This collection mostly contains materials created and collected by Maryat Lee between 1951 and 1989 during her work on a wide variety of art and theatre projects, including Street and Latin Theater (SALT), the Women's Farm, and EcoTheater. Also present in the collection are materials created by Maryat Lee's parents, Grace Barbee Dyer Lee and Dewitt Collins Lee between 1910 and 1945. Materials present beyond Maryat Lee's death in 1989 consist of various EcoTheater and the Women's Farm administrative and promotional writings.

Materials include reports, newsletters, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, posters, manuscripts, notes, scripts, screenplays, published plays, genealogical research, journals, drawings, and paintings. Also present is a piece of stained glass created by Lee, a dress worn by Lee, and an EcoTheater T-Shirt.

The collection is divided into seven series based upon Maryat Lee's original folder labeling and the prevalence of certain subject matter. Due to the fact that Lee did not package the materials for donation herself, some boxes and folders within the series are physically out of order in relation to their intellectual arrangement. Addendum are also split between series.

Series 1. Writings: This series contains writings by Maryat Lee outside of her workshops and various programs, such as notes and manuscripts.

Series 2. Subjects: This series contains materials labeled as "subjects" by Maryat Lee. It includes correspondence and research materials mostly related to individuals involved in theater, writing, and publishing.

Series 3. Audiovisual Material: This series contains reels, VHS, and cassette tapes created by Maryat Lee or one of her associates. The audiovisual material contains music, plays, family gatherings, workshops, board meetings, and presentations. Box 62 is an addendum of 2005/04/12.

Series 4. Theater Programs and Workshops: This series contains working papers from Maryat Lee's involvement in a wide variety of theater and theater-adjacent programs. Most prominent in this series are materials relating to Soul and Latin Theater (SOUL), the Women's Farm, EcoTheater, the Governor's Summer Youth Program (GSYP), theater workshops, and prison theater programs. Materials include grant applications, correspondence, newspaper articles, manuscripts, notes, proposals, press releases, newsletters, and photographs. Boxes 59-61 are an addendum of 1998/07/22. Boxes 63-64 are an addendum of an unknown date.

Series 5. Personal: This series contains materials personal to Maryat Lee. It includes materials related to her family and friends outside of their associations with Maryat's various theater programs. Included are photographs, photo slides, negatives, correspondence, scrapbooks, journals, medical information, drawings, and planners. Boxes 58-61 are an addendum of 1998/07/22. Boxes 63-64 are an addendum of an unknown date.

Series 6. Publications: This series contains published plays collected, but not written, by Maryat Lee.

Series 7. Paintings and Busts: This series contains nine paintings by Maryat Lee and a plaster bust of Maryat Lee. Paintings 7-8 are an addendum of 2022/04/29.

This collection was reprocessed on 2024/11/07. A crosswalk between the original organization and the new organization is available upon request.

Select audiovisual materials have been digitized. Researchers may access digitized materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.