ICSM U.S. Social Activist Theatre and Performance: History and Praxis
Theatre Guild production of They Shall Not Die, 1934
There are a handful of Subject Headings that indicate the political/social concerns of theater:
Theater--Political aspects
Theater--Political aspects--United States
Theater and society
Theater and society--United States
Theater and state--United States
Political plays, American--History and criticism
Performance art--United States
Performance art--Political aspects--United States
Street theater--United States
Street theater--Political aspects--United States--History--20th century
Street theater--Political aspects--United States--History--21st century
Experimental theater
Experimental theater--United States
Experimental theater--United States--History--20th century
These broad Subject Headings at the national, state, and city level might discuss political or activist drama:
American drama--20th century--History and criticism
American drama--21st century--History and criticism
Historical drama, American--History and criticism
Two examples of a specific state and city in a Subject Heading:
Theater--New York (State)--New York
Theater--New York (State)--New York--History
Theater--Washington (D.C.)--History--20th century
Particular theater groups may be available as Subject Headings:
Workers' theater [only one book attached to each of these--but all different]
Workers' theater--California
Workers' theater--California--History
Workers' theater--California--San Francisco--History
Workers' theater--United States--History--20th century
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)--History
Group Theatre (U.S.)
Living Theatre (New York, N.Y.)
Bread and Puppet Theater
Bread and Puppet Theater--History
Teatro Camposino (Organization)
Teatro Campesino (Organization)--History
Teatro de las Chicanas (Theater group)
Subject Headings dealing with theatre and various social issues may occur in a number of formulas:
Race in the theater
Race in the theater--United States--History
African American theater
African American theater--History
Hispanic American theater
Hispanic American theater--History
Ethnicity in the theater
Ethnic theater--United States
Feminist theater
Feminist theater--United States--History
Feminism and theater
Feminism and theater--United States
Feminism and theater--United States--History--20th century
Gender identity in the theater
Homosexuality and theater
Gay theater--United States
AIDS (Disease)--Drama
Theater and globalization
Theater and globalization--History--20th century
Prison theater--United States
There are also a number of Subject Headings for social/political issues "in literature." Items with these headings may (or may not) discuss dramatic literature:
Racism in literature
Minorities in literature
Cultural pluralism in literature
Social problems in literature
Politics and literature--United States
Politics and literature--United States--History--20th century
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), in literature
AIDS (Disease) in literature
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001, in literature
Art and state--United States
A particular playwright who is the subject of book-length analysis may take a political subheading:
Miller, Arthur, 1915-2005--Political and social views
Brecht, Bertolt, 1898-1956--Political and social views
But the main subheading for critical discussion will be--
Artaud, Antonin, 1896-1948--Criticism and interpretation
Brecht, Bertolt, 1898-1956--Criticism and interpretation
Wilson, August--Criticism and interpretation
And for many playwrights the available Subject Headings will be very basic:
Boal, Augusto
Wasserstein, Wendy
Smith, Anna Deavere--Interviews
And of course the issues or occurances that are the occasion for drama and performance will often have their own Subject Headings:
Silk Workers' Strike, Paterson, N.J., 1913
Scottsboro Trial, Scottsboro, Ala.,
AIDS (Disease)--Political aspects--United States
Occupy movement
Theater--Political aspects
Theater--Political aspects--United States
Theater and society
Theater and society--United States
Theater and state--United States
Political plays, American--History and criticism
Performance art--United States
Performance art--Political aspects--United States
Street theater--United States
Street theater--Political aspects--United States--History--20th century
Street theater--Political aspects--United States--History--21st century
Experimental theater
Experimental theater--United States
Experimental theater--United States--History--20th century
These broad Subject Headings at the national, state, and city level might discuss political or activist drama:
American drama--20th century--History and criticism
American drama--21st century--History and criticism
Historical drama, American--History and criticism
Two examples of a specific state and city in a Subject Heading:
Theater--New York (State)--New York
Theater--New York (State)--New York--History
Theater--Washington (D.C.)--History--20th century
Particular theater groups may be available as Subject Headings:
Workers' theater [only one book attached to each of these--but all different]
Workers' theater--California
Workers' theater--California--History
Workers' theater--California--San Francisco--History
Workers' theater--United States--History--20th century
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)--History
Group Theatre (U.S.)
Living Theatre (New York, N.Y.)
Bread and Puppet Theater
Bread and Puppet Theater--History
Teatro Camposino (Organization)
Teatro Campesino (Organization)--History
Teatro de las Chicanas (Theater group)
Subject Headings dealing with theatre and various social issues may occur in a number of formulas:
Race in the theater
Race in the theater--United States--History
African American theater
African American theater--History
Hispanic American theater
Hispanic American theater--History
Ethnicity in the theater
Ethnic theater--United States
Feminist theater
Feminist theater--United States--History
Feminism and theater
Feminism and theater--United States
Feminism and theater--United States--History--20th century
Gender identity in the theater
Homosexuality and theater
Gay theater--United States
AIDS (Disease)--Drama
Theater and globalization
Theater and globalization--History--20th century
Prison theater--United States
There are also a number of Subject Headings for social/political issues "in literature." Items with these headings may (or may not) discuss dramatic literature:
Racism in literature
Minorities in literature
Cultural pluralism in literature
Social problems in literature
Politics and literature--United States
Politics and literature--United States--History--20th century
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), in literature
AIDS (Disease) in literature
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001, in literature
Art and state--United States
A particular playwright who is the subject of book-length analysis may take a political subheading:
Miller, Arthur, 1915-2005--Political and social views
Brecht, Bertolt, 1898-1956--Political and social views
But the main subheading for critical discussion will be--
Artaud, Antonin, 1896-1948--Criticism and interpretation
Brecht, Bertolt, 1898-1956--Criticism and interpretation
Wilson, August--Criticism and interpretation
And for many playwrights the available Subject Headings will be very basic:
Boal, Augusto
Wasserstein, Wendy
Smith, Anna Deavere--Interviews
And of course the issues or occurances that are the occasion for drama and performance will often have their own Subject Headings:
Silk Workers' Strike, Paterson, N.J., 1913
Scottsboro Trial, Scottsboro, Ala.,
AIDS (Disease)--Political aspects--United States
Occupy movement
International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance with Full Text :
MLA International Bibliography :
MLAIB provides the most complete and fully indexed coverage of articles and books on modern literatures, linguistics, folklore, rhetoric, and composition from 1925 to the present. There is ample full text provided by ProQuest, as well as links to full-text articles in JSTOR and Project Muse. Full text from other IC databases is also readily available via the "GetIt" links below article citations.
Because books, book chapters/essays, and dissertations will usually not be available full text, you may wish to limit your search to "Journal article" under "Source type."
"Author's Work" and "Author as Subject" will be especially helpful search fields at finding literary criticism. Author's Work field allows you to run a Subject search on any play, guaranteeing topical focus, not just mention of the play. And for additional search field options either click on "Show more fields," or, for the complete list, open the drop-down menus to the right of the "Anywhere" default for the top three rows of search slots. This list includes both "Literary Influence"--who influenced a particular author you have entered--and "Literary Source"--who was influenced by that particular author.
JSTOR :
This database has good full-text coverage of theater studies and drama criticism. There is no Subject searching, so remember to put titles and authors' names in quotation marks to search them as Keyword phrases--and leave authors' names in the normal first-name last-name order. Set "Limit" to "Article."
JSTOR access to journal articles begins 2-4 years prior to the present--so don't look for any criticism from the last couple of years--but coverage always extends back to the first issue of each journal--in some cases into the 19th century and beyond. This allows you, for instance, to retrieve articles responding to the early works of Eugene O'Neill in the 1920s and 30s. Set the date range "Limit" below the search slots to target an era.
Project Muse ,
Although a smaller database, it complements JSTOR. LIke JSTOR it provides 100% full text of mostly scholarly journals, but its coverage is entirely current--mainly spanning the last 10-15 years. Muse offers a basic keyword search (be sure to put the titles of literary works in quotation marks). Once you've retrieved a set of articles you can sort them into broad categories using the Research Area options on the left.
Note: Checking the "Articles" box under Content Type before you run a search will eliminate reviews of books about your topic and leave you with just the articles on your topic.
ProQuest Research Library & Academic Search Premier :
Both of these comprehensive databases cover the performing arts, including drama criticism and preformance reviews--much of it full text. In running searches on playwrights directors, or actors, don't settle for a Keyword search on the individual's name, as this will retrieve too many articles in which the he or she is only mentioned. Instead use the specialized Subject search each provides. In ProQest enter the name, last name first, in the "Person" search field (open drop-down menu under default "All fields"). In Academic Search Premier open the "Select a Field" drop-down menu and search the name, last name first, in the "People" field.
In both databases the titles of shows should be searched as Keyword phrases, so be sure to put them in quotation marks. (Note: in ProQuest you can run a Subject search on a play title, but it will retrieve only newspaper reviews of particular productions--not scholarly criticism.)
In Academic Search Premier you can set a "Document Type" limit and choose "Entertainment review"--if you want a performance review--or "Literary Criticism"--if you want scholarly analysis of a play. If your subject is a contemporary writer/director/performer, you might try "Interview." In ProQuest you can set "Document type" to "Review"or "Interview."
General OneFile :
Another comprehensive database with considerable literary criticism, but with a default Subject search. Whatever Subject Heading you search, you will be offered links to "Subdivisions" and "Related Subjects." Take a look at the dozens of "Related Subjects" offered for an initial search on "Theater" or "Dance."
Once you've discovered the Subject that best matches your interest, look at the "Subdivisions" for it. The standard "subdivisions" for General OneFile Include "Economic Aspects," "Employment," "Forecasts and Trends," "History," "International Aspects," "Management," "Political Aspects," "Social Aspects," and "Statistics." If the retrievals for these categories are still too broad, use the the "Search within these Results" slot at the upper left to enter some Keywords.
If you want to focus on a particular play or show, use the "Advanced search," enter the title, and select "Named Work" from the drop-down menu of search fields.
Note that below the "Search within these Results" slot on the upper left of your retrievals there is a "Narrow results by" slot and one of the options is "Document type." These document types include "Theater Review" and "Dance Review."
Note: Whenever you open your first page of retrievals in General OneFile, you are viewing ONLY the articles from magazines. If you wish to see your retrievals from more scholarly sources you must click on the "Academic Journals" tab at the top.
LexisNexis Academic News: Click on the "Search by Content Type" and choose "All News."
Offering a keyword search of 100% full text from a vast number of national and international newspapers, this database can overwhelm you with large retrievals, so use commands to target articles in which your topic words are mentioned early or mentioned often.
Use the hlead command (headline and lead paragraphs) to target articles in which your topic words occur in the prime news-story position of headline or first paragraphs. For example: hlead(theat! and fund!) will retrieve just the articles in which the search terms are used in the headline or first paragraphs. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses after hlead, with no space between. Also note: the ! is a truncation symbol: theat! will retrieve theater or theatre, theaters or theatres, and fund! will retrieve fund, funds, funding, funded, and fundraising.
Use the altleast command to target articles in which your topic words occur a set number of times. For example: atleast5(“community theater”) will retrieve only the articles where this phrase is used at least 5 times—indicating that it must be a main topic. You can plug in any number after atleast—atleast3 or atleast7. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses with no space between the number you choose and the first parenthesis.
Use the date range offered under Advanced Options. Because this is a large database of 100% full text, one of the most effective ways to retrieve fewer than 1000 hits is to set up a time frame. Note: if you use the calendar icons to set beginning and end dates, you need to choose a year, a month, and a day for each. Without the day, the date won’t register.
Less finicky is the drop-down that let's you choose a week, month, year, or a two-year time frame
New York Times (1851-2009) :
This database can retrieve articles about theater, dance, and performers back to the 19th century. It provides the full text of the New York Times 1851-2006 and allows you to retrieve, for example, an article on "Ibsen's Method" from 1889 or a review of an Isadora Duncan performance from 1898. Begin by switching the search field from the default "Citation and document text" to "Citation and Abstract," since this helps ensure your search terms will be the main topic of the articles. And take advantage of the date range limits below the search slots if you want to focus on a particular event or time period.
America: History and Life :
This database can be invaluable because it allows you to set a "Historical Period" limit (below the search slots on the left). If you set this for 1919-1930, any Subjects or Keywords you enter above will retrieve articles on that topic as it played out during the decades of Thoreau's most intensive literary production. For example, a Subject search on Nature with that time limit will retrieve articles on other American figures concerned practically or artistically with the American environment. But: be aware that setting a Period limit of 1919-1930 will also retrieve any Period that contains those 11 years--for example an article on American poetry between 1865 and 1940.
Be sure to set the "Document Type" limit to "Article" to weed out all the many book reviews that will otherwise clot your search for articles.
- Try Subject searching as an alternative to Keywords. To test what Subject Headings will work in this database click on "Indexes" above the search slots, choose "Headings,"and test a Subject term. In finding the right Subject Term you will also see the number of articles assigned that Heading, as well as availabale subheadings.
- Play titles may be searched as Subject Headings here--if you use the "Reviews & Products" field. In many databases a play title must be searched as a Keyword phrase--and this retrieves many articles in which the play is only briefly mentioned. Searching a play title in "Reviews & Products" guarantees that the articles retrieved will be substantially about the the play. For example, here in the International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance a Keyword search on Hamlet retrieves about 2200 articles, whereas a Reviews & Products search retrieves about 700. The Reviews & Products search eliminates 1500 articles that are not primarily about Hamlet.
- Names are best searched, last name first, as "People." If a People search doesn't generate enough hits, try searching the name as a keyword phrase--the name in its natural order, enclosed in quotation marks.
- If both Subject and Keyword searches don't score many retrievals, try searching your term in the "All Text" field. But only use this as a last resort, since it will retrieve articles in which your search term is merely mentioned in passing.
- For an interview with a contemporary figure from the performing arts, try setting the "Document Type" limit at the bottom of the main search screen to "Interview."
MLA International Bibliography :
MLAIB provides the most complete and fully indexed coverage of articles and books on modern literatures, linguistics, folklore, rhetoric, and composition from 1925 to the present. There is ample full text provided by ProQuest, as well as links to full-text articles in JSTOR and Project Muse. Full text from other IC databases is also readily available via the "GetIt" links below article citations.
Because books, book chapters/essays, and dissertations will usually not be available full text, you may wish to limit your search to "Journal article" under "Source type."
"Author's Work" and "Author as Subject" will be especially helpful search fields at finding literary criticism. Author's Work field allows you to run a Subject search on any play, guaranteeing topical focus, not just mention of the play. And for additional search field options either click on "Show more fields," or, for the complete list, open the drop-down menus to the right of the "Anywhere" default for the top three rows of search slots. This list includes both "Literary Influence"--who influenced a particular author you have entered--and "Literary Source"--who was influenced by that particular author.
JSTOR :
This database has good full-text coverage of theater studies and drama criticism. There is no Subject searching, so remember to put titles and authors' names in quotation marks to search them as Keyword phrases--and leave authors' names in the normal first-name last-name order. Set "Limit" to "Article."
JSTOR access to journal articles begins 2-4 years prior to the present--so don't look for any criticism from the last couple of years--but coverage always extends back to the first issue of each journal--in some cases into the 19th century and beyond. This allows you, for instance, to retrieve articles responding to the early works of Eugene O'Neill in the 1920s and 30s. Set the date range "Limit" below the search slots to target an era.
Project Muse ,
Although a smaller database, it complements JSTOR. LIke JSTOR it provides 100% full text of mostly scholarly journals, but its coverage is entirely current--mainly spanning the last 10-15 years. Muse offers a basic keyword search (be sure to put the titles of literary works in quotation marks). Once you've retrieved a set of articles you can sort them into broad categories using the Research Area options on the left.
Note: Checking the "Articles" box under Content Type before you run a search will eliminate reviews of books about your topic and leave you with just the articles on your topic.
ProQuest Research Library & Academic Search Premier :
Both of these comprehensive databases cover the performing arts, including drama criticism and preformance reviews--much of it full text. In running searches on playwrights directors, or actors, don't settle for a Keyword search on the individual's name, as this will retrieve too many articles in which the he or she is only mentioned. Instead use the specialized Subject search each provides. In ProQest enter the name, last name first, in the "Person" search field (open drop-down menu under default "All fields"). In Academic Search Premier open the "Select a Field" drop-down menu and search the name, last name first, in the "People" field.
In both databases the titles of shows should be searched as Keyword phrases, so be sure to put them in quotation marks. (Note: in ProQuest you can run a Subject search on a play title, but it will retrieve only newspaper reviews of particular productions--not scholarly criticism.)
In Academic Search Premier you can set a "Document Type" limit and choose "Entertainment review"--if you want a performance review--or "Literary Criticism"--if you want scholarly analysis of a play. If your subject is a contemporary writer/director/performer, you might try "Interview." In ProQuest you can set "Document type" to "Review"or "Interview."
General OneFile :
Another comprehensive database with considerable literary criticism, but with a default Subject search. Whatever Subject Heading you search, you will be offered links to "Subdivisions" and "Related Subjects." Take a look at the dozens of "Related Subjects" offered for an initial search on "Theater" or "Dance."
Once you've discovered the Subject that best matches your interest, look at the "Subdivisions" for it. The standard "subdivisions" for General OneFile Include "Economic Aspects," "Employment," "Forecasts and Trends," "History," "International Aspects," "Management," "Political Aspects," "Social Aspects," and "Statistics." If the retrievals for these categories are still too broad, use the the "Search within these Results" slot at the upper left to enter some Keywords.
If you want to focus on a particular play or show, use the "Advanced search," enter the title, and select "Named Work" from the drop-down menu of search fields.
Note that below the "Search within these Results" slot on the upper left of your retrievals there is a "Narrow results by" slot and one of the options is "Document type." These document types include "Theater Review" and "Dance Review."
Note: Whenever you open your first page of retrievals in General OneFile, you are viewing ONLY the articles from magazines. If you wish to see your retrievals from more scholarly sources you must click on the "Academic Journals" tab at the top.
LexisNexis Academic News: Click on the "Search by Content Type" and choose "All News."
Offering a keyword search of 100% full text from a vast number of national and international newspapers, this database can overwhelm you with large retrievals, so use commands to target articles in which your topic words are mentioned early or mentioned often.
Use the hlead command (headline and lead paragraphs) to target articles in which your topic words occur in the prime news-story position of headline or first paragraphs. For example: hlead(theat! and fund!) will retrieve just the articles in which the search terms are used in the headline or first paragraphs. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses after hlead, with no space between. Also note: the ! is a truncation symbol: theat! will retrieve theater or theatre, theaters or theatres, and fund! will retrieve fund, funds, funding, funded, and fundraising.
Use the altleast command to target articles in which your topic words occur a set number of times. For example: atleast5(“community theater”) will retrieve only the articles where this phrase is used at least 5 times—indicating that it must be a main topic. You can plug in any number after atleast—atleast3 or atleast7. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses with no space between the number you choose and the first parenthesis.
Use the date range offered under Advanced Options. Because this is a large database of 100% full text, one of the most effective ways to retrieve fewer than 1000 hits is to set up a time frame. Note: if you use the calendar icons to set beginning and end dates, you need to choose a year, a month, and a day for each. Without the day, the date won’t register.
Less finicky is the drop-down that let's you choose a week, month, year, or a two-year time frame
New York Times (1851-2009) :
This database can retrieve articles about theater, dance, and performers back to the 19th century. It provides the full text of the New York Times 1851-2006 and allows you to retrieve, for example, an article on "Ibsen's Method" from 1889 or a review of an Isadora Duncan performance from 1898. Begin by switching the search field from the default "Citation and document text" to "Citation and Abstract," since this helps ensure your search terms will be the main topic of the articles. And take advantage of the date range limits below the search slots if you want to focus on a particular event or time period.
America: History and Life :
This database can be invaluable because it allows you to set a "Historical Period" limit (below the search slots on the left). If you set this for 1919-1930, any Subjects or Keywords you enter above will retrieve articles on that topic as it played out during the decades of Thoreau's most intensive literary production. For example, a Subject search on Nature with that time limit will retrieve articles on other American figures concerned practically or artistically with the American environment. But: be aware that setting a Period limit of 1919-1930 will also retrieve any Period that contains those 11 years--for example an article on American poetry between 1865 and 1940.
Be sure to set the "Document Type" limit to "Article" to weed out all the many book reviews that will otherwise clot your search for articles.
- Ebrary
- Citation
- Interlibrary Loan
- Plagiarism Tutorial
- Routledge Reader in Politics and Performance
- Theater in the Americas : Staging Social Justice : Collaborating to Create Activist Theatre
- Popular Theatre in Political Culture
- Politics of Performance : Radical Theatre As Cultural Intervention
- Staging Difference : Cultural Pluralism in American Theatre and Drama
- Refugee Performance : Practical Encounters
- No Safe Spaces : Re-casting Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality in American Theater
- Sourcebook on African-American Performance : Plays, People, Movements
- African American Performance and Theater History : A Critical Reader
- Aristotle and Black Drama : A Theater of Civil Disobedience
- Politics of Paul Robeson's Othello
- Contemporary Latina/o Performing Arts of Moraga, Tropicana, Fusco, and Bustamante
- Cutting Performances : Collage Events, Feminist Artists, and the American Avant-Garde
- Ethnotheatre : Research from Page to Stage
- Sourcebook on Feminist Theatre and Performance : On and Beyond the Stage
- Languages of Theatre Shaped by Women
- Feminist Spectator As Critic
- Performing New Lives : Prison Theatre
- Theatre in Prison
- Imagining Medea : Rhodessa Jones and Theater for Incarcerated Women
- Shakespeare Inside : The Bard Behind Bars
- Triangulations : Lesbian/Gay/Queer Theater/Drama/Performance : Performing Queer Latinidad : Dance, Sexuality, Politics
- Deviant Acts : Essays on Queer Performance
- San Francisco Mime Troupe Reader
- No Billionaire Left Behind : Satirical Activism in America
- Festivalising! : Theatrical Events, Politics and Culture
- Theater in the Americas : Performing Loss : Rebuilding Community through Theater and Writing
Political Theatre Resources:
General Theatre Resources:
- History of Political Theater: Overview from a PBS site.
- Castillo Theatre: New York Theate established in 1984 by a collective of political activists. it is the home of the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre.
- Theatre Communications Group (TCG): Activism: News and articles.
- Staged Action: Six Plays From the American Workers' Theatre: Cornell's ILR school posts this on the DigitalCommons.
- The New Deal Stage: Selections from the Federal Theatre Project: Resources from the Library of Congress American Memory site. Also see their Web Guide and note the links to "external collections." Aslo see the Federal Theatre Project (Negro Units).
- Days with the Group Theatre: An Interview with Clifford Odets
- The Living Theatre The official Web site, but only snatches of information.
- Bread and PuppetTheater: Offical Web site, see in particular the 50th Anniversary materials.
- El Teatro Campesino: Official Web site.
- El Teatro Campesino Video Collection: Video archive posted by UC Santa Barbara.
- Shakespeare Behind Bars: See in particular History, Media Gallery, and LInks & Resources.
General Theatre Resources:
- Theater 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.
- Brief Guide to Internet Resources in Theatre and Performance Studies: This not-so-brief guide is quite comprehensive--just be sure to scroll down to the actual contents (you might want to skip the "Introduction"). Categories include "Actors and Acting," Stagecraft and Technical Theatre," "Plays and Playwrights," "Arts Management and Non-Profit," and "Of Regional Interest"--this last being an excellent collection of links to regional theatre from around the world.
- Theatre History: Brief overviews from Scott Robinson of the Theatre Department at Central Washington University.
- New York Public Library: Best of the Web: Theatre: a gateway.
- Drama, Theatre, & Performing Art Studies: From Voice of the Shuttle, a gateway to online resources.
- Internet Broadway Database (IBDB): This site covers New York theater from its beginnings to what's currently running. The home page presents links for current shows front and center, but use the search slot at the upper left to access information on shows from any period. You can search by "Show," "People," "Theater," or "Season" (for Season just enter a one-year range: for example, 1915-1916). Every season is covered back to the 18th century.
MLA is the citation style used by most disciplines in the Humanities. The guides below use the most recent 2008/9 standards.
