Timeline Source Information

The material in the timelines has been drawn from, and is still being drawn from a number of sources., princiapply old programs and news articles.  The current timeline derives from several previous lists.

List A: A first computerized partial listing of titles of attractions at the National Theatre was assembled by General Manager Richard Schneider about 1987, apparently from playbills. In this list, "Undated playbills [or other references] were found for all of [the next listed] shows. Further research is needed to ascertain whether these are the same as already dated shows or other [additional scheduled bookings]." The shows whose booking dates are un-ascertained are listed below. Dates of at least one engagement are listed after those which have been located.

BALLETS ESPANGNOL: TERESA AND LUISILLO
BILLIE TAYLOR
BLUE BEARD AND THE HEATHEN CHINEE
FORGOTTEN FACTOR, THE
HOW TO MAKE HOME HAPPY
MIRIAM WINSLOW AND HER DANCERS
OUTLAW, THE
OXYGEN, OR GAS IN BURLESQUE METER
PINK DOMINOES
SHARPS AND FLATS (1800's?)
TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE (Film)
TWO KEYS, THE
VILLAR'S DRAGOONS
ZANDER THE GREAT, April 2, ???, Alice Brady and Jerome Patrick. Comedy by Salisbury Field, produced by Charles Frohman

List B: A second more elaborate computer listing from 1982 included dates, titles, and some performer annotation. This list included many performances other than those at the National, and seems to be the record of one east-coast theatre-goer's programs beginning in 1943.

Other Sources

Personal Recollection: On a regular basis, individuals report specific information which they know of "first-hand." We are told, for example, that Billie Burke, Al Jolson and Chita Rivera are all "Washingtonians." Chita attended Haywood School here.

Compilation of information Further work was done by President Donn B. Murphy, and Archivist Thomas S. Shorebird, from 1988 through 1993. Dr. Murphy and Anthony Stewart made entries from 1993 through 1997.

Work to incorporate material from other files into a comprehensive chronology was done by volunteer archivists Melvin Goldberg, Bayla White, Mary Haley, Elaine Kolodny and Celia Shapiro over a multi-year period beginning in 2000.

Where only the year and not the specific play dates of attractions are known, the show titles are listed prior to dated attractions, except when the dates for other attractions known to have played in January make it clear that the undated attractions were later in the year.

For latest information on events at the National