PERKINS, KATHY A.
Kathy A. Perkins papers, circa 1921-2022

Restrictions on Access

Special restrictions apply: Collection stored off-site. Researchers must contact the Rose Library in advance to access this collection.

Special restrictions apply: Use copies have not been made for audiovisual material in this collection. Researchers must contact the Rose Library at least two weeks in advance for access to these items. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the Rose Library's ability to provide access to audiovisual material.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Source

Purchase from Kathy A. Perkins, 2022

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], Kathy A. Perkins papers, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.

Appraisal Note

Acquired by Curator of African American Collections, Clint Fluker, as part of the Rose Library's holdings in the history of African American arts and culture.

Processing

Arranged and described at the collection level by Brynn Radak and Anicka Austin, April 2023.

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Biographical Note

Kathy A. Perkins is a Professor Emerita in lighting design and an African and African Diaspora theater historian. She is the editor, author, and contributor of numerous volumes on the subject of theater and the role of African and African American women in the field. Perkins was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1954. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama at Howard University (Washington, D.C.) and her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Lighting Design at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). She was a Professor of Theatre at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) (1989-2011) and Professor of Theatre in the Department of Dramatic Art at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (2012-2018).

Perkins has worked on theater productions all over the world and has been internationally recognized for her work in lighting design. Awards include the Henry Hewes Design Award for Trouble in Mind (2022), the Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design and Technology (2021), and several best lighting design awards for shows throughout her career. In 2021, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of audiovisual materials, books and periodicals, lighting plots, Playbills and other printed material related to Kathy A. Perkins’ life and work from circa 1921-2022. Playbills make up the bulk of the collection and include theater performances from New York, California, North Carolina, Chicago, and Illinois. Pamphlets, mailings, newspaper clippings, and flyers accompany some Playbills. Similarly extensive is Perkins' collection of audio cassette and microcassette tapes of interviews she conducted with performing artists, such as Katherine Dunham, May Miller, and Lois M. Jones. The collection also includes Perkins’ lighting plots and designs from shows such as The Glorious Monster (1979); East Texas Hot Links (1995); Hang on in There, Nelson (1996); Blues for an Alabama Sky (1998); and A Raisin in the Sun (2000). There are also several Black theatre periodicals such as Black Masks (circa 1984-2018) and Overture (circa 1974-1984), as well as theater reference books, books edited by Perkins, and plays.

Arrangement Note

Arranged by record type in the order the collection was received.