Start here to find general background and biographical information
Start by finding background information on your topic. This will help you begin to understand the context of your topic (the who, what, when, where, and why), as well as the vocabulary typically used in the discipline. Context will also help you narrow the topic to a more manageable size and direct you to where to do more specific searches.
Encyclopedia-style databases (such as those listed below) offer short overviews of a topic and are good places to start.
- Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new windowComprehensive dictionary of the English language.
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and PerformanceCovers theatre and performance, including dance, from ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments around the globe.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowComprehensive and reliable online literature database. Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Authors New Revisions, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Literary Criticism and other Gale sources.
Routledge Handbook of Asian Theatre (eBook)Call Number: read online
The Cambridge Companion to Theatre HistoryCall Number: 792.09 C144wi
Find info about a playwright
Use these resources to find biographical information about a playwright
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowIndex to scholarly research pertaining to literature, language, linguistics, and folklore, 1963-present.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowIncludes biographical info, interviews/primary sources, and reviews.
- Literary Reference Center Plus This link opens in a new windowIncludes information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and time frame, as well as the full-text of some plays.
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowOxford Reference Online brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world's biggest reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource. Titles cover a wide range of humanities, social science, performing arts, and general reference subjects.
Find information about production histories
Use these resources to find information about a play production and the people who wrote, directed, designed, performed, and/or adapted a production
- Search in the Library System for the book in which the play was publishedThe book also sometimes includes information about a production of the play.
- Internet Broadway DatabaseShow histories including cast, awards won, length of run, and production team.
- Internet Off-Broadway DatabaseShow histories including cast, awards won, length of run, and production team.
- Playbill VaultCast, production credits, photos, and other info for Broadway productions (1942-present)
- Black Plays Archive (National Theatre UK)An online catalogue of the first professional production of every African, Caribbean, and Black British play produced in the U.K.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowUse the name of the play in quotes as your search terms: for example “august osage county”
- Project Muse This link opens in a new windowUse the name of the play in quotes as your search terms: for example “august osage county”
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowUse the name of the play in quotes as your search terms: for example “august osage county”
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowArtstor includes photographs of costumes and theatrical productions. Also check the theatre or play website for photos.
Primary and secondary critical commentary
Use these resources to find primary and secondary critical commentary about how a theatrical production was received by critics and audiences
- The New York Times (1857-present)Select the link in the left column (under "Sources") for the time period you're interested in
- The London Times (1785-present)Select the link in the left column (under "Sources") for the time period you're interested in
- ProQuest Central This link opens in a new windowIncludes articles in the New York Times (1980-present), The Los Angeles Times, Variety and Back Stage
- Literary Reference Center Plus This link opens in a new windowIncludes information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and time frame, as well as the full-text of some plays.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowIncludes biographical info, interviews/primary sources, and reviews.
- TDR: The Drama ReviewSelect the Project Muse - Premium link under Sources
- Contemporary Theatre ReviewSelect the Taylor & Francis Combined Library link under Sources
The context around the play
definition from: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/context
Use these resources to learn about the context around the play -- what was going on in the location in which the play was set, or during the time period in which the play was set, or about other aspects of the play
American DecadesCall Number: eBook (read online)* Click on the "View eBook" button
* Use the "Choose a volume" drop down to select the decade you're interested in
* The "Introduction" section gives you an overview of the decade or use the search box to find info on a specific location or topic
American Decades Primary SourcesCall Number: eBook (read online) or REF. 973.92 Am35a, vol. 1-10 (located on the 1st floor)* These books contain primary sources on 20th American history and culture, arranged chronologically in 12 categories, including the arts, education, government and politics, media, medicine and health, religion, and sports.
* Each volume covers a different decade.
* Check the index to find the page numbers associated with a particular place name or topic, such as "women"
Twentieth-Century AmericaCall Number: REF. 973.921 T918as, vol. 1-10 (located on the 1st floor)* These books contain primary source material in the form of original news articles and photographs from the Associated Press.
* Check the index to find the page numbers associated with a particular place name or topic, such as "women"
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window* Index and abstracts on world history from 1450 to the present (excluding the US and Canada).
* Use the Limit your results feature to search on specific historical periods. - America: History & Life This link opens in a new window* Indexes and abstracts the world's scholarly literature in the history of the United States and Canada from prehistoric times to the present.
* Use the Limit your results feature to search on specific historical periods.
