Ruth Sobotka designs 1943-1966 and undated

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Ruth Sobotka designs 1943-1966 and undated

http://archives.nypl.org/the/22140

Designer, dancer and actress, Ruth A. Sobotka, was born in Vienna in 1925. She emigrated to the United States with her family when she was 14. Sobotka attended the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Institute of Technology. She also studied ballet at the School of American Ballet and was a dancer for Ballet Society and New York City Ballet. Sobotka designed costumes for both theater and dance. She appeared as "The girl" in Man Ray's segment of the Hans Richter avant-garde film, Dreams that money can buy (1947) and later worked on several films in various capacities. In 1955, she married film director Stanley Kubrick; they divorced in 1961. After retiring from dancing, Sobotka focused on acting and designing. She died after a brief illness at Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospital in June1967, at the age of 42. Approximately 71 original color costume and set designs (mostly costume designs) by Ruth Sobotka. Aladdin and the wonderful lamp is the only play represented in the collection that was actually produced (Unit Theatre Group, 1966); there are also index cards with notes and swatches for this show. Sobotka's costume and set designs for Bathsheba by Jacques Deval (1947), Ladies in retirement by Edward Percy and Reginald Denham (ca. 1944), The merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (ca. 1944), Twelfth night by William Shakespeare (ca. 1944), a Passion play (ca. 1944), and a Shakespearean production (ca. 1944), were never executed, or were Carnegie Institute of Technology schoolwork.

2 boxes (ca. 71 drawings)

The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6318149

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

Deval, Jacques, 1890-1972

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gt61r0 (person)

French playwright and director. From the description of Tovaritch : autograph manuscript fragment, not after 1933. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 593475987 ...

Percy, Edward, 1891-1968

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cp09wh (person)

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qk86d3 (person)

William Shakespeare was likely born April, 23, 1564; he was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. He grew up, had a family, and bought property in Stratford while working in London, the center of English theater. As an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, he became both prosperous and well-known. His parents were John and Mary Shakespeare. John was a leatherworker and involved in local politics, first becoming an alderman and eventually a town bailiff. ...

Sobotka, Ruth, 1925-1967

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62f8pgh (person)

Ruth Sobotka was the art director for the film, The Killing, written and directed by Stanley Kubrick. From the description of Set designs for The killing (motion picture), 1956. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 712605639 Designer, dancer and actress, Ruth A. Sobotka, was born in Vienna in 1925. She emigrated to the United States with her family when she was 14. Sobotka attended the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Institute of Technology. She also studie...