This guide is intended to help you get started. Titles cited below do not represent a comprehensive listing of what is available in this library on the subject. You are encouraged to look for additional sources as appropriate to the scope and topic of your research.
Search the Library Catalog by the author's (dramatist's) name; see if the Library owns the play, or the dramatist's complete works, or selections containing the play.
Use an index to plays which appear in periodicals or collections:
Play Index. 1949-1992 The broad scope of this index (over 23,156 entries) includes puppet plays to classical drama, and a detailed cast analysis.
(Ref Z5781 .P53)
Other indexes to full length plays, one act plays, etc. are in the Reference shelves in the call number range.
(Ref Z5781)
Your play might be in an unindexed anthology. Use the Library Catalog; search the appropriate subject headings, such as: " Greek drama", "mysteries and miracle plays" or "morality plays", "Drama, Greek", "dramatic criticism", "medieval drama ", "masques".
A Guide to Play Selection. An author and title index, as well as an index arranged by the number and sex of the players required in each play. A topical index includes categories of plays having ethnic interest and includes plays by.
(Ref Z5781 .N13)
Other sources are listed in the Library Catalog. Search the following:
"Drama -- Stories, plots, etc." "Plots -- (Drama, novel, etc.) ","Operas -- Stories, plots, etc. "
Use an index to explications: American Drama Criticism: Interpretations, 1890-1977.
(Ref PN2266 .A52 1979)
Check an on-going encyclopedia of current literary criticism:
A Guide to Critical Reviews. Reviews of American drama, 1909-1969, musicals, 1909-1974, foreign drama, 1909-1977, the screenplay from the Jazz Singer to Dr. Strangelove.
(Ref PN2266 .S355)
Periodical articles will be helpful. Search by subject or playwright in:
The Humanities Index
MLA International Bibliography
Play Index
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
For works containing criticism of the drama as presented on the stage, search "Dramatic Criticism " as a Subject in the Online catalog or browse the circulating books in the PN1600 call number area.
For criticism of plays as a literary genre, look in the Online catalog under the subject:
"Drama-History and criticism" or browse the circulating books in the PN1707 call numbers.
For analysis and criticism on opera search the subject "Opera-history and criticism".
New York Theatre Critics' Reviews.
A complete guide and record of the New York stage from 1990-1994 with reprints of reviews from prominent national newspapers.
(Ref PN1707 .N4)
New York Times Theater Reviews.
Covers all theater reviews published in the New York Times from 1870 to 1994.
(Ref PN2266 .N48)
Film Review Annual.
1981-1996 Contains complete reviews of full-length U. S. films released during the previous year.
(Ref PN1995 .F465)
Check the newspaper indexes for the Los Angeles
Times or
New York Times.
For books which contain collections of reviews on dramatic
or dance performances, search the Online Catalog under: "Theater-Reviews " , "Dancing-Reviews" , or "Opera-Reviews."
Research Guide to Biography and Criticism: World Drama.
Guide to the world's most studied dramatists, also covers drama history, performance, and theme critiques.
(Ref PN451 .R47)
BGMI is available for searching at "Databases" on the Library home page. The web version of BGMI has a searchable/comprehensive index to nearly 12 million biological sketches in more than 2700 volumes and editions of current and retrospective reference books, covering both contemporary and historical figures throughout the world. "NEW FEATURE: A complete list of sources indexed is now available by using the Extended Search". To use the web BGMI, go to the Library Homepage and click on "Databases."
For biographical information look under the individual's name in the Online Catalog or "Dramatist" or "Composer " or "Playwright" as subjects.
For additional sources or assistance, a Reference librarian is available at the Reference Desk.
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