THE

NEXT STAGE THEATRE

SPONSORED BY: AUDIENCE ASSOCIATES, INC. • ADVENT YOUTH CENTER • 93RD STREET AT BROADWAY • NEW YORK 25, NEW YORK • MO 6-8461 • UN 6-2101 • LO 4-3250

Norman Curtis
15 W. 107th St. (Apt. 41)
New York 25, N.Y.

Mo 6 8461
LO 4 3250 (service)
Or 5 1036 (theatre)

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Perhaps you will remember me as the composer who paid you a visit at your home back in the summer of 1958. I had come east that summer to work on a project with Walter Lowenfels which I played you portions of, along with other work of mine. Later, along with Stanley Hall, we dropped in at a party where I first met my fellow Chicagoan Margaret Burroughs.

More recently I have been living right here in Manhattan and am doing work which I think would be of real interest to you. I am one of the producers, as well as the composer of all the music, of a musical revue call IF WE GROW UP -a revue about the problems of young people in the nuclear age-. We are using a teenage and fully interracial cast recruited from New York City high schools. Enclosed is information about the group including a review from the N.Y. Times. It is currently running weekend afternoons at the Actors' Playhouse in the Village.

Our work has attracted the attention of CORE as well as various peace organizations. One skit from our show, the Lovin' Hatin' Blues, was recently performed at a CORE meeting at their headquarters on 125th st. and will be performed again on a program of theirs at Hunter College auditorium on Saturday evening November 10th.

I would be very pleased if you could attend one of our performances. Our schedule is as follows:

this weekend
*   Oct. 13, Sat. 1:30 and 4:00pm.
*   Oct. 14, Sun. 2:30pm.

Sat. Oct. 20, 1:30 and 4:00pm
Sunday Oct. 21, 2:30pm (this performance uncertain)

Saturdays, Oct. 27, Nov. 3, Nov. 10-1:00 and 3:30pm.

Since the theatre is usually almost completely filled (we sold out last Sunday and the Sunday before) I would suggest you call to let us set aside tickets- My number is listed above.

THE

NEXT STAGE THEATRE

SPONSORED BY: AUDIENCE ASSOCIATES, INC. • ADVENT YOUTH CENTER • 93RD STREET AT BROADWAY • NEW YORK 25, NEW YORK • MO 6-8461 • UN 6-2101 • LO 4-3290

The Next Stage Theatre Co.

c/o Audience Associates, Inc.
15 W. 107th St., Apt. 41
New York 25, N. Y.

June 17, 1963

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th st.
New York, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

As directors of the Next Stage Theatre Company we would like to
ask you to lend your name to our organization as a member of the Ad-
visory Board.

Perhaps you will remember receiving in the mail from us last year
a notice of our first production to date: IF WE GROW UP. This original
musical revue, with an all teenage cast, ran on to a total of thirty
one weekend performances last Fall. Enclosed is more information
about the show and our group.

In explaining the nature of the Next Stage, whose corporate title
is Audience Associates, Inc., we should begin by saying that it is an
educational-charitable organization (non-profit status pending) dedi-
cated to the creation and performance of high calibre musical-dramatic
productions of particular significance to teenage audiences. Other
aims include the following: to offer gifted teenagers and persons of
junior-college age the opportunity to participate in all phases of pro-
fessional theatre- acting, writing, stagecraft, publicity- regardless of
race, religion and financial condition; to bring live theatre to cul-
turally deprived young people of New York City by providing blocks of
free tickets to schools, churches and settlement houses.

At the present time we are collaborating with the young people in
the writing of our next show, tentatively entitled Unfinished Business,
The Emancipation Proclamation One Hundred Years Later.

A return envelope is enclosed for your convenience, and we hope
to hear from you soon. We would be most honored to be able to include
your name on our Advisory Board.

Patricia Taylor Curtis
Director-choreographer

THE NEXT STAGE

C/O AUDIENCE ASSOCIATES INC.

215 WEST 28th ST., NEW YORK, N. Y. 10025

MO 6-8461

LO 4-3250 (SERVICE)

24 March 1967

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS:

NORMAN CURTIS
Chairman of the Board

GABRIEL LEVENSON
President

PATRICIA TAYLOR CURTIS
Secretary-Treasurer

MEMBERS:

BONNIE BIRD
Founder-Director
Merry-Go-Rounders, Inc.

LEO CHIPKIN
President
Artley Picture Frames, Inc.

MRS. LEO CHIPKIN

DR. PAUL KOZELKA
Director
Drama Workshop
Teachers College
Columbia University

THOMAS K. MINTER
Chairman
Music Dept.
Benjamin Franklin H.S.

PAUL PERCES
President
Peer Fabrics, Inc.

MELVIN J. SALTZMAN
H.S. of Art & Design
Billy Rose Theatre

MILTON SIEGEL
N.Y.C. School Psychologist

ADVISORY BOARD

OSCAR BROWN, Jr.
REV. JOHN G. GENSEL
MR. & MRS. SIDNEY JOSEFSBERG
ROBERT BARRON NEMIROFF
ELIE SIEGMEISTER

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York, New York 10035

Dear Mr. Hughes:

The Next Stage Theatre Company is holding audition performances of our new musical revue, "WALK DOWN MY STREET," at 9:00 p.m. on the following dates: Friday - March 31 and April 7, and Saturday - April 1 and April 8. We would be honored if you could attend one of these performances.

For the last six years our group has been concerned with the development of original, sophisticated, topical theatre material for teenage and young adult audiences. We have also been deeply involved in the selection and training of a company of young performers who could meet the demands of this new type of professional musical theatre.

Our efforts have been greatly rewarded. The newspaper and magazine reviews of our last two Off-Broadway productions, "If We Grow Up" and "Unfinished Business!" were excellent. Over twelve thousand teenagers and adults have seen "live" performances of our work in the New York City area. The above figure, however, does not include audiences who have heard our radio presentations or audiences who have seen our work performed on local and network CBS television channels in various parts of the country. These experiences have clearly shown us that there is a real hunger for our kind of theatre among young people and a willingness to support it at the box office.

We hope you can see this show. Please let us know if you can come. Performances of "WALK DOWN MY STREET" will be held in our studio theatre at 215 West 98th Street (N.E. Corner of Broadway), Apt. 7C.

February 5, 1958

Dear Mr. Shurtleff:

I am just getting over flu which accounts for my delay in answering your recent note. But I phoned Miss Davis at the Harold Ober office the day it came and she promised to send you a script. I hope you have received it by now and certainly I am delighted that your interest in TAMBOURINES TO GLORY has not waned. Did I tell you that I made a short novel from it and it has recently been accepted for publication next fall.

SIMPLY HEAVENLY is about to go into rehearsal in Los Angeles with the comedian, Johnny Lee as "Simple"; Helen Humes as "Miss Mamie" and Isabelle Cooley as "Zarita". It sounds to me as if it might be a very good cast and a good production. It is to be done at the Carmel Theatre in Hollywood.

With cordial regards to you, as ever

November 30, 1959

Mrs. Morna Nicholas,
11 Esmond Court,
Thackeray Street,
London, W. 8, England.

Dear Mrs. Nicholas:

I have just returned from a lecture trip to Trinidad to find
you gracious letter awaiting me. I am delighted that you are
pleased to have the books I sent you, and certainly if and when I
come to London (no plans at the moment---but STREET SCENE for which
I did the lyrics may be produced there in 1960) I will be happy to
meet you.

Concerning TV and film rights to MASTERS OF THE DEW, the American
publishers of my translation of the novel, Reynald and Hitchcock, are
no longer in business; nor is the Liberty Book Club that brought out a
second edition for its membership. However the author of THE GREEN
PASTURES, some years ago, told me that he had acquired the motion pic-
ture rights to the original French novel which he wished to film with
de Rochemont, but so far nothing came of this. He may be addressed:

Mr. Marc Connelly,
25 Central Park West,
New York, N. Y.

But last year a Mr. David Hanna and a Miss Germaine Gossler told me
that they had contracted for the dramatic and picture rights to the
original novel in Paris. So I do not know who is correct. But they
may be addressed as follows:

Benagoss Productions, Inc.,
4 West 58th Street,
New York 19, N. Y.

Or the author's widow may be contacted:

Mme. Jacques Roumain,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

And perhaps from some of them the correct information may be obtained.
Only if my English translation is used would I share in stage, film,
or TV rights. But in any case I'd love to see the book so used. And
at least once every six months somebody writes or phones me about such
use. I give them the above information---and nothing further ever seems
to develope. But maybe someday the novel will reach films or stage. I
hope so. I wish you luck. Certainly it is a lovely story.

With cordial regards and all good wishes to you,

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July 6, 1943

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave Apt 1S
New York City, N. Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I was in the other day to see the Acting Editor
of OPPORTUNITY concerning a short story of mine
which she intends to use as soon as she gets the
space. While I was there I showed her some sonnets
that I had written. She had no place for them
but suggested that I get in touch with you. She felt
sure that you could find a market for them.

I am from Columbus, Ohio. As way of slight introduction, I want to say that I used to write to Zell Ingram at the time that you and he went to Haiti. In fact Zell said I was the only person in the states who seemed to remember that the two if you were down there. You used to put notes in the margins. So much for that.

I have been reading poetry in and around Columbus for
years, mostly yours and mine. I have learned your
'Let America be America Again' and recited it on several
occasions. I gave a talk one evening using your 'I, Too
Am America' as the theme and everyone was thrilled, not
by my talk but by the analysis I took the liberty to give
of your poetry.

I have had any number of my poems published locally. I
won second prize in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
national poetry contest several years ago. Lately, I have
been working on the sonnet form, to keep the beauty of the
rhyme pattern yet to inject a certain social significance
into the theme. These ten have been carefully edited by
my sister who did some extensive studying on the sonnet
at Ohio State University. She has made me revise and re-
>vise until she was finally satisfied with each of them.

I am working in Trenton, N. J. for the present and I will
be able to come over to New York and week end or any
morning during the week, just so I get a train back by
one PM.

Please, please say that you can help me.

C. Nichols
P.O. Box 1063
Pentown 6, N. J.

Trenton, N. J.

Missent to...

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May 8, 1953

Miss Eleanor Nichols
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc.
35 West 32nd Street
New York 1, New York

Dear Miss Nichols:

Thank you very much indeed for sending me an advance
copy of THE PACKING ORDER by Mark Kennedy. I look
forward to reading it with interest, but unfortunately
cannot do so just now since I have two pressing deadline
to meet on books off my own. However, I shall certainly
mention it in my annual Christmas book column on books
by or about Negroes in the CHICAGO DEFENDER for which
I write.

Certainly I wish the book a sales success.

4106 Gault Place, N.E.
Apartment #1
Washington 19, D. C.

April 12, 1960

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York 35, New York

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am quite flattered and pleased that you
are interested in seeing some of my poems
for consideration for possible publication
in a proposed ANTHOLOGY OF NEW NEGRO POETS.

I have pulled out twenty pieces from my
group of poems and I will type them up
and mail them this week. Therefore, you
should receive them around the first of
next week (the week of April 18th).

Thank you for your letter, and again thanks
for the invitation.

4106 Gault Place, N.E.
Apartment #1
Washington 19, D. C.
April 18, 1960

Dear Mr. Hughes:

Enclosed for your perusal and for consideration for publication
in the proposed ANTHOLOGY OF NEW NEGRO POETS are 15 of my poems. They
are all written in the traditional, lyrical style and range in length
from a quatrain to a 32-line poem.

If these are not suitable, please advise--for I have literally
hundreds of long and short pieces that might fit into such an
anthology. When the project becomes "firm", and if my poems are
considered favorably for inclusion, I would appreciate additional
information as to planned distribution, biographical information
needed from me (if any), etc.

Incidentally, I was guest speaker at a Negro History Program
sponsored by the Colored Women's Club of Salem, New Jersey (my home-
town) and my topic was "Negro Poets and Their Poems." In my speech,
I spoke of Jupiter Hammond, Phyllis Wheatley, and, of course, you.
I quote one of your poems, two of Dunbar's, and many of my own.

I am now writing and editing a little paper entitled "The Poet's
Voice," which has a circulation of about 300. It's a nice little
paper, I think. I shall send you a copy under separate cover.

Again, thank you for your letter and for inviting me to submit
my poems. I sincerely hope I will be included in such an Anthology
as proposed.

Enclosures - 15 poems

May 26, 1960

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am pleased indeed at your having chosen several of my poems for submission to the potential publishers of the proposed anthology.

The poems listed: INFINITY, MY MASTER, THE SUICIDE, I BEG TO DISAGREE, AND WHEN WINTER COMES (I feel) are delicate and fine lyric pieces.

However, you listed a sixth poem, entitled GIFTS, which, in your letter you credited to me. According to my records, I submitted no such poem; so I would suggest that you compare this title against your other submissions and give credit to the poet (or poetess) who wrote this.

I do not recall whether or not I sent you a copy of the May issue of the Poet's Voice; therefore, I am taking the liberty of sending you a copy of this issue. You are cordially invited to appear in this paper at any time. It would add stature to our publication if a poem of yours appeared between its covers. I have all the confidence in the world in THE POET'S VOICE and am pleased that it is steadily growing in popularity. It now enjoys a circulation of 400 copies--150 of which are circulated to high schools and junior high schools around the country.

Again, thank you for reading and selecting my poems. Good wishes.

CATHEDRAL
STAT

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th St,
New York 35, N.Y.

cong. card sent 8-28-62

Ask by card
informed of your
absence

April 3, 1954

Miss Elena Nicola
4833 Morris Street
Germantown
Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear Miss Nicola:

I am just back from a month's
lecture tour which took me all
the way south to Florida, and

I found a note from Mrs. Irene D. Summersett saying that you were in this country.

I would indeed be happy to meet you whenever you
might be coming to New York City, and would be
pleased to have you visit us here at my Aunt's
home. The time could be any afternoon about four
o'clock, whenever you are in town, providing you
will let me know sufficiently in advance so that
I may confirm the time to you.

Under separate cover, as a little welcome to you
to our country, I have sent you two of my books
which I hope you will enjoy.

With all good wishes to you for a pleasant stay
in the United States, I am

lh
hs

May 11, 1954

Miss Elena Nicola
4833 Morris Street
Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear Miss Nicola:

Just a little note to assure you that I shall be glad to see you whenever you come to town, and to tell you that I am delighted that you like my poems. Certainly I would be pleased if you were to translate some of them into Spanish.

You probably know that there was an edition of my poems in Spanish published in Buenos Aires by Editorial Lautaro in 1952, as selected and translated by Julio Galer. The book is called simply POEMS by Langston Hughes. I will show it to you when you come to New York. I understand that it is just about entirely sold out, and since it does not by any means contain more than a sampling of my poems, there would be no harm in other translations being done.

I look forward to seeing you sometime this spring.

With all good wishes, I am

lh
hs