Max Bush Collection 1987-1998

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Max Bush Collection 1987-1998

MSS-186


Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Bush, Max, 1950-
Title:	Max Bush Collection
Inclusive Dates:	1987-1998
Quantity:	1 Box (0.5 Linear Feet)
Abstract:	The Max Bush Collection contains materials documenting the playwriting career of Max Bush and the production of his plays by other producers.
Identification:	MSS-186
Language:	Material in English
Repository:	Arizona State University Library. Theatre for Youth and Community Collection P.O. Box 871006 Tempe, AZ 85287-1006 Phone: (480) 965-4932 E-Mail: archives@asu.edu Questions? Ask An Archivist!

Biographical Note

Max Bush, playwright and director for young audiences, is a Michigan writer whose plays have been widely produced by professional, university and community theatres throughout the United States.

He graduated with a double major in English and Psychology and a minor in Theatre from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Following this, he taught for three years at a high school, where he developed a theatre and psychology program. He then attended graduate school and received his Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Michigan State University in 1985.

He has won numerous awards for his work. Ghost of the River House and 13 Bells of Boglewood are winners of the IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis) National Youth Theatre Playwriting Competition. In addition, Bush has won the 1990 AATE (American Alliance for Theatre & Education) Distinguished Play Award for elementary and middle school age audiences for Aalmauria: The Voyage of the Dragonfly, the 1995 AATE Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award, the 2002 AATE Distinguished Play Award for Adaptation for Ezigbo, The Spirit Child and individual artist grants to develop new works from the Michigan Council for the Arts. Professional theatre companies, such as the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, the Omaha Children's Theatre and the Nashville Children's Theatre, have commissioned him to write new plays.

Bush also has guest directed for the following companies: the DePaul/Goodman Theatre; the Boarshead Theatre in Lansing, Michigan; Purdue University; and the Magic Circle Theatre in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In 1995 Meriwether Publishing published an anthology of Bush's plays titled Plays for Young Audiences: Featuring The Emerald Circle and Other Plays. Following are Bush's published scripts, in alphabetical order:

The Adventure of Treasure Island (1985)

The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers (1995)

The Chest of Dreams (1981)

The Crystal (1995)

The Emerald Circle (1998)

Ezigbo, The Spirit Child: An Igbo Story (2001)

Ghost of the River House (1997)

Hansel and Gretel: The Little Brother and the Little Sister (1993)

Puss in Boots (1986)

Rapunzel (1987)

Rockway Café: A Play with Rock Music (1992)

Rockway Café II: A Play with Rock Music (1996)

Sarah (2000)

13 Bells of Boglewood (1987)

The Troll and the Elephant Prince (1985)

Voyage of the Dragonfly (1990)

Scope and Content Note

The Max Bush Collection contains materials documenting the playwriting career of Max Bush and the production of his plays by other producers. The bulk of this collection consists of typescripts of drafts of Bush's plays and production materials such as photographs, study guides, programs and season brochures. In addition, this collection provides articles written by Bush, information about awards won by Bush and correspondence.

Arrangement

This collection consists of one box.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.

Access Terms

Personal Name(s)

Bush, Max -- Archives.

Subject(s)

Children's plays, American -- United States.

Dramatists, American -- United States.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Max Bush Collection, MSS-186, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

The Max Bush Collection was received in 1994 and ongoing from Max Bush, accession numbers 2004-03477, 2004-03483 and 2004-03651.

Container List


Box	Folder
1	1	"Serious Plays: A Playwright Responds," by Max Bush, Youth Theatre Journal, 1987 Fall


1	2		"Not News," by Max Bush, American Alliance for Theatre & Education Newsletter, 1994 Summer


1	3		"What's it like to see a production of a play you've written?", by Max Bush, Stage of the Art, 1996 Winter


1	4		Ghost Play, typescript with revisions, handwritten note on title page "2nd draft - clean copy unproduced. Began rehearsals in G.R. [sic] Grand Rapids", 1993 March 25


1	5		Ghost Of The River House, typescript copy, handwritten note on title page "5th draft - clean copy after G.R. [sic] production After Lawrence production for UPRP [sic]", 1993 November 30


1	6		Ghost Of The River House, typescript with revisions, handwritten notes on title page "Sixth draft for anthology and entry in IUPUI", "Working draft at IUPUI shows rewrites" and "IUPUI script", 1994 August


1	7		Ghost Of The River House, typescript copy, handwritten note on title page "6th draft clean copy entry IUPUI and anthology", 1994 August 20


1	8		Ghost Of The River House, typescript, handwritten note on title page "7th draft after IUPUI working draft in Hartford", 1995 April 19


1	9		Ghost Of The River House, typescript copy, official duplicate Authorized by Anchorage Press, n.d., later draft than the one Appearing in the Bush anthology Plays for Young Audiences, undated


1	10		The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers, typescript copy, August 30, 1995, later draft than the one appearing in the Bush anthology Plays for Young Audiences, 1995


1	11		Ezigbo, The Spirit Child, An Igbo story as told by Adaora Nzelibe Schmiedl, typescript copy, 1996 April 10


1	12		Ezigbo, The Spirit Child, an Igbo story as told by Adaora Nzelibe Schmiedl, 5th draft for IUPUI, typescript, 1998 August 4


1	13		Ezigbo, The Spirit Child, letter of agreement with Adaora Nzelibe Schmiedl, 1996 February 12


1	14		The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, adapted for the stage by Max Bush, typescript copy, handwritten note on title page "2nd draft. Cut to 2 1/2 hrs [sic] then cut to 65 min[utes]", 1997 July 4


1	15		Hansel And Gretel, Nashville Academy Theatre study guide, undated


1	16		Hansel And Gretel, [Nashville Academy Theatre], November 11 - December 17, 1990 and January 7-16, 1991, photograph of Max Bush in front of posters for Hansel And Gretel and The Emerald Circle, 1990-1991


1	17		The Emerald Circle, Nashville Academy Theatre and the Hca [sic] Foundation, February 14 - 16, [1992], program, 1992


1	18		Hansel And Gretel, The Emmy Gifford Children's Theatre (later named Omaha Theatre Company), Spring 1993 tour, production materials, 1993


1	19		The Emerald Circle, Arizona State University, February 19 - 21, 1994, program, 1994


1	20		[The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers], Nashville Academy Theatre, note from Scot Copeland, 1994 April 8


1	21		[Puss In Boots], The Emmy Gifford Children's Theatre, [September 9 - October 2, 1994], set sketches and photocopy of donation check, 1994


1	22		Puss In Boots, Nashville Academy Theatre study guide, Undated


1	23		Hansel And Gretel, Playhouse Jr., 1994 October 8-November 20


1	24		The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers, Hartford Children's Theatre, October 21-23, 1994, production materials and correspondence, 1994


1	25		Hansel And Gretel, Playhouse Jr., October 8 - November 20, 1994, production photograph, 1994


1	26		Puss In Boots, North Carolina Theatre for Young People, January 23-29, 1995, production materials with attached note from Artistic Director, Tom Behm, 1995


1	27		Puss In Boots, North Carolina Theatre for Young People, January 23-29, 1995, study guide, 1995


1	28		The Emerald Circle, The Drama Studio, January 31 - February 2, 1997, production materials, 1997


1	29		The Emerald Circle, Mesa Youtheatre, April 18 - 27, [1997], program, 1997


1	30		Hansel And Gretel, American Alliance for Theatre & Education 1992 Distinguished Play, adjudicator response forms, circa 1992


1	31		Ghost Of The River House, IUPUI National Youth Theatre Playwriting Competition, 1995 winner, notification letter and press release, 1995


1	32		Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award winner, congratulatory letters, 1995


1	33		Draft of introduction to Bush's Anthology, by Scot Copeland of Nashville Academy Theatre, copy of fax transmission and cover page, 1994 November 18


1	34		Correspondence with Anchorage Press, 1995


1	35		Bush's editorial comments on Rita Kohn's article "Journey into the world of…" for Dramatist Guild Quarterly, copy of edited article with attached note, 1995 April