Title: Greg Rouleau Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1912-1938, 1969

Creator:

• Rouleau, Greg, 1914-1973

Call Number: U.S. Mss 193AN

Quantity: 2.5 c.f. (6 archives boxes, 1 flat box, and 1 oversize file)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Contact Information

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of Greg Rouleau, an early twentieth century, upper midwestern vaudeville stock performer, magician, public relations executive, and radio manager. The collection focuses exclusively on Rouleau's involvement with stock companies during the early stages of his career and is composed almost entirely of scripts--both complete scripts and individual character's prompt scripts. Many are heavily annotated. A few of the scripts have Frank Winninger's name on them and probably were used by his stock company, the Winninger Players. Of interest are scripts for several cross fires, the short routines or one-liners used as a break between acts in vaudeville, and stories and synopses for short acts featuring either black performers or white performers in blackface. Also included are miscellaneous general flyers and announcements and a poster for the Slout Players, the Norma Ginnivan Dramatic and Vaudeville Company, and productions of “Crazy Politics” and “Front Page Stuff.”

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0193an

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Greg Rouleau, vaudeville stock performer, magician, public relations executive, and radio manager was born December 20, 1914 in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he attended Cretin High School although he completed his education in Wausau, Wisconsin, after his family moved in August 1930. Rouleau's show business experience began in high school where he was a member of the dramatic club and debate team. During this period he also apprenticed with the Winninger Players, a stock company owned and operated by Charles and Frank Winninger in Scofield, Wisconsin.

After high school, Rouleau joined a Federal Theatre project in Peoria, Illinois. Later he worked as an actor, magician, and stage director with a number of stock companies in the upper Midwest, including the Slout Players (Michigan), the Norma Ginnivan Dramatic and Vaudeville Company, and the Madge Kinney Company (Michigan and Ohio). In 1940 Rouleau started his own magic show in North Carolina. A year later he entered radio and originated Rouleau's Radio Auction Quiz. This show was broadcast over WSAU in Wausau, WEBC and WHLB in Duluth and Virginia, Minnesota, and several other stations associated with Head of the Lakes Broadcasting Company, a chain with stations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. World War II interrupted his career, as Rouleau served in the Navy with the Special Services in Pearl Harbor.

After the war he rejoined Head of the Lakes Broadcasting Company in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. In 1950 he moved to Fort Madison, Iowa, where, with William E. Walker, Ben Hovel, and Joseph P. Mackin he jointly owned KXGI, a radio station formed by ex-GIs. He left radio in 1956 to become the public relations director of the Sheaffer Pen Company in Fort Madison where he later became merchandising and sales manager.

In 1963 Rouleau returned to commercial radio as vice president and general manager of KASI in Ames, Iowa. Three years later he joined the Midwest Family Broadcasting Company where he worked at WERX in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After an interim stop at WYFE in Rockford, Illinois, Rouleau moved to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1969 where he was president and general manager of WISM-FM.

Rouleau died March 9, 1973.

The collection focuses on Rouleau's involvement with stock companies during the early stages of his career and is composed almost entirely of scripts --both complete scripts and individual character's prompt scripts. Many are heavily annotated. Unfortunately, documentation for Rouleau's radio and public relations activities is not included. The papers are organized in two series: Scripts and a small file of Miscellany.

The SCRIPTS are for several productions performed by stock companies either as legitimate productions or as vaudeville routines. Unfortunately, production information such as the stock company involved or the place and date of performance are usually not noted. A few of the scripts have Frank Winninger's name on the cover or title page and probably were used by his stock company. Of interest are scripts for several cross fires, the short routines or one-liners used as a break between acts in vaudeville, and stories and synopses identified as “nigger” (sic) acts. These were probably the basis for short acts featuring either black performers or white performers in black-face.

MISCELLANY consists of general flyers and announcements for The Slout Players and the Norma Ginnivan Dramatic and Vaudeville Company and for productions of Crazy Politics and Front Page Stuff. An oversize poster announcing a Wausau production of Front Page Stuff is located in the GSA Poster file.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Greg Rouleau, Madison, Wisconsin, 1977. Accession Number: MCHC77-062

Processing Information

Processed by Christine Rongone, January 1980.

U.S. Mss 193AN	Series: Scripts
	The Animated Statue, Cross Fires and Nigger Acts
Box   1 Folder   1	Script, including synopses of Who Died First, Buying an Elephant, The Ghost in the Pawn Shop, undated
Box   1 Folder   2	5 Prompt Scripts, undated
	Blind Sister
Box   1 Folder   3	12 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	[Comedy Talking Act]
Box   1 Folder   4	Script, undated
	[Dora Thorne]
Box   1 Folder   5	1 Prompt Script, annotated, undated
	Dust of the Road
Box   1 Folder   6	Script, by Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, 1912
	Erstwhile Susan
Box   1 Folder   7	Script, by Marian de Forest, founded on Helen R. Martin's novel Barnabetta, annotated, undated
Box   1 Folder   8-10	17 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Fingers
Box   1 Folder   11	Script, including character list, annotated, undated
Box   2 Folder   1	17 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	The Flat Upstairs
Box   2 Folder   2	Script, 1926 June 18
	Get There Eli
Box   2 Folder   3	Script, by Frank Winninger, undated
Box   2 Folder   4-5	10 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Give and Take
Box   2 Folder   6	3 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	High Cost of Loving
Box   2 Folder   7	Script, by Frank Mandell, annotated, undated
Box   3 Folder   1-2	11 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Innocent Hypocrite
Box   3 Folder   3-4	13 Prompt Scripts, undated
	The Jailbird
Box   3 Folder   5	5 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	John, the Janitor
Box   3 Folder   6	Script, annotated, undated
Box   3 Folder   7	8 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	The Music Teacher
Box   3 Folder   8	Script, “A German Gentleman,” annotated, undated
Box   3 Folder   8	Script, undated
Box   3 Folder   9	7 Prompt Scripts, undated
	Never Say Die
Box   4 Folder   1	Script, annotated, undated
Box   4 Folder   2-3	11 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	The Only Road
Box   4 Folder   4	1 Prompt Script, annotated, undated
	Our Cousin Fritz
Box   4 Folder   5	1 Prompt Script, undated
	Passion Play
Box   4 Folder   6	1 Prompt Script, annotated, undated
	The Right Road
Box   4 Folder   7	Script, by L. Verne Slout, annotated, undated
	The Road House
Box   4 Folder   8	Script, undated
Box   4 Folder   9	8 Prompt Scripts, undated
	St. Elmo or The Saving Grace Note: Rochester, New York: Arcadia Theater.
Box   4 Folder   10	Script, by Miron Leffingwell, 1919 [?]
	The Sap
Box   4 Folder   11	9 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Simple Simon
Box   4 Folder   12	Script, annotated, undated
Box   5 Folder   1	13 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Smile! Smile! Smile!
Box   5 Folder   2	Script, by Will H. Locke, undated
Box   5 Folder   3	8 Prompt Scripts, undated
	Some Baby
Box   5 Folder   4	1 Prompt Script, annotated, undated
	Tillie
Box   5 Folder   5-6	15 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Tom Sawyer
Box   5 Folder   7	Script, undated
Box   5 Folder   8-9	12 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Tony, The Tailor
Box   5 Folder   10	Script, undated
Box   6 Folder   1	9 Prompt Scripts, undated
	The Village President
Box   6 Folder   2	Script, undated
Box   6 Folder   2	Script, annotated, undated
	[Untitled]
Box   6 Folder   3	Script, annotated, undated
	[Untitled]
Box   6 Folder   4	13 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	[Fragments]
Box   6 Folder   5	5 Prompt Scripts, annotated, undated
	Series: Miscellany	⇧
Box   7 Folder   1	Flyers and Announcements, 1938, undated
Box   7 Folder   2	Miscellany, 1969, undated
GSA Posters	Front Page Stuff poster, circa 1930's