Frightful Sights: Theatre in the Digital Collections by Cierra Bland, CommunicationsOctober 25, 2021

Actor Raul Julia in a scene fr. the replacement cast of the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula."
Actor Raul Julia in a scene from the replacement cast of the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula." (New York) Set design and costume design by Edward Gorey. Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_1191857

Live theatre isn’t always love stories and laughs. From monsters to murderers, dozens of dark and thrilling plays have made it to the Great White Way. 

The Billy Rose Theatre Division of The New York Public Library is one of the largest and most comprehensive theatre archives in the world, and the #NYPLDigitalCollections contains thousands of digitized photos from the division. Explore these photos from some of the spookiest shows to ever hit Broadway.

Dracula, 1977

Actors (L-R) Dillon Evans, Richard Kavanaugh & Jerome Dempsey in a scene fr. the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula."
Actors (L-R) Dillon Evans, Richard Kavanaugh & Jerome Dempsey in a scene from the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_1191840
Actor Frank Langella in a scene fr. the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula."
Actor Frank Langella in a scene from the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_1191854
Actors (L-R) Dillon Evans, Jerome Dempsey, Frank Langella & Alan Coates in a scene fr. the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula."
Actors (L-R) Dillon Evans, Jerome Dempsey, Frank Langella & Alan Coates in a scene from the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_1191847
Actors Ann Sachs & Frank Langella in a scene fr. the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula."
Actors Ann Sachs & Frank Langella in a scene from the Broadway revival of the play "Dracula." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_1191848

Frankenstein, 1980

Actor Keith Jochim as the Creature in a scene from the Broadway production of the play "Frankenstein."
Actor Keith Jochim as the Creature in a scene from the Broadway production of the play "Frankenstein." Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_209584
Actors John Glover and David Dukes in a scene from the Broadway production of the play "Frankenstein."
(L-R) Actors John Glover and David Dukes in a scene from the Broadway production of the play "Frankenstein." Photograpgh by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_209589
Actors John Carradine and Keith Jochim as the Creature in a scene from the Broadway production of the play "Frankenstein."
(R-L) Actors John Carradine and Keith Jochim as the Creature in a scene from the Broadway production of the play "Frankenstein." Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_209587

Sweeney Todd, 1978-82

Actors June Havoc & Ross Petty in a scene fr. the Bus & Truck tour of the Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd."
Actors June Havoc & Ross Petty in a scene from the Bus & Truck tour of the Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_630926
Actors (L-R) Edmund Lyndeck & Len Cariou in a scene fr. the Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd."
Actors (L-R) Edmund Lyndeck & Len Cariou in a scene from the Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_630889
Actors (L-R) Ken Jennings & George Hearn in a scene fr. the replacement cast of the Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd."
Actors (L-R) Ken Jennings & George Hearn in a scene from the replacement cast of the Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd." (New York). Photograph by Martha Swope. NYPL Digital Collections, ID: swope_630918

 

Discover more photos in #NYPLDigitalCollections. 

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