The Papers of Sr. Gretchen Bogan, CSJ: Archives of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston

The Boston CSJ Archives recently processed the papers of Sr. Gretchen Bogan, CSJ (1915-1999), a talented playwright, poet, artist and teacher. As a longtime professor at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, she directed numerous plays – many of which were her own! The collection contains manuscripts, drafts and compilations of her many works (a number of which were published and performed), as well as notes and edits, personal writings and photographs which serve as a fascinating insight into the creative mind of an artist.

In many of her scripts, Bogan uses her creative license to put a spin on traditional Biblical stories. Notable plays include themes of feminism and environmental justice; having written many of these plays in the 1950s and 1960s, it is clear Bogan was a woman ahead of her time. Her sense of humor and her reflective nature is expressed in her poetry. The collection also includes sheet music and lyrics for musical numbers she developed for her plays, as well as a homemade 1938 college yearbook which she and her friends created.

Though smaller-sized, the collection sheds light on a demographic typically hidden from history: female artists, teachers, and Catholic sisters.