O'Neil, Frankie

Frankie O'Neill has been involved with theatre in Newfoundland since the 1950s, as a performer in stage and film productions, as well as a theatre reviewer. During the 1980s and early 1990s, she reviewed local productions for the CBC Radio programs The Morning Show and Weekend AM and read these on air. As well, in the latter part of the 1980s she wrote a review column for The Evening Telegram newspaper called "Stage Whispers." Most of the plays reviewed were St. John's and Stephenville Festival productions but she also spent several seasons in London, England and reviewed plays there for her Telegram column. The files of reviews also contain notes made during performances, related programs, press releases, newspaper clippings and some correspondence. In 1992, she was chair of the Board of Directors of the Resource Centre for the Arts when a minor catastrophe arose over scheduling difficulties; this incident is documented in the papers. This collection would be of interest to those researching theatre history and theatre administration