Starting Research: Theatre (excluding Shakespeare)
This guide focuses on the general topic of theater as performance on stage.
See also Dance Research Guide
Keywords and Subject Headings
TIP: Don't skip this section. Using these suggestions can help you save time. You may also want to see this guide. It explains the difference between subject headings and keywords.
Keywords
In the library catalog, keyword search finds your terms anywhere in the entire library- catalog entry, including any description, or table of contents. In databases, keyword search finds your terms in the entire record, including any abstract, or full-text.
In the area of theater studies keyword searches are best constructed using “theater” OR “theatre” and then AND for any specific topic, geographic area, or time period.
Subject Headings
In the library catalog subject-heading search finds your terms only if that subject has been assigned to the entire book/work in the subject-headings field. These standardized subject headings are established by the Library of Congress.
LC Subject Headings are constructed using the American spelling “theater” except for proper nouns such as the name of a particular theater or event which has the word “Theatre” as part of its name.
theater – Use for drama as performed.
drama – Use for drama as literature.
performing arts – Use to broaden your search to books/works that include theater in addition to other performing arts, but are not only about theater.
acting, actors – Use to get additional results.
Use theaters (Plural) for actual facilities. Add “stage setting and scenery” for stages.
Add the phrase “Pictorial works” to any search tofind books that are largely illustrations/photographs.
To find scripts
plays – Use for single or collected plays by a single author, co-authors or joint authors.
plays --collections -- Use for collections of plays by several different authors.
monologues -- Use for single-actor scenes.
dialogues -- Combine with another term such as plays or acting to avoid music, Plato, etc.
acting—auditions – Use for scene scripts, and for general advice on auditioning.
For more information about Library of Congress Subject Headings search them at http://authorities.loc.gov/
In databases, subject-heading search finds your terms only if that subject has been assigned to the article by the publisher or the author. Each database has its own list of subject headings, with a tab/link that allows you to browse the terms they are using. Often, on the results page, the assigned subject headings will be displayed, and you will have the opportunity to narrow or broaden your search by clicking on the subject terms.
Reference Sources
Some general sources in Burling Referece for starting your research are:
The Oxford encyclopedia of theatre & performance : (2 volumes)
REF PN2035 .O94 2003
Comprehensive and authoritative - covers Ancient Greece to current decade.
The Columbia encyclopedia of modern drama
Coming soon!
An annotated dictionary of technical, historical, and stylistic terms relating to theatre and drama : a handbook of dramaturgy:
REF PN2035 .W48 1995
An International dictionary of theatre language: REF PN2035 .I5 1985
Terminology from the past into the 20th century, including 5,000 foreign terms from 60 languages.
International dictionary of theatre (3 volumes) REF PN2035 .I49 1992 (c1992-c1996)
Less a dictionary, than a brief-entry encyclopedia Vol. 1 Plays Vol. 2 Playrights Vol. 3 Actors, Directors & Designers.
Acting : an International encyclopedia : REF PN2035 .O84 2001
One-volume quick reference
The World encyclopedia of contemporary theatre (6 volumes) REF PN1584 .W67x 1994(1994-2000)
Arranged by geographical areas
McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of world drama : an international reference work in 5 volumes REF PN1625 .M3 1984
A dictionary of theatre anthropology : the secret art of the performer REF PN2041.A57 A5313 1991
Published for the Centre for Performance Research. This is a most intriguing title!
This represents just the smallest sampling of theater titles in Reference. Use the library catalog, limiting your search location to Reference, to find research-starter items in specialty areas such as American theater, musical theater, staging techniques, literary criticism of drama, and bibliographies which lead you to additional resources.
Library Catalogs
Grinnell College's Theatre resources will be found in Burling Library.
Grinnell College Libraries: Burling Library and Kistle Science Library.
You will notice that the location numbers for all of the Reference titles listed above fall into the PN letter ranges. This scheme for placing information similar information together is devised by the Library of Congress. Use the table below to guide your search for browsing all of our collections for theater titles.
- PN2000-3307 Dramatic representation. The theater.
- See especially PN2035 in REF
- PN2061-2071 Art of acting
- PN2085-2091 The stage and acessories
- PN2131-2193 By period
- PN2131-2145 Ancient
- PN2152-2160 Medieval
- PN2171-2179 Renaissance
- PN2181-2193 Modern
- PN2219.3-3030 Special regions or counties.
- PN3035 The Juewish theater
- PN3151-3171 Amateur theater
- PN3175-3191 College and school theatricals
Don’t forget to include the OVERSIZE collection, which is particularly good for illustration
For instance:
World theatre in pictures, from ancient times to modern Broadway
1st floor Oversize PN2111 .P75 1953.
Also remember to search for Listening Center materials.
One item of note is: A search for an American voice in theater (6 DVDs)
Listening Room DVD Se1114
This six-part series traces the history of stage drama and the American imagination, from pre-Revolutionary days to the late 20th century, through interviews and archival images. Using theater as a mirror, each program reveals the ongoing development of American culture and society's artistic aspirations.” To access streaming audio of songs from musical theater in the Database of Recorded American Music collection do a keyword search in the Library Catalog using dram AND musicals.
Exceptions to the PN range for theater materials:
Musical theater titles are in the ML letter ranges.
Broadway is strewn about in F, ML and PN, depending on the focus.
Theater bibliographies are in Z.
Indices to finding plays are in Z5781, largely in Reference collection.
Use the Library Catalog to find these “exceptional!” items.
To learn more about Library of Congress Subject Headings, Ask a Librarian!
For general outlines, as above, see Library of Congress Classification System Outline at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/
Additional Library Catalogs
WorldCat: A huge catalog of books, web resources, and other materials held in libraries around the world. Most items in WorldCat
are available through interlibrary loan.
Center for Research Libraries: Journals, foreign dissertations, newspapers, and microform collections available through interlibrary loan and electronic
delivery.
Databases and Indexes
To identify databases with relevant articles for theatre and drama:
In addition to these, be sure to search:
NetLibrary database for online books
LexisNexis Academic for the most current issues of many theater-related publication.
Theatre Reviews
LexisNexis Academic is of importance for locating theater reviews
This narrows your search to "Play Reviews"
Although the Play Reviews is very specific, it only draws upon 19 sources, so you may want to also try the broader Reviews category to include a greater number of metropolitan newspapers and other entertainment industry sources. Ask a Librarian to help you use “Terms and Connectors” to limit your search, including use of NOT connectors. It is also very helpful to limit your search by the dates your play ran at the theater.
Other Sources of Theater Reviews
Online
CurtainUp http://www.curtainup.com/index.html
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings. Covers NYC (inc. Broadway & Off-Broadway), London, The Bershires, Philadelphia, Washington DC, California (largely Los Angeles), bit of New Jersey, and some special festivals such as Humana in Louisville, Kentucky. Has a review archives indexed by title back to around 1997.
The New York Times Theater Review Archive http://www.nytimes.com/pages/theater/reviews/index.html
Look for Archive box on current Theater Reviews page. From 1996 forward, most reviews can be accessed free of charge. In addition, reviews back to 1905 of certain selected shows are available.
Initial page allows you to browse by show title, year or critic’s name. Once you get to the results page, you can search by title, people (including actors) or keyword. Although you must register as a member to obtain free access, registration is free.
The New York Times Article Archive http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/nytarchive.html
Although to access some articles in the following archives, you must register as a member, registration is free. Includes:
Article Archive 1851-1980, PDF format
Articles in the Public Domain (1851 to 1922) can be accessed free of charge. Use Advanced Search and keep the beginning date of September 18, 1851, but change the end date to December 31, 1922.
Article Archive 1981 to Present, text only
Back to 1987 articles can be accessed free of charge.
For reviews not freely accessible, see NYT on microfilm:
In Print
New York theatre critics' reviews REF PN2000 .N76
Library has 1967-1994.
- Theater reviews reprinted from various New York newspapers and a couple of other publications.
- Print indices for 1940 - 1960 and 1961 -1972 are shelved in REF PN2000 .N76 after 1994 volume.
- Annual index is found in each volume.
- Online indexing for November 5, 1979 through December 31, 1985 is available in the Arts and Humanities Search database ,but only by show title and major author.
National theatre critics' reviews REF PN2000 .N76
Library has 1995-1996.
- This is the continuation of the above title until publication ceased in 1996.
Selected Web Sites
Artslynx International Theatre Resources
http://www.artslynx.org/theatre/
Excellent portal website designed to guide researchers, scholars, educators and students to the best-available web information in the most efficient manner!
INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Use the Visual & Performing Arts search.
Theater History on the Web
http://www.videoccasions-nw.com/history/jack.html
Since 1996 this site has been maintained by retired drama professor Jack Wolcott, to provide theatre practitioners and scholars with easy access to useful research sites throughout the world.
The Costume Page
http://www.costumepage.org/costume.html#toc
There are over 1,000 unique links listed on these pages for the benefit of those who study and/or make costumes, including students and researchers, and all those interested in fashion, textile art, and costume history.
Theatrecrafts.com
http://www.theatrecrafts.com/index.shtml
"The aim of theatrecrafts.com is to eventually be the best resource for practical information and advice about technical theatre techniques for theatre folk at any level."
Society of London Theatre London Theatre Guide
http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/
Contains mostly current news and features, but a few archival months of interviews are included. Links section is useful for other British sites.
To locate addition web sources do a keyword search in the Library Catalog using "theater" OR "theatre" and limiting your location to Library WWW resource.
Style and Citation Guides
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association : Perm. Reserve (Burling & Kistle) BF76.7 .P83 2001. A brief online guide is available from The University of California, Berkeley Library.
MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing / Joseph Gibaldi : Perm Reserve PN147 .G444 1998 (this style guide is used frequently in the humanities.) A brief online guide is available from The University of California, Berkeley Library
Chicago Manual of Style : Perm Reserve Z253.U69 2003. A brief online guide is available from The University of California, Berkeley Library
Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper: Duke University
Libraries
RefWorks: A web-based service that allows you to import citations, create bibliographies, and more.
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