AMERICAN THEATRE WING
WAR SERVICE, Inc.

STAGE, RADIO, SCREEN, VAUDEVILLE, MUSIC AND ALL THE ALLIED CRAFTS
730 FIFTH AVENUE

COLUMBUS 5-6638

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

RACHEL CROTHERS, President
ANTOINETTE PERRY,
Chairman of Board and Secretary
GERTRUDE LAWRENCE, First Vice-President
HELEN HAYES, Second Vice-President
VERA ALLEN, Third Vice-President
MRS. MARTIN BECK, Treasurer
JOSEPHINE HULL, Honorary Treasurer
EDWARD ARNOLD
BROOKS ATKINSON
KERMIT BLOOMGARDEN
HARRY N. BRANDT
ILKA CHASE
JANE COWL
MORTON DOWNEY
PAUL DULLZELL
VINTON FREEDLEY
JOHN GOLDEN
MARCUS HEIMAN
GEORGE HELLER
EMILY HOLT
VINCENT JACOBI
ABE LASTFOGEL
ALFRED LUNT
BERT LYTELL
FRED MARSHALL
HELEN MENKEN
GILBERT MILLER
WARREN P. MUNSELL
BROCK PEMBERTON
SOLLY PERNICK
JAMES C. PETRILLO
JAMES F. REILLY
ARTHUR RICHMAN
JACOB ROSENBERG
J. ROBERT RUBIN
JAMES E. SAUTER
OLIVER M. SAYLER
MORRIE R. SEAMON
LEE SHUBERT
NILES TRAMMELL
RICHARD F. WALSH
DWIGHT DEERE WIMAN
BLANCHE WITHERSPOON

---
SIDNEY R. FLEISHER,
Counsel

July 10, 1943

Messrs. J.C. Johnson & Langston Hughes
c/o A.S.C.A.P.
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York City

Re: "Rationing Blues."

Gentlemen:

The American Theatre Wing Music War Council
thanks you for the song you have submitted.

As soon as a song is received by the Wing
it is assigned a number, and indexed by title
and theme. The names of writer and composer on
the manuscript are then covered, so that the
Sifting and Judging Committees will have no way
of knowing the identity of the song's creators.

Your song has been considered by the
Sifting Committee and will be presented to a
panel of the Judging Committee at its coming
session. Should the judges so recommend, our
Exploitation Committee will communicate with
you concerning its further promotion. Unless
you request its return, it will be retained in
our files and will be available for considera-
tion by the American Theatre Wing for its
Lunchtime Follies, Stage Door Canteen and other
activities. Songs in our files may also be exam-
ined by accredited entertainers and publishers.

The American Theatre Wing is most appreciative of your patriotic effort in the prosecution of the war, and trusts you will continue to produce songs directed toward this end.

With all good wishes,

3

AMERICAN THEATRE WING

Lunchtime Follies

ENTERTAINMENT SERVICE FOR WAR INDUSTRIES

149 WEST 45th STREET, NEW YORK CITY

Bryant 9-8180

CO-CHAIRMEN

Moss Hart
George Heller

SECRETARY

Aline MacMahon

GENERAL MANAGER

Kermit Bloomgarden

PUBLICITY CO-CHAIRMEN

Richard Maney
James Proctor

COMMITTEE

Bert Lytell
Gilbert Miller
Harold Rome
Kurt Weill
Sam Jaffe
Al Tamarin
Victor Samrock

Mr. Langston Hughes
Yaddo
Saratoga Springs
N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I doubt if you'll remember me by name, I was a stage manager for your pageant at the Rally. Now I'm working with the Lunchtime Follies,

The Entertainment Industry Emergency Committee is sponsoring a series of three broadcasts with Wendell Wilkie, scheduled to appear on the first program over C.B.C. at 7:50 July 24th.

The Emergency Committee is committed to enlist the active participation of the Entertainment Industry in easing inter-racial tensions & exposing the wilements which roment them.

The Committee wants to sponsor, in about 5 weeks, a midnight rally for theatre folk and the purpose of this rally will be to show the means whereby the industry can actively and positively contribute.

The Lunchtime Follies has been asked to prepare a variety program showing the type of material which they can incorporate in their forthcoming shows.

Milton Merlin of the Hollywood Writers' Mobilization is in town for a conference and he and I have been assigned to plan the program.

We are terribly eager to use your seaman's monologue, written for Canada Lee, in slightly revised form. We want a piece, humorous and convivial, which shows the unity and harmony of Negro and white workers. If you could introduce one or two characters (white) with whom the Seaman exchanges experiences -- (perhaps an the street corner while waiting for a taxi, or perhaps over a bar) -- this treatment would round out the script and more nearly suit our purposes.

We have a wonderful and varied program in the making, provided we can get the material by Saturday, the 24th. We'd love it if you could come to N.Y. to talk with us, if not, please let us know right away if we can count on this piece.

July 15, 1943

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING WAR SERVICE, INC.

RACHEL CROOTHERS, President — ANTOINETTE PERRY, Chairman of Board & Secretary — GERTRUDE LAWRENCE, 1st Vice-President — HELEN HAYES, 2nd Vice-President — VERA ALLEN, 3rd Vice-President—MRS. MARTIN BECK, Treasurer — Edward Arnold, Brooks Atkinson, Kermit Bloomgarden, Ilka Chase, Jane Cowl, Morton Downey, Paul Dullizell, Vinton Freedley, John Golden, George Heller, Emily Holt, Josephine Hull, Vincent Jacobi, Abe Lastfogel, Alfred Lunt, Bert Lytell, Fred Marshall, Helen Menken, Gilbert Miller, Warren P. Munsell, Brock Pemberton, Solly Pernick, James C. Petrillo, James F. Reilly, Arthur Richman, Jacob Rosenberg, J. Robert Rubin, James E. Sauter, Oliver M. Sayler, Morrie Seamon, Lee Shubert, Niles Trammell, Richard F. Walsh, Dwight Deere Wiman, Blanche Witherspoon

AMERICAN THEATRE WING

*Lunchtime Follies*

August 13, 1943

CO-CHAIRMEN

Moss Hart
George Heller

SECRETARY

Aline MacMahon

GENERAL MANAGER

Kermit Bloomgarden

Mr. Langston Hughes
Yaddo
Saratoga Springs, New York

Dear Langston Hughes:

PUBLICITY CO-CHAIRMEN

Richard Maney
James Proctor

COMMITTEE

Bert Lytell
Gilbert Miller
Harold Rome
Kurt Weill
Sam Joffe
Al Tamarin
Victor Samrock

Many thanks for the material which you sent in.

First, about your own lyric, "Just an Ordinary Guy". I showed the lyric to Lou Singer, one of our best composers, whom I think you have met. He has done a number of things with Hy Zaret. He likes the mood of the lyric very much and would like to work with you on it. He expects to be away for the next couple of weeks, but has asked me to tell you that when you return to town, which I presume will be early in September, he would like very much to meet with you on it.

Now about "Parable in Calypso" by Charles Leonard, can we be sure that it has not been set? Charles Hathaway, another Lunchtime Follies composer would like to work on it. I have not communicated directly with Mr. Leonard as yet, because I am not sure just what immediate use we can make of the parable in our present Lunchtime Follies shows. However, Hathaway is interested in it for general use.

I am enclosing for your records, a copy of the piece you did for Canada Lee at Madison Square Garden and have spoken with Peter Martin about developing it into the type of sketch which Mary Towner wrote you about. We will see how it works out and if Pete, for one reason or another, is not able to make of it the kind of piece we had hoped, we will ask you to do something about it.

Mary Towner is in Fredricksburgh with her husband. I am not sure just when she expects to be back, but will turn over to her the material you sent in as soon as she returns.

Many thanks for your interest and cooperation. If you come to town and have a moment, won't you give me a ring at the office?

AB: FVA.

RACHEL CROTHERS, President — ANTOINETTE PERRY, Chairman of Board & Secretary — GERTRUDE LAWRENCE, 1st Vice-President — HELEN HAYES, 2nd Vice-President — VERA ALLEN, 3rd Vice-President — MRS. MARTIN BECK, Treasurer — Edward Arnold, Brooks Atkinson, Kermit Bloomgarden, Ilka Chase, Jane Cowl, Morton Downey, Paul Dullizell, Vinton Freedley, John Golden, George Heller, Emily Holt, Josephine Hull, Vincent Jacobi, Abe Lastfogel, Alfred Lunt, Bert Lytell, Fred Marshall, Helen Menken, Gilbert Miller, Warren P. Munsell, Brock Pemberton, Solly Pernick, James C. Petrillo, James F. Reilly, Arthur Richman, Jacob Rosenberg, J. Robert Rubin, James E. Sauter, Oliver M. Sayler, Morrie Seamon, Lee Shubert, Niles Trammell, Richard F. Walsh, Dwight Deere Wiman, Blanche Witherspoon

Yaddo,
Saratoga Springs,
New York,
September 1, 1943.

Miss Adelaide Bean,
Lunchtime Follies,
149 West 45th Street,
New York City.

Dear Miss Bean,

Thank you for your letter. I am delighted to know that Lou Singer would like to work on the JUST AN ORDINARY GUY song with me. Kindly tell him that I shall be in town for most of the week just after Labor Day, and would be happy to get with him. I have now another "war song" lyric that I think is much the best one I've done so far, which I'd like to show him.

As to PARABLE IN CALYPSO, Charles Leonard told me when he was in New York a couple of months ago that the lyric had not been set to music. I gathered that he thought it would be sung to a traditional calypso tune

Here's hoping to see you shortly. With very best regards,

<table><tr><td>CLASS OF SERVICE</td></tr><tr><td>This is a full-rate Telegram or Cablegram unless its deferred character is indicated by a suitable symbol above or preceding the address.</td></tr></table>

WESTERN
UNION

A. N. WILLIAMS
PRESIDENT

NEWCOMB CARLTON
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

J. C. WILLEVER
FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT

1201

(24)

<table><tr><td>SYMBOLS</td></tr><tr><td>DL=Day Letter</td></tr><tr><td>NL=Night Letter</td></tr><tr><td>LC=Deferred Cable</td></tr><tr><td>NLT=Cable Night Letters</td></tr><tr><td>Ship Radiogram</td></tr></table>

The filing time shown in the date line on telegrams and day letters is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination

NN121 11 3 EXTRA=HO NEWYORK NY 8 254P

1943 NOV 8 PM 3 29

LANGSTON HUGHES=
634 ST NICHOLAS AVE=

SIFTING COMMITTEE MEETING TONIGHT AT 7:00 AT ASCAP=
SECRETARY AMERICAN THEATRE WINGMUSIC WAR COMMITTEE.

7:00 ASCAP.

THE COMPANY WILL APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM ITS PATRONS CONCERNING ITS SERVICE

THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING
STAGE DOOR CANTEEN

(The Stage, Radio, Screen, Vaudeville, Music and The Entire Entertainment World)

224 WEST 44th STREET, NEW YORK 18, N. Y.

Canteen—LA 4-5870

Canteen Office—BR 9-8700

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

Chairmen:
JANE COWL

SELENA ROYLE

Business Managers:

KERMIT BLOOMGARDEN

EDDIE SOBOL

Executive Secretary:

LEILA LEE

Publicity:

LEO FREEDMAN

MARJORIE BARKENTIN

Food Preparation:

MARION MOORE

JENNY LORBER

Entertainment:

JAMES E. SAUTER

Program:

HORACE BRAHAM

BETTY LAWFORD

Donations:

HELENE DUMAS

NANCY DOUGLASS

NANCY SHERIDAN

Scenic Designers:

EMELINE ROCHE

PEGGY CLARK

Motor-Corps:

SUE EASTMAN

CARL EASTMAN

Equipment:

JAMES VAN DYK

Senior Hostesses:

JANE BRODER

OSCEOLA ARCHER

LAURA PIERPONT

MADELEINE CLIVE

CHRISTIE MacDONALD

GLADYS BRAHAM

Hostesses:

VIRGINIA KAYE

VIVIAN SMOLEN

Hosts:

TOM RUTHERFURD

JOSEPH BELL

ALAN HEWITT

STAATS COTSWORTH

Advisory Benefits:

ELIZABETH MORGAN

Stage Managers:

RICHARD BECKHARD

ADELE BUSCHMAN

Checkroom:

HAROLD FRIEDLANDER

FLORENCE LITT

Labor:

SOLLY PERNICK

WILLIAM FEINBERG

Treasurers:

MORRIE SEAMON

ETHEL ARCHER

Registrars:

DORA UFLAND

RUTH LEWIS

Radio:

LLOYD ROSAMOND

Nurses:

IRENE CARLSON, R.N.

Special Services:

CONSUELO HERMER

FLORENCE RAPPORT

Angel Table:

FRANCES PAPERE

*Armed Forces and Red Cross Overseas

October 19, 1945

Dear Fellow Worker:

As you are aware the American Theatre Wing
Stage Door Canteen will close on Sunday, October 28th.

No mere words emanating from the Co-Chairmen of
the Host Committee could suffice to thank you for the
loyal and generous contribution you have made to the
Stage Door Canteen.

The Co-Chairmen feel that while your greatest
reward has unquestionably been found in the gratitude
of the servicemen themselves, nevertheless we want
you to know that without your service the Host
Committee could not have functioned and, in turn, the
work of the Canteen itself would have suffered.

We, therefore, wish to express the gratitude
of the Executive Committee and all of your fellow
workers in the Canteen.

Joseph Bell, Staats Cotsworth, Tom Rutherford
Co-Chairmen, Host Committee

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING WAR SERVICE, Inc.

ACTIVE, AND HONORARY

RACHEL CROTHERS, President—ANTOINETTE PERRY, Chairman of Board and Secretary—GERTRUDE LAWRENCE, 1st Vice-President—HELEN HAYES, 2nd Vice-President—VERA ALLEN, 3rd Vice-President—LEE SHUBERT, 4th Vice-President—PAUL DULLZELL, 5th Vice-President—MRS. MARTIN BECK, Treasurer—Brooks Atkinson, Kermit Bloomgarden, Ray Bolger, Harry N. Brandt, Ilka Chase, Jane Cowl, Russell Crouse, Morton Downey, William Feinberg, Vinton Freedley, John Golden, Oscar Hammerstein II, Marcus Heiman, George Heller, Emily Holt, Josephine Hull, Vincent Jacobi, Abe Lastfogel, Alfred Lunt, Bert Lytell, Burns Mantle, Earl C. McGill, Fred Marshall, Helen Menken, Gilbert Miller, Warren P. Munsell Brock Pemberton, Solly Pernick, James C. Petrillo, James F. Reilly, Jacob Rosenberg, J. Robert Rubin, James E. Sauter, Oliver M. Sayler, Morrie R. Seamon, Mat Shelvey, Lawrence Tibbett, Niles Trammell, Richard F. Walsh, Dwight Deere Wiman—Sidney R. Fleisher, Counsel.

491

AMERICAN THEATRE WING, INC.
STAGE, RADIO, SCREEN, VAUDEVILLE, MUSIC AND ALL THE ALLIED CRAFTS

351 WEST 48th STREET, NEW YORK 36, N. Y.

COLUMBUS 5-6638

HELEN MENKEN, President
MRS. MARTIN BECK, First Vice-President
JOHN SHUBERT, Second Vice-President
SOLLY PERNICK, Third Vice-President
JAMES F. REILLY, Treasurer
ELAINE PERRY, Secretary
RITA ALLEN
VERA ALLEN
BROOKS ATKINSON
KERMIT BLOOMGARDEN
HARRY N. BRANDT
JACKIE BRIGHT
DONALD F. CONAWAY
MRS. J. CHEEVER COWDIN
RUSSEL CROUSE
ALFRED DELIAGRE, JR.
CLARENCE DERWENT
FAYE EMERSON
HYMAN FAINE
EDWARD LEO FITZGERALD
VINTON FREEDLEY
LILLIAN GISH
OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
HELEN HAYES
THERESA HELBURN
MARY HOWES
VINCENT JACOBI
RUDY KARNOLT
BILL LEONARD
LOUIS LOTITO
GERTRUDE MACY
ALFRED MANUTI
ARMINA MARSHALL
GILBERT MILLER
MARION MOORE
WARREN P. MUNSELL
JAMES J. MURPHY
DONALD OENSLAGER
MRS. HENRY CUSHING OLMSTED
RICHARD RODGERS
J. ROBERT RUBIN
OLIVER M. SAYLER
ANNE SEYMOUR
CORNELIA OTIS SKINNER
MRS. JOHN STEVENSON
MRS. DONALD S. STRALEM
DANTON WALKER
ROBERT WHITEHEAD
BEVERLY WHITNEY

HONORARY MEMBERS
RACHEL CROTHERS,
*President Emeritus*
RALPH BELLAMY
RAY BOLGER
ILKA CHASE
CLAYTON COLLYER
MORTON DOWNEY
PAUL DULLZELL
ANTHONY BRADY FARRELL
WILLIAM FEINBERG
MARGALO GILLMORE
LELAND HAYWARD
MARCUS HEIMAN
EMILY HOLT
ABE LASTFOGEL
ALFRED LUNT
JAMES E. SAUTER
MORRIE R. SEAMON
LOUIS M. SIMON
LAWRENCE TIBBETT
RICHARD F. WALSH
EDWARD E. COLTON,
*Counsel*
ESTHER M. HAWLEY,
*Executive Secretary*

June 17, 1957

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

Dear Mr. Hughes:

This is the very first thank you that I have written since becoming President of the American Theatre Wing, and I do want you to know how grateful we are for your contribution.

Many good things are happening within our Professional Training Program. To have a showcase for our students, we have organized a Student-Hospital Unit within our curriculum. The first performance recently took place at the Institute for the Crippled and Disabled, and I know that you'll be pleased to hear that it was a great success and most warmly received. Our plans for next year include creating a number of these units, thus expanding our service to both veteran's hospitals and the civilian handicapped.

In May we also had our first graduation so that now we feel that we have really come of age! And to reflect the true stature of the Wing's educational concept, we are planning to call ourselves the "University of the Entertainment Arts".

I do hope that you are pleased with the new directions in which we are moving and that we may count on your continued interest and support. And if perchance you have ideas for us, please send them along as we feel that an informed and active membership is the life of the Wing.

Ever so many good wishes, and on behalf of our Board of Directors - again -

My gratefulness

HELEN MENKEN
President