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CHANGING SCENE THEATRE RECORDS

 Collection
Identifier: WH1483

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Changing Scene Collection spans ca.1930-2006. Materials in the collection include: records of the Changing Scene’s business operation, production programs from 1968 to 1999, professional and personal photographs and production posters. Information about the Munt-Brooks Dance Studios in New York and Denver, personal documents and memorabilia, information concerning the professional histories of Al Brooks and Maxine Munt and musical manuscripts of pieces composed by Al Brooks Pew constitute the remainder of the collection.

LIST OF PRODUCTIONS

Date Production
April 11, 1968 Easter Oratorio (dance)
April 25-28, 1968 Instances (dance)
May 2-5, 1968 Glob and Neophonics (dance)
May 10-11, 1968 Portrait of Jason (film)
May 16-19, 1968 The Cow That Happened (film)
May 23-26, 1968 Three Plays by Malcolm Boyd
June 6-9, 1968 Mime and Movements/Sounds and Silences (dance)
June 13-16, 1968 Mother's Womb with Window, Picnic (film)
June 21-24, 1968 Dentproof, Rustproff and for its Weight Stronger than Steel (theater piece)
July 11-14, 1968 Lightscapes (multi-media), The Story of a Pearl (mime), The Murder (film)
July 18-24, 1968 Mime and Movement/Sounds and Silences II (dance), The Fine Art of Protest (film)
July 25-28, 1968 Lightscapes (multi-media), Films by Young Filmmakers
August 1-4, 1968 Mime and Movements/Sounds and Silences II (dance), Films from Rhode Island School of Design
August 8-11, 1968 The Tracks Home
August 15-18, 1968 Traditions of Dissent (theater piece
August 22-25, 1968 Poemscapes (multi-media)
September 8, 1968 Mime and Movement/Sounds and Silences II
September 12-15, 1968 The Life of Juanita Castor Dr. Kheal, Political Sonata Vision (multi-media)
September 9-22, 1968 Aubade, Sculpture Mutation (art and dance), More, More, I Want More, Act Without Words I (film), Vorspiel Nach Marienstein, Vietnamese Wedding
September 26-October 6, 1968 The Maids, Gift Rap (improvisations)
October 10-13, 1968 Six Short Plays by Tom Eagan, Lightscapes (multi-media)
October 17-20, 1968 Six Short Plays by Tom Eagan, Three Films by Ludwik Turzanski
October 24-27, 1968 John Galm (percussionist), Maxine Munt (dancer) (music and dance)
November 14-17, 1968 The Shirt, Times Square
December 12, 1968-January 19, 1969 Mickey
February 1-11, 1969 A Video Pilgrimage by Computer Image (film)
February 20-March 2, 1969 Dr. Chase's Third, Last and Complete Work: Organum
March 28, 1969 And Chocolate on Her Chin, Denver (film)
May 15-25, 1969 American Hurrah
May 29-June 1, 1969 Dr. Faustus , Suspended in Light, Of Us All (film, poetry and music)
June 5-15, 1969 Janie (film), Calm Down Mother
June 19-22, 1969 Bon Voyage, Miss Tischhauser, The Major and the Mayor, The Craft of Choreography (dance)
June 22-July 6, 1969 The 13th Hour of Meshugana
July 10-20, 1969 The Juke Box (Chess, I’ll Be Around
August 2-5, 1969 Six Performances by the Repertory Dance Theatre (dance)
August 14-24, 1969 Bagatelle, Cast Another Image
August 28-31, 1969 The Art of the New Filmmakers (film)
October 9-19, 1969 Kayak (film), And Chocolate on Her Chin
October 23-26, 1969 And Chocolate on Her Chin
November 6-16, 1969 Paraguay, films
December 11-21, 1969 Lightscapes (multi-media>, Peace Pieces (theater pieces)
December 26-30, 1969 Andromache, Lightscapes (multi-media), Arms To and Fro (dance), Sound Effects, Nine, Ten, 10-10-10 (music & dance), Dr. Kheal
January 15-18, 1970 Textures (dance), Royalton (music), Tonight I Am…(music)
January 23-24, 1970 Textures (dance), Tonight I Am…(music)
January 29-February 1, 1970 Stoned…A Night in the Mind Of
February 5-15, 1970 Moments and the Bramble, Krapp’s Last Tape
February 19-20, 1970 Four Films by R.R. Bruce (film)
February 26-March 1, 1970 The Purple Yak (multi-media), Four Films (film)
March 5-8, 1970 The Purple Yak (multi-media), Four Films (film), Two Dances (dance)
April 2-12, 1970 The Next Thing, Pridencamor (film)
April 23-May 3, 1970 Films of Lee Harrison’s Computer Image (film)
May 7-17, 1970 It's 10PM. Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
May 21-24, 1970 Poetry, Dance, Drama (Reality: An Absurdist Entertainment)
May 28-31, 1970 Film, Dance, Drama, Candy Caine (film), Go-rilla Theater
June 4-14, 1970 Plastic Symbiosis (dance), Photographic Composition (music and photography)
June 18-28, 1970 5 X 5 Equals 270, or Most But Not All Transformations Are Evolutionary (multi-media), Routs (dance)
July 9-19, 1970 Mime and Movement/Sounds and Silences I
July 23-August 2, 1970 Colorado Images (film), Random Versus (poetry)
August 6-16, 1970 Stoned-A Night in the Mind of
August 20-30, 1970 The Wax Museum
September 24-October 4, 1970 The Innocent Party, The Undertaker
October 28-November 1, 1970 Love in the Space Age, The Prophet
November 5-8, 1970 Resident Dance Company of Stephens College (dance)
November 12-22, 1970 The Hole in the Sky (dance), Gosh, It’s So Beautiful, It Almost Looks Plastic
December 10-20, 1970 Onstage Stories, Dick Spindler’s Family Christmas, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, The Moving Lines(poetry)
January 28-February 7, 1971 Saturday Night at Adam & Eve’s (multi-media), The Reader
February 11-21, 1971 With or Without Shoes (dance)
February 25-March 7, 1971 Four One-Act Plays: Who Can Tell, Footlocker, The Park, Socrates Is
March 19-29, 1971 Exile, This is Our Living Room, Crawling Around
March 25-April 4, 1971 Me: An Event (multi-media)
April 8-18, 1971 Off-Off-Champa(multi-media)
April 22-May 2, 1971 Two Evenings with Maxine (dance)
May 6-16, 1971 Pot Luck
May 20-30, 1971 Routes (dance)
June 3-13, 1971 The Poet, The Filmmaker, and The Folksinger (poetry, film, music)
July 15-25, 1971 The Naked Butterfly (multi-media)
July 29-August 1, 1971 The Naked Butterfly (multi-media)
August 5-15,1971 Petya, Prince of Pennsylvania
August 19-29, 1971 Eat Cake, Peas
September 16-26, 1971 Jesus Play, The Moving Lines (poetry)
September 28-October 24, 1971 Jesus Play, The Moving Lines (poetry)
October 28-November 6, 1971 The Boarding House
November 11-14, 1971 Quartet-The Horizontal and Vertical Plane (music)
November 23, 1971 Nine Sentiments (dance)
November 18-December 5, 1971 The Three C’s of Modern Dance (dance)
January 13-23, 1972 Split Level, Moon
January 27-February 6, 1972 Alternatives (dance)
February 10-20, 1972 Film and Light Art (film, art)
March 2-12, 1972 A Quick Nut Bread to Make Your Mouth Water
March 23-April 1, 1972 Festival of One-Act Plays I: Drivel, Incidents
April 13-23, 1972 Festival of One-Act Plays II: The Seeing Eye Dog with an Eye for Women, Bag
April 27-May 7, 1972 Off Again On (dance)
May 11-21, 1972 Festival of One-Act Plays III: Unidentified Flying Angel, The Working Bee, New Poetry
June 1-11, 1972 Flashlight Music II, The Great Speckled Bird, The Henchmen of the Third Planet (films)
June 15-25, 1972 The Moving Lines (third edition) (poetry), The Long Silver Stream (multi-media)
June 29-July 9, 1972 There’s Nothing More Obscene Than Plastic Lillies
July 13-23, 1972 Festival of One-Act Plays IV: The Supreme Equal, The Imperial Hero Explains
July 27-August 6, 1972 Film, Poetry, and Drama: The Billiard Ball and Pi Lead Different Kinds of Lives
August 17-27, 1972 High Street (improvisational theatre group)
September 21-31, 1972 Was There Ever a Harry Potts?, Whale: A Play
October 14, 1972 Poetry Reading by Diane Di Prima
October 26-November 4, 1972 My Sister, My Spouse
November 10, 1972 New Films by Stan Brakhage
November 16-26, 1972 The Cenci
November 30-December 10, 1972 Mime and Movement/Sounds and Silences I (dance)
December 14-24, 1972 Jacobs Ladder
January 11-14, 1973 No Dogs (poetry)
January 18-28, 1973 Come In (theater piece)
February 1-11, 1973 Video Pilgrimage (films)
February 10-11, 1973 Dancers from Colorado State University (dance)
February 15-25, 1973 Patterns – A Program of Dance
March 3, 1973 The Colorado College New Music Ensemble (music)
March 15-25, 1973 New Orleans Orchid
March 29-April 1. 1973 Shout, Cry and Swing (Cleo Parker Robinson - dance)
April 5-15, 1973 Wisping the Wind
April 21, 1973 Stuart Z. Perkoff (poet)
April 26-May 6, 1973 Painted Unicorn Dances (dance)
May 10-13, 1973 Theatre Dance Collection (dance)
May 17-27, 1973 A Sky of Faces (Monkey Island)
May 31-June 10, 1973 Exit (film)
June 4-14, 1973 Between Drowned Thoughts (dance)
July 12-24, 1973 Three One-Act Plays: The Reward, La La!, The Thursday Night Self-Improvement Class
July 26-August 5, 1973 The Metaphysical Rainstorm Blues
August 9-26, 1973 Three Prize-winning One-Acts: A Weed Garden, The Chekhov List, Greater Love
August 30-September 9, 1973 Mirrored Reflections
September 27-October 7, 1973 Double Solitaire
October 18-28, 1973 A Little Less Than Plato, The Shark and the Man Who Satisfied It
November 15-25, 1973 For You Maybe
December 6-16, 1973 Take Back Thursday, Apart and Together (dance)
February 7-17, 1974 Ask Doyle, Slingsong
February 21-March 3, 1974 For One Fraction of a Moment (dance)
March 7-17, 1974 A Sampling of Denver Dances (dance)
March 21-31, 1974 Marvin’s Mourning Meadows
April 4-14, 1974 Harpies’ Bizarre (music, poetry, drama)
April 7, 1974 The Troublesome Fables of Achmed Flee, Pirhouettes, From the Pipe of Baba Shalom (stories)
April 18-28, 1974 Gizelles and Squirrels Undercoves (dance)
May 5, 1974 Robert Bly (poet)
May 9-19, 1974 In the Aviary of My Heart
May 19, 1974 Edgewater Chamber Players (music)
May 23-June 2, 1974 The United Mime Workers (mime)
June 6-16, 1974 A Wedding Party
June 20-30, 1974 And Yellow Voices Crying "Love Me, Love Me"
July 11-21, 1974 A Festival of Colorado Poets (poetry)
July 24, 1974 Diane Di Prima (poetress)
July 25-August 4, 1974 New Dance and Music (dance)
August 8-18, 1974 An End to Waiting
August 28, 1974 Yoga and You (dance)
August 29-September 8, 1974 Wandering
September 12-15, 1974 New Dance and Music (dance)
September 21-22, 1974 Two Dance Concerts (dance)
October 10-20, 1974 Colorado Film Festival(film)
October 24-November 3, 1974 Nasrudin Puppet Theatre (puppetry)
November 7-17, 1974 The Thrilling Life of a Circus Performer Will One Day Be Yours, Kathia
November 21-24, 1974 The Thrilling Life of a Circus Performer Will One Day Be Yours
November 29-December 8, 1974 Munt-Brooks Dancers (dance)
December 12-15, 1974 Hurrah! It’s Lewis Carroll Day
January 9-12, 1975 New Dances by the Munt-Brooks Dancers (dance)
January 23-February 2, 1975 Simply Silence (mime)
February 6-16, 1975 The Unfortunate Friends of Cedric Treefrog
February 27-March 2, 1975 Eden Theatrical Workshop – A Dunbar Celebration (poetry)
March 1, 1975 Stan Brakhage Films (a benefit for the Changing Scene)
March 6-16, 1975 Once and for All, Music for Chumhorn and Sackbutt
April 3-6, 1975 Almost All Experimental (film festival)
April 10-20, 1975 Together and Apart (dance)
May 29-June 15, 1975 Hagar’s Children
June 19, 1975 The Colorado Modern Music Ensemble and the Munt-Brooks Dancers (music and dance)
June 23-July 20, 1975 Together and Apart (dance)
July 24-27, 1975 Sand Dwarfs
August 7-10, 1975 The Troublesome Fables of Achmed Flee (stories)
August 14-17, 1975 Divine Comedies (stories)
September 5-6, 1975 Dances by Barry Lynn & Arthur Leigh (dance)
October 9-19, 1975 Three One-Act Comedies: Dummies, F-Yoo-Hoo, Dragons in the Wall
October 23-November 2, 1975 Fall Film Program (films)
November 20-December 13, 1975 Cracks
January 15-February 15, 1976 Alfred Packer: A Colorado Ritual
February 19-29, 1976 Movement Pieces by Maxine Munt (dance)
March 4-7, 1976 Looking Glass Comedy Theatre
March 11-13, 1976 The Invisible Theatre: Noises, Echoes
March 21, 1976 Alvin Lucier Electronic Music Concert (music)
March 25-April 11, 1976 Coupling (multi-media)
March 31, 1976 Carl Rakosi (poet)
April 22-May 9, 1976 Freebies
May 20-30, 1976 Webs (multi-media)
June 17-20, 1976 Don Lopez and Lynne Taylor – Theatre Dance Collection (dance)
July 8-18, 1976 Music for Crumhorn; Sackbutt, George and Franz: Taking Sides in the Boer War
July 22-25, 1976 Variety Night (music, dance, comedy)
July 29-August 8, 1976 Images (music)
August 12-22, 1976 Requiem…1/1
August 26-29, 1976 The Longest Way Home
September 10-12, 1976 Barry Lynn in Solo Concert (dance)
September 23-26, 1976 Half-Way-Point (dance)
September 30-October 2, 1976 Concert (music)
October 28-November 7, 1976 Cowgirl Ecstasy
November 11-14, 1976 Cowgirl Ecstasy
November 25-December 5, 1976 Five New Dances (dance)
December 9-12, 1976 Four Out of Five (dance)
December 25-26, 1976 Masks, Mime, and Miracles (mime)
January 6-9, 1977 The Legend of Flying Horse
January 20-February 20, 1977 The Quannapowitt Quartet
February 7, 1977 Robert Yohn in Solo Concert (dance)
March 3-6, 1977 A Solo Concert by Arawana Hayashi (dance)
March 11-13, 1977 New Films by Bruce Westbrook (films)
March 17-April 3, 1977 The Gift of a Doll
April 7-24, 1977 The Begonia and the Bygones
May 5-15, 1977 New Dances (dance)
May 19-22, 1977 Magic and Music C.J. (music)
May 26-June 5, 1977 Hey, Rube
June 9-12, 1977 Lynda Knapp and Dancers (dance)
July 7-10, 1977 Fifth of Dance (dance)
July 21-31, 1977 Stitches(sketches
August 4-7, 1977 Kite Tail Mime (mime)
September 16-18, 1977 The Lynn Dance Company (dance)
September 24, 1977 Arts for Arts Sake (dance)
September 29, 1977 Mencken
October 21-23, 1977 The Troublesome Fables of Achmed Flee (stories)
October 23, 1977 Day Upon Day
October 21-30, 1977 The New Dance – Barbara Gardner (dance)
October 28-30, 1977 The Troublesome Fables of Achmed Flee (stories)
November 17-18, 1977 Peggy Cicierska and Kim Arrow (dance)
November 19-20, 1977 Peggy Cicierska and Kim Arrow (dance)
December 1-11, 1977 The Munt-Brooks Dancers (dance)
December 16-17, 1977 Films by Stan Brakhage (films)
January 19-22, 1978 Valerie Hammer Birds Dance (dance)
February 16-19, 1978 Prize-winning Films (films)
February 24-25, 1978 John Galm with Alice Leincheck (music)
March 3-4, 1978 Three Colorado Filmmakers at the Changing Scene (films)
March 16-April 2, 1978 Custer
May 4-7, 1978 Rush Dance Company (dance)
May 12-13, 1978 Peggy Cicierska and Kim Arrow Dance Concert (dance)
May 18-21, 1978 Batteries Not Included
May 26-28, 1978 Performance Pieces - Short Plays for a Man on the Moon, The Teaching of John Brown in Florida)
June 1-11, 1978 Three Choreographers (dance)
June 15-25, 1978 Two One-Act Plays - Repast, Apparent Discrepancies
July 21, 1978 Sally Bowden Dance Concert (dance)
July 27-August 6, 1978 The Repertory Theatre/Dance Company (dance)
August 10-20, 1978 The Mantis Flies Alone (dance)
August 24, 1978 The First Interplanetary Voyage of J. Alfred Carnelian
September 14-17, 1978 Crazed Porcelain, Harsh Mistress (music, poetry, art)
November 3-5, 1978 Echo Series (dance)
November 9-19, 1978 Kite Tail Mime (mime)
November 29-December 3, 1978 L’Ecole des Veuves, Le Petit Prince
December 7-17, 1978 Two Small Bodies

SERIES 1 BUSINESS - OPERATION 1968-2006, n.d. BOX 1-7

Materials in this series include: correspondence, financial records, information on history and philosophy, legal documents, professional literature, and other information pertinent to the history, operation and closing of the theatre.

SERIES 2 BUSINESS - PRODUCTIONS 1968-1999 BOX 7-13

The series documents each of the theatre's productions with items such as programs, press releases, reviews, newspaper clippings, scripts, cast, and audition information. The titles of productions appear exactly as they do on the show programs, including any creative spellings by the playwrights.

SERIES 3 MUNT-BROOKS DANCE STUDIO (DENVER, COLORADO) 1967-1999 BOX 13-14

This series comprises information on the dance studio, which frequently functioned in conjunction with the theatre. Materials include: financial records, class information, news clippings and legal documents.

SERIES 4 MUNT-BROOKS DANCE COMPANY AND STUDIO (NEW YORK CITY) 1949-1967 BOX 14

Items include programs, newspaper clippings and correspondence relating to the Munt-Brooks Dance Company and Studio, located in New York. Al Brooks and Maxine Munt managed the Dance Company before they founded the Changing Scene Theatre.

SERIES 5 PROFESSIONAL 1933-1987 BOX 14-15

This series reflects the professional growth of Al Brooks and Maxine Munt, preceding their establishment of the Changing Scene Theatre in Denver, Colorado. It includes general background materials on dance and theater as well as specific information on their careers with Adelphia College, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Colorado.

SERIES 6 MUSIC COMPOSED BY ALFRED BROOKS PEW 1944-1990 BOX 15

Materials include: musical scores of pieces composed, arranged or orchestrated by Al Brooks. Some musical notation reflects class work done at Juilliard School of Music for choreography or production notes.

SERIES 7 PERSONAL 1930s-1940s BOX 16

The series includes: correspondence, educational, military and legal documents, personal travel logs, journals and memorabilia.

SERIES 8 OVERSIZE 1968-1999 OVFOLIO 1-5, OVFOLDER 1-10, OVBOX 1-3

The oversize items comprise show posters from the theatre's major productions and manuscripts of music composed, arranged or orchestrated by Al Brooks. It also includes Al Brooks' diploma from the Juilliard School of Music. A scrapbook from the 25th Anniversary (1993) of the Changing Scene, as well as a commemorative publication from the theatre's closing in 1999 with additional materials: awards received by Al Brooks and Maxine Munt, photo album/scrapbook of the couple's marriage in Paris, France and honeymoon tour of Europe (1950) complete the series.

SERIES 9 AUDIO-VISUAL ca.1979, N.D. AVBOX 1

Series contains a selection of silent 16mm, 8mm, and Super8mm motion pictures used by Changing Scene Theatre during their performances. Some of the films were shot and edited by David Bennett.

SERIES 10 PHOTOGRAPHS ca.1930-2004, PHOTOBOX 1-3, OVPHOTO FOLIO 1

The photographs in this series document the personal and professional lives of Al Brooks and Maxine Munt. Included are pictures of dance and mutli-media performances of the Changing Scene Theatre in Denver, Colorado and the Munt-Brooks Dance Company, Colorado; portraits; snapshots of the Brooks' and Munt's loft in the Changing Scene Theatre building.

Dates

  • TBD

ACCESS:

The collection is open for research.

OWNERSHIP:

Literary rights and copyrights are assigned to the Denver Public Library.

PUBLICATION RIGHTS:

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.

HISTORICAL NOTE

Alfred Brooks Pew (Al Brooks) and Maxine Munt Brooks (Maxine Munt) established the Changing Scene Theatre in April 1968. Located in downtown Denver at 1527 ½ Champa Street, the theatre was the site of over 475 programs, including plays, films, dance performances, and multimedia presentations. As a non-profit organization, the Changing Scene Theatre provided a stage for locally and nationally-created original works and a place where talented artists could develop their creative abilities. A goal of its co-founders was to provide affordable cultural and artistic offerings, thereby increasing the size of the arts audience in Denver.

In thirty years of operation, more than 350 plays premiered at the Changing Scene Theatre, several of which had subsequent productions in New York, London and Europe. Various alumni from the Changing Scene Theatre went on to found their own theatres. These include: Ed Baierlein at Germinal Stage, Dan Hiester at Citystage, Mary Guzzy at Industrial Arts, Cleo Parker Robinson, Joe Bunton Keel at Eulipiones and Anthony Garcia at Su Teatro. Many artists, who had their debut in a production at the Changing Scene, successfully pursued careers in the arts.

Over the course of its productive lifetime, the Changing Scene Theatre proved instrumental in the development of a citywide theatrical endeavor entitled Summerplay. In collaboration with local playwrights, directors, actors, set designers and technical staff from other Denver theatres, the Changing Scene offered a total of fourteen Summerplay seasons to Denver audiences.

Al Brooks and Maxine Munt received awards, commendations, and grants on behalf of the Changing Scene and its accomplishments throughout the years. The awards include: the Governor’s Award, the Mayor’s Award, the Larry Tajiri Award, and the Downtown Denver Award. Maxine Munt died in Denver, Colorado on February 22, 2000. The Changing Scene Theatre ceased operations sometime before her death. Al Brooks died in Denver, Colorado on December 15, 2005.

Extent

16 Boxes

3 Boxes

5 folios

10 folders

1 box

2 photo boxes

1 Photo OVFolios

Language of Materials

English

PROVENANCE:

On February 9, 2000, Alfred Brooks Pew donated the Changing Scene Collection to the Western History and Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library. Janet C. Neville, Ph.D., donated the funds that made the processing of this collection possible. Additional items were added to the collection from the Estate of Al Brooks by Glenn Giffin on October 1, 2008 and March 23, 2009; Nathalie Proulx on November 10, 2015.

SIZE:

Number of Boxes: 16 (16 linear ft.)

Oversize: 3 boxes (2 linear ft.)

Oversize: 5 folios

Oversize: 10 folders

Audio-Visual: 1 box

Number of PhotoBoxes: 2 (2.5 linear ft.)

Number of Photo OVFolios: 1

LOCATION:

WH1483

PROCESSED BY:

Gerry Adler

Jonathan Held

December 2000

REVISED AND ENCODED BY:

Merrie Jo Schroeder

November 2004

Martin Leuthauser

January 2010

PROJECT MANAGER:

Ellen Zazzarino

Title
CHANGING SCENE THEATRE RECORDS
Date
REVISED 2010
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository

Contact:
10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy
Denver CO 80204 United States