.TLJ, 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: David Mezick, 2024 February
Biographical Note
Toni-Leslie James (born 1957) is an American costume designer who has designed costumes for theatre, television, dance, feature film, and opera. In 1979, James received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the Ohio State University. She has earned 43 costume design nominations or awards for her contributions to various theatrical productions, including three Tony Award nominations, a Drama Desk Award, and two Hewes Design Awards. In January 2018, James was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Sewanee, The University of the South. She was an Associate Professor and Head of Design at the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Theatre, where she taught from 2007–2019. As of 2024, she is Associate Professor Adjunct and Co-Chair of Design at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale Univeristy, and the Yale Repertory Theatre Resident Costume Designer.
Scope and Contents
The Toni-Leslie James Collection contains costume bibles and costume designs created by Toni-Leslie James for various theatre and television productions. The collection also contains scripts and other materials related to her costume design work. Each costume bible consists of materials related to the costumes for a specific production, and can include costume designs, photographs, textile swatches, and other records. Materials are dated 1991-2004, 2013 June.
James, Toni Leslie
Costume design--United States--20th century
Costume design--United States--21st century
Design drawings
Photographs
Scripts (documents)
Situation comedies (Television programs)--United States--21st century
Swatches
Theater--United States--20th century
Theater--United States--21st century
Women costume designers--United States--20th century
Women costume designers--United States--21st century
Scripts, Documents
Series 1
1991-1993 August, 2013 June
Scope and Contents
The Scripts, Documents series contains scripts, correspondence, clippings, and a playbill, dated 1991-2013, some if not all of which relate to Toni-Leslie James' costume design work.
Correspondence: Tony Award nomination
1.1
1
1992 May
Script:
Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches - NY Version
1.1
2
1993 March
Script:
Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika - LA Version(?)
1.1
3
1993 January 18
Script:
Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika
1.1
4
1993 August 14
Script:
Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika - Version #1, "The Vomit Version"
1.2
1
1993 August
Script:
The Ice Fishing Play
1.2
2
1992 August
Script:
Jelly's Last Jam, workshop rehearsal script
1.2
3
1991
Clippings:
Jelly's Last Jam
1.2
4
1992
Script:
Jenine's Diary
1.2
5
1993 January 4
Lucky Guy playbill
1.2
6
2013 June
Costume Bibles
Series 2
1992-2004
Scope and Contents
The Costume Bibles series contains costume bibles dated 1992-2004. Each consists of materials related to the costumes for a specific theatre or television production. The materials have been compiled in three-ring binders and include costume designs, photographs, textile swatches, budgets, receipts, notes, and other records. Some of the binders contain exclusively budgetary materials.
Amistad
2.1
1-2
1997
Macbeth
2.1
3
1998 January
Hello Again
2.1
4
1993
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
2.2
1
1995
Insurrection: Holding History
2.2
2
1996
Dancing on Her Knees
2.2
3
1996
Oscar Hammerstein II Celebration, WNET 13
2.2
4
1995
Down by the Riverside
2.3
1
1995 August
Babes in Arms
2.3
2
1999
Babes in Arms photographs
2.3
3
1999
Henry VIII
2.3
4
1997
The Tempest
2.3
5
1995
The Tempest photographs
2.3
6
1995
Jelly's Last Jam
2.4
1-2
1992-1994
Twilight Los Angeles
2.4
3
1992
Footloose Tour Petty Cash
2.5
1
1998-1999
Footloose Budget Bible
2.5
2
1998
Footloose
2.6
1-2
1998
Footloose
2.7
1
1998-1999
Footloose Almost Paradise Budget Bible
2.7
2
1998-1999
Footloose Tour Picture Bible Women
2.8
1
1998
Footloose Tour Picture Bible Men
2.8
2
1998
Angels in America
2.8
3
1993
Whoopi! Memos #102-113
2.9
1
2003
Whoopi! Memos
2.9
2
2004
Whoopi! Budgets #102-113
2.9
3
2003
Whoopi! Budgets #114-122
2.9
4
2004
Whoopi! Principals #102-106
2.10
1
2003-2004
Whoopi! Principals #107-113
2.10
2
2003-2004
Whoopi! Principals #114-118
2.10
3
2003-2004
Whoopi! Principals #119-122
2.11
1
2003-2004
Whoopi! Extras #102-106
2.11
2
2003-2004
Whoopi! Extras #107-113
2.12
1
2003-2004
Whoopi! Extras #114-118
2.12
2
2003-2004
Whoopi! Extras #119-122
2.12
3
2003-2004
Designs
Series 3
1993-circa 1999
Scope and Contents
The Designs series contains costume designs created by Toni-Leslie James for various theatre productions. Materials are dated 1993-circa 1999.
Costume Design for
Jelly's Last Jam "Jungle Inn Woman" by Toni-Leslie James
3
1
circa 1999
Costume Design for
Riverside (Jamisen Ballet), dancers by Toni-Leslie James
3
2
1995
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Nat Turner" by Toni-Leslie James
3
3
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Katie Lynn" by Toni-Leslie James
3
4
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Octavia" by Toni-Leslie James
3
5
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "TJ" by Toni-Leslie James
3
6
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Mistress Motel" by Toni-Leslie James
3
7
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Ova' Seea' Jones" by Toni-Leslie James
3
8
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Izzy Mae" by Toni-Leslie James
3
9
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Hammet" by Toni-Leslie James
3
10
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Buck Naked" by Toni-Leslie James
3
11
1996
Costume Design for
Insurrection: Holding History "Mutha Wit" by Toni-Leslie James
3
12
1996
Costume Designs for
Measure for Measure "Prostitutes 1 and 2"
1
1993