Martha Hill Newell Papers, 1933-2007

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

To obtain the rights to produce one of the plays on file please contact the donor (caplay@comcast.net).

Preferred citation:

Martha Hill Newell. Papers, 1933-2007. Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond.

Summary

Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Martha Hill Newell. Papers, 1933-2007. Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond.

Background

Scope and content:

Papers, 1933-2007, of Martha Hill Newell of Richmond, Virginia, and New York. The bulk of the collection consists of plays written by Newell, including stage notes, revisions, flyers, and programs. The collection also includes clippings, correspondence, teaching notes, and a yearbook from the 1933 class of Patrick Henry School in Richmond.

Biographical / historical:

Martha Hill Newell was born 26 July 1921 to Marshall Nelson Newell and Jessie Beatrice Hill in Richmond, Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree from William and Mary and master's degree from Richmond Polytechnic Institute. She was a drama consultant to the special education division of Richmond Public Schools and wrote plays for Richmond Children's Theatre. In 1955 she moved to New York where she worked for The Girl Scouts of America as their events chairwoman and as a book editor and writer for publishing firms. She was a member of The Dramatists Guild and very active in the theatre. In 1995 she returned to Richmond to continue writing, producing, and directing her own plays. She wrote more than twenty plays, including The Day Joe Montana Retired, Dogs and Other Actors, Endings, Phillis Wheatley, and Wives, Babies, and VMI. A resident of Westminster Canterbury in Richmond, she passed away 6 June 2007.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Dawn A. Westbrook-Boyd, Mechanicsville, 2007 December.
Physical description:
3.05 cu. ft. (7 boxes)