Theatre Research Guide

This guide is the starting point for identifying, locating, using, and evaluating  materials relating to Theatre in the Carmichael Library and on the Internet.  If you need additional assistance, please Ask a Librarian or contact Patsy Sears, Reference Librarian, at searsp@montevallo.edu or 665-6103 

Finding Library Materials     
Library Catalog
The Library Catalog is often the best place to begin research. Search by author, title, subject, keyword, or a variety of other specialized searches.

Several examples of standard Theatre subject headings appropriate for use in the Library Catalog are listed below.  To get a broad overview of the types of materials on theatre, try a <Subject Keyword> search using the following terms:

• Acting

• Comedy

• Costume

• Drama

• Drama Collections

• Dialogue 

• Method (Acting)

• Monologues

• One-act plays

• Stage

• Theater

• Tragedy

The official, or authorized heading, for theatre is theater not theatre.  The term theater is used to describe works as acted on the stage, theaters to find information about facilities used to stage a drama, and drama for plays as a literary form.

Use the Library Catalog to search for materials about the following:

• Plays 
  To find a specific play if the play is the name of a book use a <Title> search.
       Example:  Long Day's Journey Into Night
  A <Keyword> search will locate plays listed in the contents of books.
       Example:  Death of a salesman will locate the play Death of a  
       salesman in the book Plays for the Theatre.
  A <Subject Keyword> search will find information about specific plays.
       Example:  Midsummer Night's Dream

• Monologues 
  A <Subject Keyword> search using the term monologues will find monologues and scenes. 
  Browse the PN2080 and PN4305 .M6 sections where most monologues and scenes are shelved.

• People
  Use  a <Subject Keyword> search to find books about  individuals such as playwrights, actors, and actresses.
       Example:  ibsen henrik, shaw george bernard 

• Genre and Topics
  Use a  <Subject Keyword> search to find materials of a specific genre and topic.
       Example:  stage setting and scenery; mime; Greece and
       theaters; kabuki; musicals; Shakespeare and criticism; women   
       and restoration drama

To obtain an authoritative list of subject headings check the Library of Congress Subject Headings, near the Ask Here desk.

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Call Numbers
Carmichael Library uses the Library of Congress system to organize its materials.  Theatre materials, and other related subjects, can be found in these call number ranges:

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Reference Materials
Reference materials include dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and indexes.  They are good starting points in the research process.

Several examples of Theatre reference materials available for use in the Carmichael Library include the following:

• Acting : An International Encyclopedia   REF PN2035 .084

• Book of 1000 Plays   REF PN6112.5 .F54 

• Cambridge Guide to Theatre   REF PN2035 .C27

• Contemporary Dramatists

• Contemporary Theatre, Film & Television   Ref PN 2285 .C58

• Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre  
  Ref PN 2035 .C65

• The Crown Guide to the World's Plays

• Drama Criticism   Ref PN1625 .D72

• Great Stage Directors   REF PN 2205 .L44

• An International Dictionary of Theatre Language   Ref PN 2035 .I5

• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama   Ref PN 1625 .M3

• Oxford Companion to the Theatre   Ref PN 2035 .H3  

• The Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama   REF PN 1625 .G3

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Print Indexes
Indexes are used to identify published articles in specific journals.  Most of the indexes in the Carmichael Library are electronic and are available from the Databases page.  However, in some instances only print indexes are available:

• New York Times Index   1851 --

• Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature  1900 --

• Social Sciences and Humanities Index   1966-1974.

• American Literary and Drama Reviews: An Index to  Late Nineteenth-Century Periodicals  REF PN 2256 .M37

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Journals and Periodicals
Journals and periodicals are published at regular intervals in print and electronically.

Print Theatre periodicals available in the Carmichael Library include the following:

• American Theatre 

• Comparative Drama

• Modern Drama

• Shakespeare Quarterly

• TDR: The Drama Review

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Electronic Resources
Databases

Electronic access to journal articles is available from the Databases  page.  Most databases can be searched using author, title or subject in either basic or advanced search formats. The results of a search will include either a citation, a citation and abstract, or a citation, abstract and full text of the article depending on the database searched.

Listed below are the databases pertaining to Theatre  that are available from the Databases page.  You can access these, and other databases, from the Databases by name page or the Databases by subject page.

• Academic Search Elite    Full Text 
  An interdisciplinary journal index.  Full-text of over 2,100 journals

• Arts & Humanities Search   Index
  Indexes articles, biographies, editorials, letters, and reviews from arts, humanities, science and social science journals.

• Contemporary Authors  Full Text 
  Biographies and bibliographies of contemporary authors.

• Encyclopedia Britannica Online  Full Text 
  Includes the entire encyclopedia and Book of the Year.

• Expanded Academic ASAP  Full Text 
  Multi-disciplinary approach to full text articles in scholarly journals. 

• Humanities Index  Index
  Citations and summaries of articles from English-language periodicals in the humanities.

• Lexis Nexis  Full Text 
  Full-text access from over 5,900 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications, including broadcast news transcripts.

• Literature Resource Center  Full Text 
  Includes biographies, bibliographies and critical analyses of writers from every age and literary discipline.

• MLA International Bibliography  Index
  An index to articles about drama and theater.  The indexing to the online version starts in 1963.  It does not cover technical theater topics, nor does it include reviews of productions.

• Play Index Index
  This database makes finding information about plays much easier. With Play Index you can find citations to over 30, 000 well known plays written or translated into English, including one-act plays, pageants, plays in verse, radio and television plays, and classic drama.

• ProQuest Newspapers  Full Text
  Covers national and international news in the Atlanta Journal, Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.

• WorldCat  Full Text
  Provides access to the citations for millions of books and other materials in our library and libraries around the world.  Search in this database if the materials you are looking for are not available in this Library and see Interlibrary Loan.

Additional information about specific databases is available at each database site. 

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Internet Links

Several recognized Theatre sites are listed below:

• Artslynx International Theatre Resources
  Maintained by Richard Finkelstein, a college professor, stage designer, and arts advocate, this compendium of internet sites includes material from unusual topics like Drama Therapy, Fight Direction, Performance Art, Stage Management, Storytelling, Theatre Architecture, and Theatre of Social Responsibility. Also included is This Month in Theatre History, which lists landmark theatre events and the birthdays of influential theatre practitioners.

• Playbill Online
  A large compendium of contemporary theatre links, geared toward the performer, the practitioner, the audience member, the devotee. Many of the sites are from individuals reflecting their enthusiasm for theatre.

• Performing Arts Links
  Organized by Maria Teresa Iovinelli, the Director of the Burcardo Library and Theatre Collection in Rome, this selection of links is noteworthy for its scholarly flavor, its international focus, and some unusual resources. The site also contains links to cinema and dance resources, mailing lists, newsgroups, museums and theatre collections.

• Worldwide Arts Resources THEATER RESOURCES INDEX
  A searchable database of Internet links with an alphabetized list of categories.

• WWW Virtual Library for Theatre and Drama
  Pointers to resources in over 50 countries for professionals, amateurs, academics and students. Includes a keyword search. The General Organizations and Resources and Theatre Image Collections Online categories are most helpful.

Web sources for plays and scripts:

• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
  The web's first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare including internet resources, a discussion area, quotations, and a glossary

• The Drama Book Shop
  Searchable database of scripts in stock at The Drama Book Shop.

• Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
  This site is handy for identifying and purchasing specific plays.  Users can apply for licenses online.  Search by cast size, gender, length, keyword, author, title.   Includes links to web sites on acting, costuming, and regional theater.

• The Internet Classics Archive
  This site is an award-winning, searchable collection of over 400 classical Greek and Latin texts (in English translation) with user-provided commentary and trivia sections.

• Inter-play
  An on-line index to plays in collections, anthologies and periodicals.

• Samuel French, Inc.
  Published scripts, ranging from Broadway and England's West End to unsolicited scripts submitted by unpublished authors. Their sales catalogue includes monologues, audition material, classroom guides, classic works and the latest plays from the professional theater.

• WorldCat
  Provides access to the citations for millions of books and other materials in our library and libraries around the world.  Search in the WorldCat database if the materials you are looking for are not available in this Library.

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Additional Resources
Associations
Associations provide a forum for the exchange of ideas within a profession.  Listed below are the names of a few Theatre associations.

• American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR)
  Established in 1956, ASTR provides a public voice for theatre scholars and promotes theatre as a field for serious scholarly study and research.
• Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE)
  Provides vision and leadership, supports scholarship, and promotes excellence in theatre education. Visit the focus group sections for valuable resources on all facets of the theatrical profession.
• Educational Theatre Association
  This nonprofit organization, founded in 1929, sponsors the International Thespian Society and Dramatics Magazine. The site includes contact information, teaching resources, tips on advocacy, forums, and links to university and college drama department websites.
• ESTA (Entertainment Services & Technology Association)
  A nonprofit trade association for the North American entertainment technology industry, ESTA is concerned with industry news, technical standards, customer service, equipment quality, business practices, insurance, and credit reporting.
• tdf (Theatre Development Fund)
  TDF's ticket marketing initiatives (including the TKTS discount booths) encourage production of new plays and musicals and make attending live arts performances in New York more affordable. TDF's Costume Collection is a great production resource for costume designers and theatre companies in New York City.
• The Dramatists Guild of America
  The website of this association of Playwrights, Composers, and Lyricists holds information about membership, copyright, contracts, events & seminars, ways to contact playwrights and their agents, and articles from The Dramatist.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG)
  The national organization for the American theatre, TCG supports the not-for-profit theatre community with programs for artists and managers, advocacy, and publications, including ArtSearch, American Theatre, plays, and theatre reference books.
• United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT)
  Resources for design professionals and educators can be found on the site of this association of entertainment technology professionals, which publishes a newsletter, Sightlines, and a journal, Theatre Design & Technology (TD&T).
• URTA (University/Resident Theatre Association)
  The oldest and largest consortium of professional theatre training graduate programs and associated theatre companies.

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