Julie Jensen papers

Collection

Identifier: ACCN 2827

Staff Only

Abstract

The Julie Jensen papers (1963-2013) consist of teaching and professional materials along with play scripts, production materials, and other play writing publications. Jensen has a Ph.D. in Theatre, is a playwright and became the resident playwright for the Salt Lake Acting Company towards the end of her career.

Dates

1963-2013

Creator

Jensen, Julie (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical Note

Julie Jensen was raised in Beaver, Utah where she graduated from Beaver High School. She continued her education at Southern Utah University where she became a founding member in the Utah Shakespearian Festival. She graduated with a B.S. in and M.A. in English from Utah State University in 1965. She had an extensive teaching career which started at Sacramento City College where she taught English from 1966-1969. After leaving Sacramento City College she returned to school and earned a Ph.D. in Theatre from Wayne State University (1973-1977) where she simultaneously worked as an instructor in 1976. Following her Ph.D., she became an associate instructor at St. Mary's College at the University of Notre Dame from 1977-1989. From 1989-1990 she worked as term writer for Columbia Pictures Television in Comedy Development. Also, during 1980-1994, Julie Jensen served as an artist-in-residence at the Midwest Playrights Laboratory, Ossabaw Island Project, MacDowell Colony, Shenandoah Playwrights Retreat, Wolf Pen Writers Colony and Thurber House. However, she returned to teaching as a full-time professor in the Department of Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1994. Following her time teaching at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Julie Jensen returned to Utah to become the resident playwright for the Salt Lake Acting Company where her most recent work, Mockingbird was in process in 2014.

During her educational and professional career Julie Jensen wrote numerous award-winning one-act and full-length plays such as Stray Dogs which won the DBS/FDG award in 1986 and premiered at ARENA Stage in Washington D.C. The ARENA Stage production earned a nomination and was a finalist for the Helen Hayes Award. White Money won the 1990 Kennedy Center Award for New American Plays. Lost Vegas Series was awarded and the Jefferson Citation Award in 1996 for its production at the Zebra Crossing Theatre.Tender Hooks, Last Lists of My Mad Mother, and Two-Headed each won the Mill Mountain Theatre Festival. Julie Jensen also wrote and "how to" book on play writing in the late 1990s titled Playwriting Quick and Dirty. These are a few of Julie Jensen's writings that received critical acclaim and were produced at theatres across the United States and London, England.

Her writings and plays represented in this collection range from 1969-2013.

(Materials used for the biographical note can be found in Box 1 Folder 1, and the play script Inc. website, https://www.play scripts.com/playwrights/bios/199. Box 1 Folder 1 also contains a more complete list of education, professional productions of her plays, University productions, films, publications, and awards.)

Extent

28 Linear Feet (59 boxes and 1 oversize box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is organized into 7 series: Undergraduate, Graduate, and Early Career Writings; Teaching and Professional Materials; Play scripts and Production Materials; Playwriting Publications; Playwriting Organizational Involvement; General Professional Materials; and General Personal Materials. The collection was arranged chronologically within each series or subseries.

Teaching and Professional Materials is separated by institution and further separated into certificates/theatre program involvement, and writings/production materials.

Play Scripts and Production Materials are separted into individual plays. Drafts, final play scripts, and production materials are organized chronologically within each play. Each play section contains drafts, final play scripts, and production materials. Many plays went through multiple productions at various theatres and have been organized by theatre and year. Folders labeled "production" materials may contain news releases, flyers, playbills, pictures, correspondence regarding the production, and reviews.

Playwriting Publications contains books and articles written by Julie Jensen about playwriting and life as a playwright. It also contains articles that others wrote about Julie Jensen and her career as a playwright.

Playwriting Organization Involvement is organized chonologically and contains materials about workshops, lectures, work as dramaturg, newsletters and correspondence from playwriting organizations that Julie Jensen was involved with.

General Professional Materials and General Personal Materials both contain miscellaneous papers and documents regarding Julie Jensen's colleagues, colleagues' work, and family.