Mask and Wig Club Records

Access to collections is granted in accordance with the Protocols for the University Archives and Records Center.

Summary Information

Prepared by: Tina Goldberg under the direction of Theresa R. Snyder
Preparation date: May 1991
Date [inclusive]: 1889-1989
Extent: 21.0 Cubic feet

PROVENANCE

These papers were transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Archives and Records Center from the Mask & Wig Clubhouse (310 South Quince Street; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) by club historian John Dixon Bartle, in December 1975.

ARRANGEMENT

The documents for the Mask & Wig Club productions are arranged in seven series and include: Scripts (1890-1965), Scores (1889-1964), Lyrics (1891-1949), Miscellaneous (1897-1967), Photos (1889-1937), Photo Albums (1902-1910) and Programs (1889-1989). All series are arranged chronologically.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Mask & Wig Club was founded in 1889 by Clayton Fotteral McMichael as an all – male peformance group. In that year, a notice posted in College Hall urged students to try out for the new club, concluding with the Henry VI line “Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends.” Prompted by this unofficial motto, the Mask & Wig Club staged their first production, Lurline, at the Chestnut Street Opera House. Since then, the “Wiggers” have annually entertained the University of Pennsylvania community with their burlesques and original revues.

Productions are musical comedies which often satirize current events and University life. Mask & Wig members and alumni write, produce and direct each show, and design the elaborate stage props and costumes. Wiggers play both male and female roles, accounting for much of the humor of the skits. The highlight of the year is either a Thanksgiving or Easter production, when the Club performs in Philadelphia and tours several cities to act for alummni and friends.

Rehearsals and social activities often take place at the Mask & Wig Clubhouse at Quince Street. Purchased as a stable in 1894, the Clubhouse was remodeled and includes an auditorium with stage and dressing rooms, a grill room, office and kitchen.

The Club has donated much money to the University, both for general funds and such student organizations as the football and crew teams, Glee Club and Debating Team. The largest contributions helped endow a chair in the Dramatic Arts, aided the purchase of the Provost’s House, and established the Mask & Wig’s McMichael dormitory, which is located in the lower section of the Quadrangle.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Mask & Wig Club documents chronicle the history of the all-male University of Pennsylvania singing and dramatics organization. Included are production materials from 1889 to 1989.

Scripts represent published booklets of each show’s dialogue. Scores consist of published and handwritten orchestrations for the pit orchestra, primarily violin and piano music. Lyrics include bound booklets of each show’s tunes; many were written by University and Mask & Wig alumnus Charles Gilpin. The section of miscellaneous documents includes programs and lyrics for special alumni and freshman performances, rules governing the McMichael dormitory and a book chronicling the organization’s history from 1889 to 1941.

The photos for each show portray Mask & Wig performers in costume; they include individual and group pictures taken at a professional studio and on stage. The photo albums consist of the same material. Oversize photographs are stored separately.

Finally, the program collection includes bound and illustrated brochures describing each production. Programs include a short synopsis of the play, photographs of the production, a cast of characters and biographical descriptions of the Club’s current board members. In addition, each program includes a listing of all Club alumni and previous productions to date.

Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s): University of Pennsylvania. — General subdivision–Students.;
Subject(s): College musicals–University of Pennsylvania.; College theater–Pennsylvania–Philadelphia.; Student activities–Pennsylvania–Philadelphia.

Inventory


SCRIPTS	Box	Folder
Ben Franklin Jr. 1890	1	1
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra 1892	1	2
The Yankee League 1893	1	3
King Arthur 1894	1	4
Kenilworth 1895	1	5
No Gentleman of France 1896	1	6
Very Little Red Riding Hood 1897	1	6
The House that Jack Built 1898	1	7
Captain Kidd, U.S.N. 1899	1	8
Mr. Aguinaldo of Manila 1900	1	9
Ba, Baa Black Sheep! 1901	1	10
Old King Cole 1902	1	11
Sir Robinson Crusoe 1903	1	12
Alice in Anotherland 1904	1	13
Mr. Hamlet of Denmark 1905	1	14
Shylock and Co., bankers 1906	1	15
Herr Lohengrin 1907	1	16
Uncle Sam’s Ditch 1908	1	17
Merely a monarch 1909	1	18
The Desert of Mahomet 1910	1	19
The Innocents 1911	1	20
The Innocents, Act II 1911	1	21
Miss Helen of Troy 1912	1	22
Maid in Germany 1913	1	23
The Royal Arms 1914	1	24
Paradise Prison 1915	1	25
Whoa – Phoebe! 1916	1	26
Mr. Rip Van Winkle 1917	1	27
The Bridal Not 1918	1	28
Don Quixote, Esq. 1920	1	29
Somebody’s Lion 1921	1	30
Tell Tales 1922	1	31
Here’s Howe 1923	1	32
That’s That 1924	1	33
Joan of Arkansas 1925	1	34
A Sale and a Sailor 1926	1	35
Hoot Mon! 1927	1	36
Ruff Neck 1927	2	1
Tarantella 1928	2	2
Tarantella 1928	2	3
This Way Out! 1929	2	4
This Way Out! 1929	2	5
John Faust, Ph.D. 1930	2	6
John Faust, Ph.D. 1930	2	7
East Lynne Gone West 1931	2	8
Out of the Blues 1933	2	9
Easy Pickins 1934	2	10
Drums Fortissimo 1935	2	11
This Mad Whirl 1936	2	12
Red Rhumba 1936	2	13
Fifty-fifty 1937	2	14
All Around the Town 1939	2	15
Great Guns 1939	2	16
Paoli Local 1942	2	17
Hep to the Beat 1945	2	18
Chris Crosses 1946	2	19
John Paul Jones 1946	2	20
Juleo and Romiet 1947	2	21
Alaska Right Away 1948	2	22
Doctor, Dear Doctor 1951	2	23
Here’s Howe 1952	2	24
The Golden Fleece 1953	2	25
Tempest in a Teapot 1954	2	26
Vamp Till Ready 1955	2	27
Free for All? 1958	2	28
Wry on the Rocks 1960	2	29
All at Sea 1962	2	30
Where Do We Go From Here? 1963	2	31
Sorry, Charlie, Your Time Is Up 1964	2	32
Listen, They’re Playing Our Song 1965	2	33
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SCORES	Box	Folder
Lurline 1889	3	1
Ben Franklin, Jr. 1890	3	2
Miss Columbia 1891	3	3
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra 1892	3	4
The Yankee League 1893	3	5
King Arthur 1894	3	6
Kenilworth 1895	3	7
Scores for U. of P. Songbooks (printed)	3	8
Proofs for U. of P. Songbooks (printed)	3	9
No Gentleman of France 1896	3	10
Little Red Riding Hood 1897	3	11
Little Red Riding Hood, cont.’d 1897	3	12
The House that Jack Built 1898	3	13
Captain Kidd, U.S.N. 1899	3	14
Mr. Aguinaldo of Manila 1900	3	15
Ba, Baa Black Sheep 1901	4	1
Old King Cole 1902	4	2
Sir Robinson Crusoe 1903	4	3
Alice in Anotherland 1904	4	4
Mr. Hamlet of Denmark 1905	4	5
Shylock and Company Bankers 1906	4	6
Herr Lohengrin 1907	4	7
Uncle Sam’s Ditch 1908	4	8
Merely a Monarch 1909	4	9
The Desert of Mahomet 1910	4	10
The Innocents 1911	4	11
Miss Helen of Troy 1912	4	12
Maid in Germany 1913	4	13
The Royal Arms 1914	4	14
Paradise Prison 1915	4	15
Whoa-Phoebe! 1916	4	16
Mr. Rip Van Winkle 1917	4	17
The Bridal Not 1918	5	1
The Revue of Revues 1919	5	2
Don Quixote, Esq. 1920	5	3
Somebody’s Lion 1921	5	4
Somebody’s Lion 1921, cont.’d	5	4
Tell Tales 1922	5	5
Here’s Howe 1922	5	6
That’s That 1924	5	7
Joan of Arkansas 1925	5	8
A Sale and a Sailor 1926	5	9
Hoot, Mon! 1927	5	10
Hoot, Mon! 1927	5	11
Tarantella 1928	5	12
Tarantella 1928	5	13
This Way Out 1929	5	14
John Faust, Ph.D. 1930	5	15
John Faust, Ph.D. 1930	5	16
East Lynne Gone West 1931	5	17
East Lynne Gone West 1931	5	18
Ruff Neck 1932	5	19
Out of the Blues 1933	5	20
Easy Pickins 1934	5	21
Easy Pickins 1934	5	22
Drums Fortissimo 1935	5	23
Red Rhumba 1936	6	1
This Mad Whirl 1936	6	2
Fifty – fifty 1937	6	3
Fifty – fifty 1937, cont.’d	6	3
All Around the Town 1938	6	4
Great Guns 1939	6	5
High as a Kite 1940	6	6
Out of this World 1941	6	7
Red Points and Blue 1941	6	8
Paoli Local 1942	6	9
Hep to the Beat Act 1 piano music 1945	6	10
Hep to the Beat Act 2 piano music 1945	6	11
Chris Crosses 1946	6	12
John Paul Jones 1946	6	13
Juleo and Romiet 1947	6	14
Alaska Right Away 1948	6	15
Adamant Eve 1949	7	1
Count Me In 1950	7	2
Doctor, Dear Doctor 1951	7	3
Doctor, Dear Doctor 1951	7	4
Here’s Howe 1952	7	5
Golden Fleece 1953	7	6
Golden Fleece 1953, cont.’d	7	6
Tempest in a Teapot 1954	7	7
Tempest in a Teapot, cont.’d 1954	7	8
Free for All? 1958	7	9
Free for All? 1958	7	10
Off the Top 1958	7	11
Wright Side Up 1959	7	12
Wry on the Rocks 1961	7	13
All at Sea 1962	7	14
Sorry, Charlie, Your Time is Up 1964	7	15
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LYRICS	Box	Folder
Miss Columbia 1891	8	1
King Arthur of Ye Table Rounde 1894	8	2
Kenilworth 1895	8	3
No Gentleman of France 1896	8	4
The House that Jack Built 1898	8	5
Captain Kidd, U.S.N. 1899	8	6
Mr. Aguinaldo of Manila 1900	8	7
Old King Cole 1902	8	8
Sir Robinson Crusoe 1903	8	9
Herr Lohengrin 1907	8	10
Somebody’s Lion Act II 1921	8	11
Tell Tales 1922	8	12
Here’s Howe 1923	8	13
That’s That Act I 1924	8	14
Ruff Neck 1932	8	15
Adamant Eve 1949	8	16
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MISCELLANEOUS	Box	Folder
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra (preliminary performances) 1897	8	17
Invitation 1897	8	18
Ici On Parle Français (preliminary performances) 1902	8	19
The Snowball (preliminary performances) 1903	8	20
The Jingles of Founders’ Night (preliminary performances) 1907	8	21
The Private Secretary (preliminary performances) 1908	8	22
Uncle Sam’s Ditch (scores) 1908	8	23
Rules Governing the McMichael dormitory room 1910	8	24
Addendum to the Club Yearbook of 1917-1918, 1921-1922	8	25
Founder’s Night primer 1924	8	26
Founder’s Night Puzzle Book 1925	8	27
Songs of Mask and Wig 1940 / By William A. Wiedersheim Some Fifty Odd Years of the Mask and Wig Club 1889-1941	8	28
An Experimental Revue in 2 Acts (Seventh Freshman show) 1943	8	30
Dinner Commemorating the Pennsylvania Gazette 1951	8	31
Up from the Farm (Freshman Weekend) 1952	8	32
Holmes Sweet Holmes (Freshman Issue) 1954	8	33
Green and Bear It (Freshman weekend) 1955	8	34
Mad Ad’r (freshman program) 1956	8	35
Dam It All (Freshman Production program) 1957	8	36
Invitation to Annual Founders’ Night Dinner 1967	8	37
The Librettos of the Mask and Wig Club Plays(book) 1889-1899	8	38
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PHOTOGRAPHS	Box	Folder
General Photos	9	1
Club Photographs ca. 1889	OS 4	2
Lurline 1889	9	2
Ben Franklin, Jr. 1890	9	3
Ben Franklin Jr. Cast 1890	OS 4	1
Miss Columbia 1891	9	4
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra 1892	9	5
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra 1892	OS 3	1
The Yankee League 1893	9	6
The Yankee League 1893	9	6
King Arthur 1894	9	7
King Arthur 1894	9	8
King Arthur folder 3 1894	9	9
Kenilworth 1895	9	10
Kenilworth 1895	9	11
No Gentleman of France 1896	9	12
No Gentleman of France 1896	9	13
Very Little Red Riding Hood 1897	9	14
The House that Jack Built 1898	9	15
Captain Kidd, U.S.N. 1899	9	16
Mr. Aguinaldo of Manila 1900	9	17
Ba, Baa Black Sheep 1901	10	1
Old King Cole 1902	10	2
Sir Robinson Crusoe 1903	10	3
Alice in Anotherland 1904	10	4
Alice in Anotherland 1904	10	5
Mr. Hamlet of Denmark 1905	10	6
Shylock and Co., Bankers 1906	10	7
Herr Lohengrin 1907	10	8
Uncle Sam’s Ditch 1908	10	9
Merely a Monarch 1909	10	10
The Desert of Mahomet 1910	10	11
The Innocents 1911	10	12
Miss Helen of Troy 1912	10	13
Maid in Germany 1913	10	14
The Royal Arms 1914	10	15
Paradise Prison 1915	10	16
Whoa-Phoebe! 1916	10	17
Mr. Rip Van Winkle 1917	10	18
The Bridal Not 1918	10	19
Revue of Reviews 1919	10	20
Don Quixote, Esq. 1920	10	21
Somebody’s Lion 1921	10	22
Tell Tales 1922	10	23
Here’s Howe 1923	10	24
That’s That 1924	10	25
Joan of Arkansas 1925	10	26
Hoot Mon! 1927	10	27
Tarantella 1928	10	28
This Way Out 1929	10	29
East Lynne Gone West 1931	10	30
Ruff Neck 1932	10	31
Easy Pickins 1934	10	32
Drums Fortissimo 1935	10	33
Red Rhumba 1936	10	34
This Mad Whirl 1936	10	35
Fifty-Fifty 1937	10	36
All Around the Town 1938	10	37
Great Guns 1939	10	38
High as a Kite 1940	10	39
Red Points and Blue 1944	10	40
Count Me In 1950	10	41
Quick, Before It’s Written 1967	10	42
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PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS	Box	Folder
Old King Cole 1902	11A	1
Old King Cole #2 1902	11A	2
Old King Cole #3 1902	11A	3
Sir Robinson Crusoe 1903	11A	4
Sir Robinson Crusoe #2 1903	11A	5
Sir Robinson Crusoe #3 1903	11A	6
Alice in Anotherland 1904	11B	7
Alice in Anotherland 1904	11B	8
Alice in Anotherland #2 1904	11B	9
Mr. Hamlet of Denmark 1905	11B	10
Mr. Hamlet of Denmark #2 1905	11B	11
Shylock and Co., Bankers 1906	11B	12
Shylock and Co., Bankers #2 1906	11B	13
Shylock and Co., Bankers #3 1906	12A	1
Herr Lohengrin 1907	12A	2
Herr Lohengrin #2 1907	12A	3
Herr Lohengrin #3 1907	12A	4
Herr Lohengrin #4 1907	12A	5
Uncle Sam’s Ditch 1908	12A	6
Uncle Sam’s Ditch #2 1908	12B	7
Uncle Sam’s Ditch #3 1908	12B	8
Merely a Monarch 1909	12B	9
Merely a Monarch #2 1909	12B	10
Merely a Monarch #3 1909	12B	11
Desert of Mahomet 1910	12B	12
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra 1892	13	1
Desert of Mahomet #2 1910	13	2
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PROGRAMS	Box	Folder
Lurline 1889	14	1
Ben Franklin, Jr. 1890	14	2
Ben Franklin, Jr. 2nd showing 1891	14	3
Mr. and Mrs. Cleopatra 1892	14	4
The Yankee League 1893	14	5
Bound edition – history 1893	14	6
King Arthur 1894	14	7
Kenilworth 1895	14	8
Bound edition – history 1895	14	9
No Gentleman of France 1896	14	10
Very Little Red Riding Hood 1897	14	11
The House that Jack Built 1898	14	12
Captain Kidd, U.S.N. 1899	14	13
Easter by the Sea, menu Arlington Hotel, Atlantic City, N.J. 1899	14	14
Mr. Aguinaldo of Manila 1900	14	15
Ba, Baa, Black Sheep 1901	14	16
Old King Cole 1902	14	17
Sir Robinson Crusoe 1903	14	18
Alice in Anotherland 1904	14	19
Mr. Hamlet of Denmark 1905	14	20
Shylock and Co., Bankers 1906	14	21
Tryouts List Shylock and Co. chorus 1906	14	22
An 18 Year History 1907	14	23
Herr Lohengrin 1907	14	24
Uncle Sam’s Ditch 1908	14	25
Merely a Monarch 1909	14	26
The Desert of Mahomet 1910	14	27
The Innocents 1911	14	28
Miss Helen of Troy 1912	14	29
Maid in Germany 1913	14	30
The Royal Arms 1914	14	31
Paradise Prison 1915	14	32
Whoa-Phoebe! 1916	14	33
Mr. Rip Van Winkle 1917	14	34
The Bridal Not 1918	14	35
Revue of Reviews 1919	14	36
Don Quixote, Esq. 1920	14	37
Somebody’s Lion 1921	14	38
Tell Tales 1922	14	39
Here’s Howe 1923	14	40
That’s That 1924	14	41
Joan of Arkansas 1925	14	42
A Sale and a Sailor 1926	14	43
A Sale and a Sailor: The Pennsylvania pictorial supplement 1926	14	44
Hoot Mon 1927	14	45
Tarantella 1928	14	46
This Way Out 1929	14	47
John Faust, Ph.D. 1930	14	48
East Lynne Gone West 1931	14	49
Ruff Neck 1932	15	1
Out of the Blues 1933	15	2
Easy Pickins 1934	15	3
Drums Fortissimo 1935	15	4
Red Rhumba 1936	15	5
This Mad Whirl 1936	15	6
Fifty-Fifty 1937	15	7
All Around the Town 1938	15	8
Great Guns 1939	15	9
High as a Kite 1940	15	10
Out of this World 1941	15	11
Paoli Local 1942	15	12
Red Points and Blue 1944	15	13
Hep to the Beat 1945	15	14
John Paul Jones 1946	15	15
Chris Crosses 1946	15	16
Juleo and Romiet 1947	15	17
Alaska Right Away 1948	15	18
Adamant Eve 1949	15	19
Count Me In! 1950	15	20
Doctor, Dear Doctor! 1951	15	21
Here’s Howe! 1952	15	22
The Golden Fleece 1953	15	23
Tempest in a Teapot 1954	15	24
Vamp till Ready 1955	15	25
Ring Around Rosie 1956	15	26
Free for All? 1958	15	27
Off the Top 1958	15	28
Wright Side Up 1959	15	29
Wry on the Rocks 1961	15	30
All at Sea 1962	15	31
Where Do We Go From Here? 1963	15	32
Sorrie, Charlie, Your Time is Up 1964	15	33
Listen, They’re Playing Our Song 1965	15	34
About Farce! 1966	15	35
Quick, Before It’s Written 1967	15	36
All’s Fair 1968	15	37
The Devil to Pay 1969	15	38
Wrought Irony 1970	15	39
Now Listen Hear 1972	15	40
Take Ten 1973	15	41
Film Flam 1974	15	42
Mystery Loves Company 1975	15	43
Is It Yesterday Already? 1976	15	44
S!R!O! 1977	15	45
Daze a Vu 1980	15	46
You Gotta Have Art 1983	15	47
Irreverence of Things Past 1985	15	48
Happily Ever Laughter 1986	15	49
Eureka!? I Hardly Know Ya! 1987	15	50
Pun and Crime-ishment 1989	15	51
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OVERSIZED PHOTOGRAPHS	Box	Folder
Lurline – 1889 (3 photographs)	OS 1	1
Ben Franklin, Jr. – 1890 (6 photographs)	OS 1	2
The Yankee League – 1893 (3 photographs)	OS 1	3
King Arthur – 1894 (1 photograph)	OS 1	4
Kenilworth – 1895 (3 photographs)	OS 1	5
No Gentleman of France – 1896 (1 photograph)	OS 1	6
Very Little Red Riding Hood – 1897 (1 photograph)	OS 1	7
Mr. Aquinaldo of Manila – 1900 (1 photograph)	OS 1	8
Ba Ba Black Sheep – 1901 (1 photograph)	OS 1	9
Shylock and Co. – 1906 (1 photograph)	OS 1	10
Merely a Monarch – 1909 (1 photograph)	OS 1	11
Desert of Mahomet – 1910 (3 photographs)	OS 1	12
The Innocents – 1911 (1 photograph)	OS 2	1
Miss Helen of Troy – 1912 (1 photograph)	OS 2	2
The Royal Arms – 1914 (1 photograph)	OS 2	3
Mr. Rip Van Winklel – 1917 (1 photograph)	OS 2	4
Uncle Sam’s Ditch – 1918 (1 photograph)	OS 2	5
That’s That – 1924 (3 photographs)	OS 2	6
Tarantella – 1928 (9 double-sided pages of paste-ups)	OS 2	7
This Way Out – 1929 (6 photographs)	OS 2	8
John Faust, Ph.D. – 1930 (1 photograph)	OS 2	9
East Lynne Gone West – 1931 (1 photograph)	OS 2	10
Drums Fortissimo – (7 photographs)	OS 2	11
Fifty – fifty – Wood and Bechtel 1937 (5 photographs)	OS 2	12
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Posters	Box	Folder
The Desert of Mahomet 22nd Anniversary 1910	OS 3	2
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Mask and Wig Club Records UPS 68.1

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