Lois Erickson McDonald

Associate Curator, Monte Cristo Cottage

Lois McDonald educates the docents at the Monte Cristo Cottage and aids in the ongoing preservation of O’Neill’s childhood home. She lectures and gives presentations to classes and community groups and also consults with theater professionals, scholars and students on O’Neill, his life, work and influence on the contemporary theater. She has planned and facilitated outreach programs, benefits and exhibitions.

McDonald came to the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in 1967, and in 1969 joined curator Sally Thomas Pavetti in establishing the Theater Library and Museum Collection and a seasonal Bookbus (1974-83) at the Center.

When the O’Neill purchased the Monte Cristo Cottage, McDonald shared in the research and coordination necessary for the restoration and renovation of the Registered National Landmark. She helped lead the organization of "Friends of the Cottage" which raised funds to support the Cottage. McDonald co-developed the education program currently used for docents.

She was co-administrator and presenter for Summer Seminars for Secondary School Teachers from 1985 until 1992, and in 1998. In 1985 the program was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and brought teachers from throughout the U.S. to New London, in order to study and work with scholars and theater professionals at the Cottage and at the O’Neill Playwrights Conference. In subsequent years funding from the Connecticut Humanities Council enabled Connecticut teachers to participate. She was co-director of fall and spring cottage lecture series of poetry readings, play readings and discussions including: "Enacting O’Neill," plays influenced by Eugene O’Neill’s New London Years; "Dangerous Moments In Modern Drama" and "Changing Images of the American Family." She has co-curated exhibitions including: "Eugene O’Neill’s Life and Work," "The Face of Genius," "Eugene O’Neill in Sweden" and "Eugene O’Neill, Master American Dramatist" in locations ranging from the Cottage to the Lyman Allyn Museum to Russia. Lately, as a researcher and consultant she has worked with Gene Griessman on The Words Lincoln Lived By, with Simon and Schuster and Barbara and Arthur Gelb on O’Neill: Life With Monte Cristo and with Connecticut College Manager of Arts Programming Robert A. Richter on Touring Eugene O’Neill’s New London 200l.

McDonald was a planner, scholar and facilitator for the first Eugene O’Neill Conference - "Eugene O’Neill’s New London: The Influence of Time and Place," sponsored by the Arts Alliance of Southeastern CT and Connecticut College in 2000. She was a project coordinator for The Eugene O’Neill Celebration in 2001. She is affiliated with the Arts Alliance, CT League of Historical Societies, Eugene O’Neill Society, Friends of the Connecticut College Library, New England Museum Association and the Theatre Library Association, where she was on the executive board 1983-1988 and served as corresponding secretary from 1995-1998,

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University