Sidney Morris papers
Scope and Contents
Essays, poetry, prose, and scripts written or collected by Sidney Morris; playbills, posters, fliers, reviews, clippings, contracts, photographs, audio recordings, and video recordings from Morris' theater productions; and correspondence, photographs, awards, medical records, biographical information, and personal papers documenting Morris and his lovers, friends, family, and work with the intellectually disabled, circa 1910-2004.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1910-2004
Creator
- Morris, Sidney (Sidney Morris Fineberg) (Creator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Biography
Sidney Morris Fineberg, known as Sidney Morris, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1929. He first garnered notice in the theater world in 1963 with his New York production of A Gallery of Characters. Morris would write roughly 50 plays, over half of which were produced, including If This Isn't Love in 1982, his most popular work. Morris wrote poetry and essays, and published articles on HIV/AIDS. He helped support himself by teaching special education classes and drama therapy workshops. He volunteered his time to Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE) and Cabrini Hospital, and was a member of the Dramatist's Guild, Poetry Society, Holocaust Generation After, and Eulenspiegel Society. Morris died after a years-long battle with AIDS in 2002. He was survived by his longtime partner, Bert Coffman.
Extent
7.6 Linear Feet (2 archive boxes + 2 archive cartons + 3 archive binders + 1 archive flat box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Essays, poetry, prose, scripts, playbills, posters, fliers, reviews, clippings, contracts, photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, correspondence, biographical information, and personal papers documenting Sidney Morris and his lovers, friends, family, theater productions, and work with the intellectually disabled, 1910-2004. Morris was a playright of roughly 50 plays, including If This Isn't Love in 1982. Morris also wrote poetry and essays, and published articles on HIV/AIDS.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1. Literature, 1982-2002, undated
Series 2. Personal and professional papers, 1934-2004
Series 3. Photographs and audiovisual materials, circa 1910-2004
Acquisition
Deed of gift dated, December 20, 2002.
Separated Materials
Separated to the ONE periodical collection
Cruise, v.8, no.36.
The James White Review, Spring/Summer 2002.
Michael's Thing, v.12, no.15, April 12, 1992.
PWA Coalition Newsline, February 1990.
Summer at SAGE, July-August 1993.
Topman, v.3, no.8, June 7, 1982.
Separated to the ONE poster collection
Danny Grossman Dance Company featuring a new work by Danny Grossman. Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto. March 19-23, 1996.
Danny Grossman Dance Company photographic exhibition, 20th anniversary party. Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto. March 25 - April 5, 1997.
A Queer Stand-Up Comedy Extravaganza featuring Mimi Gonzalez. Women in Music Productions. Best Western Primrose Hotel, Toronto. October 18, 1997.
Separated to the ONE audiovisual collection
April interview with Sydney Morris. (6 audiocassettes)
Daniel H. Conner poetry reading regarding living with AIDS and being a gay man. (VHS)
"The Effects of the Aging Process on the Treatment of 60+ Year Old Persons with HIV/AIDS." James Lomax moderator. SAGE's Second National Conference on Aging, New York City, May 5-6, 2000. (audiocassette)
Sydney Morris interview, time 1:29:31. (VHS)
Separated to the ONE button collection
"sage" printed in gold on a black round pin.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Katrina Sire and Kyle Morgan, 2014.
- <emph render="underline">Audiovisual</emph> "Health, Wealth & the Time to Enjoy It." Unity Visions, 1996. (audiocassette) Ravel, Maurice. "Bolero." (audiocassette) "Things that Aren't There Anymore" (in the city of Pittsburgh). QED Communications Inc., 1990. (VHS) <emph render="underline">Print</emph> AAA Map of Metro Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Edition Heathrow, FL 32746, 1998. The Dramatists Guild Inc. <title render="italic">The Dramatists Guild Quarterly</title>, Winter 1983. The Greater New York Dietetic Association. <title render="italic">HIV: Fight Back with Nutrition.</title> 1992. <title render="italic">Los Angeles Reader</title>, v.15, no.52, October 8, 1993. <title render="italic">New York City Voices</title>, v.7, no.5, November-December 2002. Payne, John Burnett. <title render="italic">Ghosts Scare Tito Rosa.</title> Potsdam, N.Y.: Banjo Press, 1977. <title render="italic">Penthouse</title>, April 1993. Pritcher, Oliver. <title render="italic">The Dust of Silence </title>. New York: Troubador Press, 1958. Stunk, William, Jr. and E. B White. <title render="italic">The Elements of Style.</title> New York: Macmillan Company, 1959. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. <title render="italic">Understanding the Immune System.</title> NIH Publication No. 88-529, July, 1988. <emph render="underline">Items</emph> A red glass heart from Tiffany & Co, tin Jewish menorah and pitcher (damaged), hair net, and picture of the going home party for W.F. (Bill) Weitzenbeg upon his retirement from Bell System (January 9, 1942). <emph render="underline">Pins</emph> "Nobody Can Make You Feel Inferior without your Permission," "No War on IRAQ: National March October 26, DC," "Unicorn City," "Environment" in green printed on a white piece sign and a yellow background, a green piece sign on black, and a white fist on a purple heart.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Sidney Morris Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kyle Morgan
- Date
- (c) 2014
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Repository Details
Part of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California Repository
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles California 90007 United States
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu