Showbill for "Home": Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white paper showbill printed by Playbill for “Home”.

On the front of the playbill in large black type is [SHOWBILL ® / ST. MARK’S PLAYHOUSE] printed inside a blue block. Below it in large white type is [THE NEGRO ENSEMBLE COMPANY] inside a black print block.

On the inside of the playbill, a left page features an ad for the [MANUFACTURES / HANOVER / WOMEN’S / CHRISTMAS / CLASSIC] with a December schedule for women’s college basketball games at Madison Square Garden. The right page announces the play “Home”. From the top, in black type, is: [THE ST. MARKS PLAYHOUSE / 133 SECOND AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y. / 674-3530] followed by the Negro Ensemble Company circular logo, and [presents / HOME / by / SAMM-ART WILLIAMS / Directed by / DEAN IRBY / Scenery by / FELIX COCHRAN / Costumes by / ALVIN B. PERRY / Lighting by / WILLIAM H. GRANT III / Premier Performance –December 13, 1979. / WARNING / The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such / photographing or sound recording inside this theatre, without the written permission of the manage- / ment, is prohibited by law. / Violations may be punished by ejection and may render the offender liable / for money damages.]. A small grayscale ad for Ambrosia Liqueur is featured below the play’s information.

The back of the showbill features an edge to edge photographic ad for Grand Marnier Liqueur. The photograph captures an area of lush rainforest with red blooms, a waterfall, and creek.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1980
• Published by: Playbill, American, founded 1884
• Subject of: Negro Ensemble Company, American, founded 1967
• Subject of: Samm-Art Williams
• Directed by: Dean Irby, American
• Type: playbills
• Medium: ink on paper with metal
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 9 × 5 5/8 × 1/8 in. (22.9 × 14.3 × 0.3 cm)
• Place used: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Advertising
• Topic: Drama (Theatre)
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Theatre
• Topic: Theatre companies
• Object number: 2014.196.15
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Sandra Austin
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Playbill Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.