The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of resources that are useful for researching the existing literature in theater and drama. The lists of specific titles are intended to suggest areas for more thorough study and research, and are by no means comprehensive.

* Indicates that the user must be using a Temple IP address in order to access the resource.

I. Research Guides
II. Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
III. Biographical Information
IV. Plays
V. Critical Reviews in Journals and Newspapers
VI. Finding Short Critical Essays in Reference Books
VII. Dissertations
VIII. Finding Primary Resources
IX. Databases
X. E-Journals
XI. Selected Internet Resources

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Blazek, Ron. The Humanities: A Selected Guide to Information Resources. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 2000. Paley Ref. AZ221 .B639x 2000

Shaland, Irene. American Theater and Drama Research. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 1991. Paley Ref Stacks Z1231.D7S53 1991

Bordman, Gerald Martin. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. New York : Oxford University Press, 1992. Paley Ref Stacks PN2220.B6 1992

Dictionnaire des Oeuvres de Tous les Temps et de Tous les Pays: littérature, philosophie, musique, sciences. Paris: 1958. Paley Ref Stacks PN41 .D46 v.1-5

Gänzl, Kurt. Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. Paley Ref. ML102.M88 G3 2001.

Hawkins-Dady, Mark, ed. International Dictionary of Theatre. Chicago: St. James Press, c1992-1996. Paley Ref Stacks PN2035.I49 1992

Hochman, Stanley, ed. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama. New York, N.Y. : McGraw-Hill, c1984. Paley Ref Stacks PN1625.M3 1984 v.1-5

Le Nouveau Dictionnaire des Oeuvres: de Tous les Temps et de Tous les Pays. Paris: R. Laffont, c1994. Paley Stacks AG25 .N73 1994

Peterson, Bernard L. A Century of Musicals in Black and White : an encyclopedia of musical stage works by, about, or involving African Americans. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1993. Paley Ref. ML102.M88P37 1993

Sharp, Harold S., and Marjorie Z. Sharp. Index to Characters in the Performing Arts. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow, 1966-1973. Paley Ref Stacks PN 1579 .S45

Wells, Stanley W. A Dictionary of Shakespeare. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1998. Paley Stacks PR2892.W43 1998

The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. London ; New York : Routledge, 1994- Paley Reference PN2189.W67x 1994

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III. Biographical Information

Biography and Geneology Master Index. Detroit: Gale, 1985- Paley Ref Indexes Z5305 .U5B56 1980-

Biography Index. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1946- Paley Ref Stacks CT100 B5 1984- * also available online.

Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television. Detroit, MI : Gale Research Co. Paley Ref Stacks PN2285 .C58

Current Biography. Bronx, N.Y. : H.W. Wilson Co. Paley Reference Table 21, CT100.C8 1940 to most current year.

Directors in Perspective Series. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press.

Mapp, Edward. Directory of Blacks in the Performing Arts. 2^nd ed. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1990. Paley Ref Stacks Pn1590 .B53M3 1990

Meyer-Dinkgrafe, Daniel. Who’s Who in Contemporary World Theatre. New York : Routledge, 2000. Paley PN2035.W485 2000

Who’s Who in the Theatre.Detroit : Gale Research, 1912-1977. Paley Stacks PN2012 .W5

Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912-1976 : A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Directors, Playwrights, and Producers of the English-Speaking Theatre. Detroit : Gale Research, c1978. Paley Ref Stacks PN2597 .W52

Writer-Files/Writer on File Series. London ; New York : Methuen.

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IV. Plays (see also X. Selected Internet Resources)

Inter-Play http://www.lib.pdx.edu/systems/interplay/

Keller, Dean H. Index to Plays in Periodicals. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1979. Paley Ref Stacks Z5781 .K43 1979. Reference Table 15.

Keller, Dean H. Index to Plays in Periodicals, 1977-1987. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1990. Paley Ref Stacks Z5781 .K43 1990. Reference Table 15.

Ottemiller, John H. Index to Plays in Collections Ottemiller’s Index to Plays in Collections : an author and title index to plays appearing in collections published between 1900 and 1985. Metuchen, H.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1988. Paley Ref Stacks Z5761 .O88 1988. Reference Table 15.

Play Index. New York, H. W. Wilson. Paley Stacks 1943-1960. Paley Ref Stacks 1949-1992. Z5781 .P53. Reference Table 15.

Stratman, Carl J. Dramatic Play Lists, 1591-1963. New York : New York Publish Library, 1966. Paley Ref Stacks Z2014 .D7585

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V. Critical Reviews in Journals and Newspapers (see also IX. Databases)

Dramatic Index. Boston : Boston Book, 1909-1949. Paley Stacks Z5781.C8

New York Theatre Critics' Reviews. New York, Critics' Theatre Reviews, inc., 1940-1996. Paley Ref Stacks PN1601 Continued by National Theatre Critics' Reviews.

New York Times Theater Reviews. New York: New York Times, 1870- Paley Ref Stacks PN1581. The most current New York Times reviews can be found online in Lexis-Nexis Universe.

Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. New York: HW Wilson, 1901- .Paley Ref Stacks AI3.R48. Continued by *Readers' Guide Abstracts, 1983 to present.

Salem, James. A Guide to Critical Reviews. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 197? -. Paley Ref Stacks Z5781.S16 1984. Reference Table 15.

Theatre World.New York : 1945 -1998 . Annual. Paley Ref Stacks PN2266 .A2T48

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VI. Finding Short Critical Essays in Reference Books

Adelman, Irving and Rita Dworkin. Modern Drama : A Checklist of Critical Literature on Twentieth Century Plays. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1967. Paley Ref Stacks Z5781 .A35

Breed, Paul F. And Florence M. Snider man. Dramatic Criticism Index: a Bibliography of Commentary on Playwrights from Ibsen to the Avant-Garde. Detroit: Gale Research, 1972. Paley Ref Stacks Z5781 B8

Coleman, Arthur and Gary R. Tyler. Drama Criticism: A Checklist of Interpretations Since 1940 of English and American Plays. Denver, 1966. Paley Ref Stacks Z1231 .D7C6

VII. Dissertations

For Dissertations in Paley Library - In the Diamond Online Catalog, enter keyword search with terms from your topic and add the word "theses" to the search.

For dissertations not at Paley Library, use the database *Dissertation Abstracts or the index Dissertation Abstracts International (Paley Reference Index Table 23).

Doctoral Projects in Progress in Theatre Arts (annual listing published in Theatre Journal) http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/

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*RLG (Research Libraries’ Group)

Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/internet/the/the.majcoll.html

*WorldCat

IX. Databases

*Academic Search Premier

*Arts and Humanities Citation Index

*Biography Index

*English Drama (1280-1915) (FT)

*ESTC (English Short Title Catalog)

*Humanities Index

*International Index to the Performing Arts

*Lexis Nexis

*MLA Bibliography

*WorldCat

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X. E-Journals

Playbill http://www.playbill.com

*Journals via Project Muse http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/

*Asian Theatre Journal http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/atj/

*PAJ (Performing Arts Journal) http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/paj/

*TDR (The Drama Review) http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tdr/

*Theater http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/the/

*Theatre Journal http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tj/

*Theatre Topics http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tt/index.html

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Alta Vista Photo Finder
http://www.altavista.com/cgi-bin/query?mmdo=1&stype=simage

American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment 1870-1920. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/vshtml/vshome.html

AWOL’s Acting Links http://www.redbirdstudio.com/AWOL/acting1.html

Brockett’s History of Theatre Digital Supplement http://www.abacon.com/brockett

Carnegie Mellon University English Servier: Drama Collection
http://eserver.org/drama/default.html

Casting Society of America http://www.castingsociety.com/

Center for Research in Early English Drama (REED) http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/reed.html

Compedium of Common Knowledge, 1558-1603. http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/home.html

Computer Scenographics Studio http://www.wfu.edu/~drp/frontdr.htm

Costumer’s Manifesto http://www.costumes.org/

CultureFinder http://www.culturefinder.com

Compendium of Common Knowledge, 1558-1603. http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/home.html

Didaskalia: Ancient Theater Today http://didaskalia.berkeley.edu/

Digital Librarian: Performing Arts http://www.digital-librarian.com/performing.html

Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre on the WWW http://www.canadiantheatre.com

Guide to Theatre in Africa http://www.mediaport.net/AeC/Theatre/index.en.html

History of Costume by Braun & Schneider http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/history.html

Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/

Internet Theatre Database http://www.theatredb.com/

LibertyNet http://www.libertynet.com/

Lighting Design for Architecture and the Arts http://www.escape.ca/~williams/index.htm

McCoy’s Guide to Internet Resources in Theatre and Performance Studies.
http://www.stetson.edu/csata/thr_guid.html

Musicals 101 http://www.musicals101.com

New York Public Library Selected Theatre Resources on the Internet
http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/internet/theatretop.htm

Playwriting Seminarhttp://www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/tcseminar.html

Temple University Libraries Selected Internet Resources for Theater http://www.library.temple.edu/ELECRES/cdtheat.htm

Temple University Theater Department . http://www.temple.edu/theater/

Theatre and Drama Resources, WWW Virtual Library http://vl-theatre.com/

Theatre History Sites on the Web http://www.win.net/~kudzu/history.html

Theatre Library Associationhttp://www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/beyond/TLA/TLA.html

Theatre Reviews from the New York Papers:

The New York Times (New York Today) http://www.nytoday.com/

The New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/theatre/theatre.htm

The Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/today/New_York_Now/Theater/default.asp

New York City Search. http://newyork.citysearch.com/New_York/Theater_Dance/

The Village Voice. http://www.villagevoice.com/theater/

Yale University Library Research Guide for Theater. http://www.library.yale.edu/humanities/theater/

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Anne Harlow, Performing Arts Subject Specialist, Temple University Library, August 25, 2003