From firelit performances in antiquity to Broadway and beyond, centuries of theatrical performances have left tremendous cultural records. The Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives of the UT Libraries is offering a physical exhibition at Hodges Library that features a small selection of theatre history materials, primarily from our own East Tennessee environment.

Borrowing heavily from our campus history with artifacts from both Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives and the holdings of the Clarence Brown Theatre, Page to Stage: The Art of Theatre offers a glimpse of the rich, seventy-year journey of theatrical productions at the University of Tennessee and in the surrounding community.

In this exhibition, we invite visitors to consider the amount of labor, time, and talent that go into stage productions. We celebrate the craft of costume and set designers, with a nod to the energies of hair and makeup artists, as well as designers of sound, illumination, and props. When a show’s run is over, the performance materials may be relegated to archives and scrapbooks, but the cultural impacts and memories resonate through the ages.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out this incredible exhibit in person, please enjoy a virtual tour below!