Research by Subject: Theatre
Books: Use the Library Catalog
International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance with Full Text 
Indexing to 60,000+ theater & dance journal articles, books, book articles and dissertation abstracts on all aspects of theatre and performance in 126 countries, with full text of 100+ periodicals & 100+ books & monographs.
MLA international bibliography of books and articles on the modern languages and literatures (ProQuest)
Index to language, literature, folklore, linguistics etc. in international scholarly journals, books, papers etc.
Literature Online (LION) with MLA
English and American poetry, drama and prose plus other world literatures (French, Spanish, German, etc.); full-text literature journals, criticism and reference resources.
Note: Cross-search MLA under Criticism & Reference
General OneFile
Current journal and news information in humanities, education, business, science, art, politics, economics, social sciences, law, health care, computers, technology and environmental issues. Formerly InfoTrac OneFile.
Note: Formerly known as InfoTrac OneFile
ProQuest
Business, humanities, general information, social life, law etc. ABI/INFORM databases, ProQuest Newspapers, Research Library and several others.
Note: Scroll down to pick and choose your own combination of databases to search.
Project Muse
Full-text scholarly journals in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Mathematics; Coverage varies by journal but generally only 2-3 current years.
ERIC (Ebsco interface)
Educational information produced by the Educational Resource Information Center; annotated references to published and unpublished materials. 1966-present.
Art index retrospective 1929-1984.
Art journal index; incl. periodicals, yearbooks and museum bulletins in English, French, Italian, German and Dutch. 55+ years.
JSTOR
Complete backfiles of core scholarly journals, searchable by journal (1 or more), keywords, author, title etc. Files do not include the latest 3-5 years.
Readers' guide retrospective
Database containing comprehensive indexing of the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States and reflects the history of 20th century America. The complete database covers the years 1890 through 1982. Use to research contemporary writings on general news areas as current events, business, fashion, politics, crafts, education, history, sports, food, science, and theater reviews.
LexisNexis Academic
Full-text access to continuously updated news, law, and business information. Highlights: News: news wires, transcripts, regional, national/international news, & Gallup Polls; Legal: law review articles, case law, and federal/state codes; Business: company profiles, country profiles, and SEC filings; People: directories from the entertainment industry, elected officials, executives, politicians, and obituaries.
ProQuest historical newspapers: New York Times 
Complete archive covering 1851-2004, fully searchable cover to cover; full text and full image, including advertising.
Theatre History on the Web 
A comprehensive gateway to Web resources, covering theatre of all periods from classical to contemporary, as well as costume, lighting, design, and stagecraft.
Theatre History Sites on the WWW
Links to a wide variety of resources in European and American theatre arts.
International Theatre Resources from Artslynx
A comprehensive portal to online theatre resources, covering history, acting, costume, design & technology, musical theatre, and children's theatre.
A Brief Guide to Internet Resources in Theatre and Performance Studies
A gateway to Web resources for acting, stagecraft, plays & playwrights, arts management, and regional venues.
Voice of the Shuttle: Drama, Theatre, & Performing Arts
A gateway for Web resources in the Theatre Arts.
Playbill
Covers the current theatre scene in New York and London.
Entertainment--Arts and Stage
From Yahoo! News, stories and features on current theatre and performers.
IDEA: International Dialects of English Archive
An audio archive of English dialects from across the United States and around the world. Note the navigational menu at the very top of the screen.
Artslynx International Dance Resources
A gateway to dance resources on the Web.
CyberDance: Ballet on the Net
Links to several thousand Web sites devoted to ballet and modern dance.
Internet Broadway Database
Provides records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre until today. Details include pertinent people involved as well as interesting facts and production statistics. Find out what played at a particular theatre or what shows opened in a specified Broadway season.
Literature & Culture of Francophone Africa & the Diaspora
A guide to Francophone resources on cinema, dance, literature, theatre, sociocultural issues, and visual art, developed by the Brown University Library.
Theatre in Video 
Provides streaming video access to original productions of plays, along with film documentaries on the subject of theater. When complete it will contain more than 250 plays and 100 documentaries. Browsable by productions, documentaries, people, companies, genres, theatres, and dates. Requires Flash version 8 or higher. To obtain your free upgrade visit the Flash Player download page. Access is limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Collect Britain 
Links to over 100,000 images and sounds selected from the British Library collections. Resources included: maps, books, topographical drawings, stamps, photographs,newspapers, music and sound clips which illustrate regional accents and dialects, as well as wildlife recordings. Includes the Penny Illustrated Paper (1861-1913).
The Grey House Performing Arts Directory
Call Number: REF PN1561 .G74
State by state listings of venues and annual performance series for theatre, music, and dance, with contact information.
Play Index (1949-1992)
Call Number: REF PN1655 .P53
Identify plays of this period by Title, Author, or Subject.
Inter-Play
An index to plays in anthologies. For additional plays, see the Play Index Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Anthologies (Ref Desk PN 1655 .O88 1988).
Lortel Archives: the Off-Broadway Database
Title page credits, original cast members and replacements, window card photos, awards won, number of performances for each OB production. In addition, there’s information about Off-Broadway theatre spaces and theatre companies.
Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television
Call Number: REF PN2012 .W52
A who's who and who was who of individuals in all areas of theatre, film, and television, updated annually.
Enter the Players: New York Stage Actors in the Twentieth Century
Call Number: REF PN2277 .N5 H574 2003
Brief biographies and play lists for American actors active on the New York stage during the 20th century.
Dictionary of the Performing Arts
Call Number: REF PN1579 .M66 1999
Brief definitions of theatre arts terms.
The Dictionary of Costume
Call Number: REF GT507 .W5
Brief entries on garments and styles, illustrated with drawings.
International Dictionary of Modern Dance
Call Number: REF GV1585 .B46 1998
Short essays on dancers, choreographers, ballets, and dance styles, illustrated.
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance
Call Number: REF GV1585 .C78 2000
Brief entries on dancers, dance companies, choreographers, and dance styles.
Brief entries on dancers, dance companies, choreographers, and dance styles.
International Dictionary of Ballet
Call Number: REF GV1585 .I57 1993
Short essays on dancers, choreographers, and productions, illustrated.
The Dictionary of Art
Call Number: REF N31 .D5 1996
From Grove in 34 volumes, this set features substantial essays on all visual arts, global in scope and historical in range, amply illustrated.
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
Call Number: REF NA31 .C44 1995
Illustrations of how buildings are designed and constructed.
Architecture and Ornament: An Illustrated Dictionary
Call Number: REF NA2840 .M36 1998
Primarily photographs and illustrations of architectual ornament.
Dictionary of the Decorative Arts
Call Number: REF NK30 .F54 1977
Brief entries on a wide range of furnishings, fully illustrated.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre & Performance
Call Number: REF PN2035 .O94 2003
Short entries compose a comprehensive survey of theatre and performance art, international in scope.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama
Call Number: REF PN1625 .M3 1984
Essays on international theatre, playwrights, and performers, illustrated.
The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre
Call Number: REF PN1861 .W67 1994
Individual essays devoted to the theatre of each country, covering its history and characteristic styles, illustrated.
Encyclopedia of the New York Stage (1920-1950)
Call Number: REF PN2277 .N5 L36 1985
Entries for all professional plays, musicals, revues, and revivals on the New York stage for the decades covered.
The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville
Call Number: REF PN1968 .U5 S37 1994
Short essays on individual performers and types of act.
Actor's Encyclopedia of Dialects
Call Number: REF PN2071 .F6 M57 1984
International dialects rendered in sound symbols used for Standard American English.
International Encyclopedia of Dance
Call Number: REF GV1585 .I586 1998
Comprehensive survey of international dance traditions, dancers, and choreographers, illustrated.
The Encyclopedia of Fashion
Call Number: REF GT507 .O53 1986
Short entries on fashion and designers, illustrated with photographs.
The Encyclopedia of World Costume
Call Number: REF GT507 .Y37 1986
Entries range from short to substantial, with ample drawings.
The Historical Encyclopedia of Costumes
Call Number: REF GT510 .R3313 1988
International costume from the ancient world to the 19th century, with color illustrations.
American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Call Number: REF NA705 .H36 1998
All styles of American architecture with supporting drawings and diagrams.
Encyclopedia of American Architecture
Call Number: REF NA705 .P3 1995
Covers all styles of American domestic and public architecture, illustrated with color photographs.
Encyclopedia of Interior Design
Call Number: REF NK1165 .E48 1997
International in scope, with substantial essays illustrated by photographs and drawings.
Fashion, Costume, and Culture.
Covers clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear. Provides a broad overview of costume traditions of diverse cultures from prehistoric times to the present day. Explores how and why items were created, the people who made them, and their uses. Illustrates how clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear reflect the different cultural, religious, and societal beliefs.
Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia
A guide to the performing arts collections and resources at the Library of Congress that pertain to music, theatre, and dance. Each collection, exhibition or resource includes a descriptive summary. If the collection has been digitized or is available online, a link is provided.
The Cambridge Guide to Theatre
Call Number: REF PN2035 .C27 1995
Short entries compose a comprehensive survey, international in scope.
A Companion to Medieval Theatre
Call Number: REF PN2152 .C66 1989
Short essays on medieval theatre across Europe.
Neoclassical Theatre: A Historiographical Handbook
Call Number: REF PN2183 .V56 1988
Essays on 18th century French, English, and italian theatre.
The London Stage (1890-1929)
Call Number: REF PN2596 .L6 W37
A chonological listing of plays and casts on the London stage for the decades covered.
The Oxford Companion to American Theatre
Call Number: REF PN2220 .B6 1992
Brief entries for plays, playwrights, and theatres.
The Cambridge History of American Theatre
Call Number: REF PN2221 .C37 1998
Substantial, chronological essays on American theatre from the 1600s to the 1990s.
Lighting and Sound
Call Number: REF PN2091 .E4 F7 1993
An introduction to the art of stage lighting and sound, illustrated.
Theatre Backstage from A to Z
Call Number: REF PN2091 .M3 L68 1999
A broad survey of scenery and lighting practices on the American stage.
Stage Design and Properties
Call Number: REF PN2091 .S8 H65 1993
An introduction to designing scenery and props, illustrated.
Costume and Make-up
Call Number: REF PN2067 .H65 1989
Actor-oriented, covering the basics with drawings and photographs.
Costume Patterns and Designs
Call Number: REF GT513 .T512
Color patterns for an international range of garments.
The Visual History of Costume
Call Number: REF GT1733 .V57 1989
A chronolgical arrangement of chiefly paintings and photographs with brief commentary on garment features.
The History of Decorative Arts: Renaissance and Mannerism in Europe
Call Number: REF NK925 .A7713 1994
Lavish color photographs of period furniture and material culture.
Theatre in Video
Provides streaming video access to original productions of plays, along with film documentaries on the subject of theater. When complete it will contain more than 250 plays and 100 documentaries. Browsable by productions, documentaries, people, companies, genres, theatres, and dates. Requires Flash version 8 or higher. To obtain your free upgrade visit the Flash Player download page. Access is limited to 5 simultaneous users.
New York Public Library Picture Collection Online
Collection includes 30,000 digitized images. Subjects covered include African Americans, American history, animals, costume and clothing, design, Native Americans, New York City, and textiles.
ARTstor
Database of more than 600,000 digital images representing visual and material culture across cultures and time periods. Documents the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design, as well as many other forms of visual culture. Images can be downloaded and combined with personal image collections.
Bisssonnette on Costume
A visual dictionary of fashion - search images by geographic region, time period, or subject.
Grove art online
Visual arts and images from prehistoric times to the present. Search by styles and cultures, time period, and geographic region. Some links to color images and supplemented by searchable color images from the Bridgeman Art Library.
Black Drama
Plays with detailed, fielded information on productions, theaters, production companies; incl. selected playbills, production photographs and other related ephemera. From Alexander Street Press.
Asian American Drama
Plays and detailed information on related productions, theaters, production companies, etc; incl. selected playbills, production photographs, other related ephemera. From Alexander Street Press.
Performing Arts in America, 1875-1923
From the Performing Arts Library (New York Public Library) a searchable database of 16,000 objects representing archival materials from one of the strongest periods in the Performing Arts Library collections.
New York Theatre Critics' Reviews (1954-1996)
Call Number: REF PN2000 .N76
Reviews from a variety of publications covering the New York stage.
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