LibGuides: Theatre: Research

There are many more resources available than what's in this guide, so if you can't find material for your topic, ask a librarian for help!

Jump to: Videos | Reference | Books | Articles

Videos

Streaming Video Database

Digital Theatre + This link opens in a new window
Streaming, full-length videos of plays and musicals, plus interviews, study guides, and more.

Reference

Reference resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more.
They often provide a short overview of a topic, then point to more resources you can use for further research.

Research Databases

Dictionary of Literary Biography This link opens in a new window
Essays on playwrights and other literary figures.
OED Online (Oxford English Dictionary) This link opens in a new window
Definitions and pronunciations, useful for Shakespeare plays.

Websites

Internet Broadway Database
Information about past and current Broadway shows, people, organizations, theaters, and more.
Lortel Archives (Internet Off-Broadway Database)
Catalog of shows produced off-Broadway (at a Manhattan theatre with a seating capacity of 100-499 and intended to run performances of more than one week).

Reference Books in the Library and Online (selections)

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stage Actors and Acting by Simon Williams (Ed.)
Publication Date: 2015
Ebook.
Over 1,000 entries of stage actors and acting around the world. Includes a chronological list spanning 2,000 years.
The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre by Colin Chambers (Ed.)
Publication Date: 2002
E-book.
Some 2500 entries covering major theatre concepts, names, skills, and more.
The Oxford Companion to American Theatre by Thomas S. Hischak and Gerald Bordman
Call Number: PN2220 .B6 2004 [Mortensen reference]
An A-Z guide to the American stage from its beginnings to the present. Covers people, places, movements, and more.

Find more theatre reference books

Search subjects in the catalog:

Drama > Bibliography
Drama > Bio-bibliography
Theater > Dictionaries
Theater > Encyclopedias

Books

General Books (selections)

Inventing the Opera House by Eugene J. Johnson
Call Number: NA6840.I7 J64 2018 [Mortensen shelves]
Traces the history of the opera house and its uses from commedia dell'arte to opera.
The Routledge Research Companion to Shakespeare and Classical Literature by Sean Keilen and Nick Moschovakis (Editors)
Publication Date: 2017
E-book.
Essays exploring Shakespeare's debts to classical works and the qualities that make his works into classics of modern drama.
What Playwrights Talk about When They Talk about Playwriting by Jeffrey Sweet
Call Number: PN1661 .S86 2017 [Mortensen shelves]
Some of the most important contemporary dramatists discuss the art of playwriting from inspiration to production.

Find more books

Search the catalog by subject:
Acting
Drama
Theater

Books about Underrepresented Groups (selections)

See also our more complete guide: Diversity in Theatre

The Female Dramatists by Elaine Partnow; Lesley Hyatt
Call Number: PN471 .P37 1998 [Mortensen reference]
More than 200 profiles of women playwrights, each with a biography, work synopses, critical commentary, and a bibliography of works by and about the writer.
The Fornes Frame by Anne García-Romero
Call Number: PS153.H56 G367 2016 [Mortensen shelves]
Considers five award-winning Latina playwrights in the early 21st century, and how they follow Maria Irene Fornes's legacy, contesting and complicating Latina theatre.
In Search of Our Warrior Mothers by La Donna Forsgren
Call Number: PS153.N5 F677 2018 [Mortensen shelves]
Examines the ways black women playwrights advanced feminist and womanist perspectives from within black nationalist discourses.
The Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and Performance by Renée Alexander Craft, et al. (Editors)
Call Number: PN2270.A35 R68 2020 [Mortensen shelves]
Also available online.
Essays that chart the emergence, development, and diversity of African American theatre from the 19th-century to the present.

Find more books

Search subjects in the catalog, for example:

African American dramatists
African Americans in literature
Feminist theater
Women dramatists

Find More Theatre Books

If you don't have a particular topic in mind, browsing books on the shelves is a great way to get inspired!

Here are a few call number ranges to get you started:

Call Number	Topic
PN1660 - PN1693	Dramatic composition (writing)
PN1720 - PN1861	History of drama
PN2055 - PN2073	Acting
PN2085 - PN2091	The stage, lighting, scenery, etc.
PN2100 - PN2193	Theatre history

Articles

Journal Article Databases

Library databases provide citations for articles, book chapters, and more. Most articles/chapters focus on a narrow and specific topic, so they are great for deeper research. To get started:

Choose a database.
Search for keywords such as genres, topics, names of people, etc.
Limit your results by date, language, and more with the the left-hand menu on the results page.

Need more help?

See our Article help page for step-by-step instructions and videos to help you search databases and find full-text articles. And you can always ask a librarian for individual help.

Theatre Article Databases

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Article citations from all disciplines, including theatre.
Film & Television Literature Index This link opens in a new window
Citations from scholarly articles covering all aspects of film and television theory, preservation, production, reviews, and more.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from over 20 scholarly theatre journals, plus more in other subjects. Excludes recent years.
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 400 journals. Mostly music publications, but also includes Projection, Lights & Staging News, FRONT of HOUSE, and more.

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).

Find Full Text Articles

Search eJournal Locator for the journal title:

Need help? See our article help page or ask a librarian.