Guide to the Wayne and Bette Morse collection on the Kenley Players, 1966-1995
Overview of Collection
| Repository: | University of Dayton. University Archives and Special Collections |
| Creator: | Morse, Wayne H.; Morse, Bette Rogge |
| Title: | Wayyne and Bette Morse collection on the Kenley Players |
| Dates: | 1966-1995 |
| Extent: | 1.7 linear feet(4 boxes) |
| Abstract: |
The Wayne and Bette Morse collection on the Kenley Players, a traveling theater company founded by John Kenley (1906-2009), is an accumulation of programs and organizational documents related to activities and performances of the Kenley Players in Dayton, Ohio, between 1966 and 1995. |
| Collection Code: | UASC-017 |
| Language: | English |
History of the Kenley Players
Stage performer and producer John Kenley was renowned for bringing large Broadway shows to small towns throughout the Midwest. Between 1940 and 1995, his Kenley Players performed over 500 plays across Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Kenley Players began performing at Dayton's Memorial Hall in 1957 and returned from 1966 through 1983, eventually presenting their final season in 1995. Performances often included famous television and film actors, with Dayton shows hosting figures such as Mickey Rooney, Ed Ames, Burt Reynolds, Florence Henderson, and Betty White. Kenley was 103 years old when he died in Cleveland, Ohio on October 23, 2009.
As a local television talk show host, Bette Rogge Morse interviewed many of the performers who came to Dayton for Kenley Players productions.
Wayne Morse's advertising firm, Morse/Stotter/Plummer (later Morse, Stotter & Associates), handled advertising for the Kenley Players.
Scope and Content
The materials are arranged by folder, alphabetically and then chronologically.
Related Material
Bette Rogge Morse papers. University Archives and Special Collections, University of Dayton Libraries, Dayton, Ohio.
Search Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Dayton Libraries Catalog. Researchers may use these headings to search the catalog for resources on related topics, persons, or places.
Personal Names
Kenley, John
Corporate Names
Kenley Players
Subjects
Performing Arts--Ohio--Dayton
Theater--Ohio--Dayton
Places
Memorial Hall (Dayton, Ohio)
Administrative Information
Access to Materials
This collection is open and available to the public for research in the University Archives and Special Collections reading room. The materials are non-circulating.
Copyright
The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.
Acquisition Information
Wayne H. and Bette Rogge Morse donated this collection on the Kenley Players on December 12, 2002.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by David Brownell in 2011.
Preferred Citation
[Item title]. Wayne and Bette Morse collection on the Kenley Players, 1966-1995. University Archives and Special Collections, University of Dayton Libraries, Dayton, Ohio.
Box and Folder Listing
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Advertising records, 1973-1995 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Advertising records, 1995 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Biographical information on cast members, 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Miscellaneous programs, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | News clippings, 1969-1980 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6-8 | Photographs, 1971, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Programs, 1966 | |||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Programs, 1967 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Programs, 1968 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3-4 | Programs, 1969 | |||||||||
| 2 | 5-6 | Programs, 1970 | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | Programs, 1971 | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Programs, 1972 | |||||||||
| 2 | 9 | Programs, 1973 | |||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Programs, 1974 | |||||||||
| 3 | 2 | Programs, 1975 | |||||||||
| 3 | 3 | Programs, 1976 | |||||||||
| 3 | 4 | Programs, 1977 | |||||||||
| 3 | 5 | Programs, 1978 | |||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Programs, 1978-1979 | |||||||||
| 4 | 2 | Programs, 1979 | |||||||||
| 4 | 3 | Programs, 1980 | |||||||||
| 4 | 4 | Programs, 1981 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | Programs, 1982 | |||||||||
| 4 | 6 | Programs, 1983 | |||||||||
| 4 | 7 | Programs, 1987 | |||||||||
| 4 | 8 | Programs, 1995 | |||||||||