{"id":{"repo_id":"umkc","oai_identifier":"oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/14403"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/umkc/oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/14403","repository":{"repo_id":"umkc","name":"University of Missouri - Kansas City","base_url":"https://mospace.umsystem.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Toby Dick Ellis: Richard Elsenpeter's career in tent repertoire theatre, television, and marionette puppetry","abstract":"Richard Elsenpeter was a Midwestern actor who began his career in repertoire and circle stock in the mid-twentieth century. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of rural, family entertainment and took pleasure in entertaining the common people of rural communities. Elsenpeter made important contributions to the history of Midwestern entertainment through creativity and the desire to appeal to popular tastes of the time. He originated the idea of taking the Toby character from the tent rep stage to the television screen. Elsenpeter spearheaded Possum Holler Opry, a country-music television program that aired for ten years on various local television stations, where he played the host, Toby Dick Ellis. His show was given the Gibson Award, signifying that it was the number-one country-music show in the Midwest. Personal statements, which are included in the appendix, show how Elsenpeter's enthusiasm for the arts and exuberant personality left a lasting impact on those who knew him.","abstract_html":"Richard Elsenpeter was a Midwestern actor who began his career in repertoire and circle stock in the mid-twentieth century. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of rural, family entertainment and took pleasure in entertaining the common people of rural communities. Elsenpeter made important contributions to the history of Midwestern entertainment through creativity and the desire to appeal to popular tastes of the time. He originated the idea of taking the Toby character from the tent rep stage to the television screen. Elsenpeter spearheaded Possum Holler Opry, a country-music television program that aired for ten years on various local television stations, where he played the host, Toby Dick Ellis. His show was given the Gibson Award, signifying that it was the number-one country-music show in the Midwest. Personal statements, which are included in the appendix, show how Elsenpeter's enthusiasm for the arts and exuberant personality left a lasting impact on those who knew him.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Floyd, Jacquelyn Nicole"],"institution":"University of Missouri--Kansas City","degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Theatre (UMKC)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Londré, Felicia Hardison, 1941-"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-05-25","date_published":"2012-05-25","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:18:22Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10355/14403","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Londré, Felicia Hardison, 1941-"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Floyd, Jacquelyn Nicole"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2012-05-25T21:23:48Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-05-25T21:23:48Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012-05-25"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Theatre (UMKC)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10355/14403"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Title from PDF of title page, viewed on May 25, 2012","Thesis advisor: Felicia Hardison Londré","Vita","Includes bibliographic references (p. 119-121)","Thesis (M.A.)--Dept. of Theatre. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Richard Elsenpeter was a Midwestern actor who began his career in repertoire and circle stock in the mid-twentieth century. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of rural, family entertainment and took pleasure in entertaining the common people of rural communities. Elsenpeter made important contributions to the history of Midwestern entertainment through creativity and the desire to appeal to popular tastes of the time. He originated the idea of taking the Toby character from the tent rep stage to the television screen. Elsenpeter spearheaded Possum Holler Opry, a country-music television program that aired for ten years on various local television stations, where he played the host, Toby Dick Ellis. His show was given the Gibson Award, signifying that it was the number-one country-music show in the Midwest. Personal statements, which are included in the appendix, show how Elsenpeter's enthusiasm for the arts and exuberant personality left a lasting impact on those who knew him."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Toby Dick Ellis: Richard Elsenpeter's career in tent repertoire theatre, television, and marionette puppetry"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Londré, Felicia Hardison, 1941-"],"dc:creator":["Floyd, Jacquelyn Nicole"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2012-05-25T21:23:48Z"],"dc:date.available":["2012-05-25T21:23:48Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2012-05-25"],"dc:description":["Title from PDF of title page, viewed on May 25, 2012","Thesis advisor: Felicia Hardison Londré","Vita","Includes bibliographic references (p. 119-121)","Thesis (M.A.)--Dept. of Theatre. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2012"],"dc:description.abstract":["Richard Elsenpeter was a Midwestern actor who began his career in repertoire and circle stock in the mid-twentieth century. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of rural, family entertainment and took pleasure in entertaining the common people of rural communities. Elsenpeter made important contributions to the history of Midwestern entertainment through creativity and the desire to appeal to popular tastes of the time. He originated the idea of taking the Toby character from the tent rep stage to the television screen. Elsenpeter spearheaded Possum Holler Opry, a country-music television program that aired for ten years on various local television stations, where he played the host, Toby Dick Ellis. His show was given the Gibson Award, signifying that it was the number-one country-music show in the Midwest. Personal statements, which are included in the appendix, show how Elsenpeter's enthusiasm for the arts and exuberant personality left a lasting impact on those who knew him."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10355/14403"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"],"dc:title":["Toby Dick Ellis: Richard Elsenpeter's career in tent repertoire theatre, television, and marionette puppetry"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Theatre (UMKC)"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:18:22Z"}