University of North Carolina at Asheville - Drama Department, Waiting for Godot, 1978
Directed by Arnold Wengrow

Regarding Dramaturgical Research

Exploring the many aspects of a play requires a broad range of research skills. Play research, or more properly, dramaturgical research, generally explores the

• biography of the playwright or author
• the historical, social, economic, political and cultural context in which the play was conceived, written, and performed
• the play's production history
• analysis of the criticism and interpretation associated with the play.

A skillful researcher can often contribute substantial new insight for even the most commonly known works. A skillful researcher is a critical thinker, knows how to analyze sources and has a good research strategy. This guide was conceived as a starting point for the dramaturgical researcher, but may be useful to those simply seeking resources for theatre arts. It does not presume to be exhaustive but seeks to direct the student researcher to standard paper and online resources found in the D. Hiden Ramsey Library at UNC Asheville and to help guide the beginning researcher through the myriad resources now found on the Internet.
 

Library Resources

Subject Headings

Typical Library of Congress subject headings may be:

General:

Drama - History and Criticism
English [American, etc.] Drama - 16th Century - History and Criticism
Italian [Canadian, French, etc.] Drama [Comedy] - History and Criticism

Playwright:

Miller, Arthur, 1915 - Death of a Salesman
Miller, Arthur, 1915 - Criticism and Interpretation

Plays: [Search by title of play]

True West

[Search by subject topic]

American Drama
Drama - Collections
Dialogues
Monologues

[or, search one of many play indexes. See below]

By era: Ancient Drama, Medieval Drama, Renaissance Drama

Theater - Greece Drama, Medieval Drama -15th and 16th c
Greek Drama Theater-History - Medieval European drama-Renais…
Theater - Rome European drama Theater - History 16th c
Latin Drama English drama Theater - England
Mysteries and miracle-plays
Religious drama
York plays
Chester plays

Other possibilities:

Theater - New York

Library Locations and Call Numbers

Ramsey Library Locations and Call Numbers. A quick guide for finding locations and call numbers that uses Shakespeare as an example.

Reference Books

Books on theater arts may be located by searching the library catalog.

Bibliographies

These useful books which list important works on specific topics can save you valuable time searching for the best titles to consult on your topic. Some examples of bibliographies you might consult are:

Modern Drama: a Checklist of Critical Literature on 20th Century Plays (Ref PN1620.A1 A34 1967)

Classical Greek and Roman Drama: an Annotated Bibliography (Ref PA3024.B1 F67 1989)

General Reference Titles for Historical Context

Encyclopaedia Britannica (Ref AE5 .E363 )

Encyclopedia of the United States in the 20th Century (ASU,WCU Ref E740.7 .E53 1996)

Chronicles of the 20th Century (Ref  D422 .C57 1987)

Timetables of History (Ref  D11 .G78 1991)

Historical Tables 58 BC - AD 1961 (Ref D11 .S83)

Selected Reference Titles

American Drama Criticism 1890-1977; Supplement I, 1984; II, 1989 (Ref PS332 .A54 1979)

American Literature, English Literature and World Literature in English (series):

American Drama to 1900 (Ref PS345 .B1 M47 1980)
English Drama, 1660-1800 (Ref Z2014 .D7 L55 )
English Drama, 1900-1950 (Ref Z2014 .D7 M545)
English Drama and Theatre, 1800-1900 (Ref Z2014 .D7 C72)
English Drama to 1660 , excluding Shakespeare (Ref Z2014 .D7 P46)
Modern Drama in America and England, 1950-1970 (Ref PS351 B1 H37 1982)

American Playwrights Since 1945: A Guide to Scholarship, Criticism and Performance (Ref PS350 .B1 .A53 1988)

American Theatre: a Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1869-1914 (Ref PN2256 .B6 1994)

American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle (Ref ML1711 .B67 1992)

American Women Dramatists of the Twentieth Century (Ref PS351 .B1 C68 1982)

American Women Playwrights: 1964-1989: A Research Guide and Annotated Bibliography (Ref PS338 .W6 .B15 1993)

Black American Playwrights, 1800 to the Present (ASU, WCU)

Directory of the American Theater, 1894-1971 [Indexed to the complete series of Best plays, theater yearbooks, etc… ] (Ref PN6112 .B4524)

Major Modern Dramatists (Ref PN1861 .M27 1984, v.1-2)

Modern World Drama: An Encyclopedia (Ref PN1851 .M36)

More Black American Playwrights: A Bibliography (ASU, WCU)

British Drama, 1890 to 1950: A Critical History; [Supplemented by British Drama, 1950 to the Present: A Critical History, and British Drama Before 1660: A Critical History] (Ref PR721 .D54 1989)

Century of Innovation: A History of European and American Theatre and Drama Since the Late Nineteenth Century (Ref PN2189 .B64)

Contemporary Dramatists, 4th ed. (Ref PN468 .V5 1988)

Critical Survey of Drama, revised edition, 1994. (Ref PR623 .C75 1994, v. 1-7)

Critical Survey of Drama: Foreign Language Series. (Ref PN1625 .C74 1986, 6 vols.)

Drama Scholars Index to Plays and Filmscripts ( Ref PN1655 .S35, v. 1-3)

European Drama Criticism 1900-1975 (Ref PN1721 .B1 P35 1977); Supplement I, 1970

Guide to Critical Reviews (Ref PN2266 .B1 S16 pt.3 1973)

American Drama, 1909-1969
The Musical, 1909-1974
Foreign Drama, 1909-1977
The Screenplay

London Stage 1660 - 1800: A calendar of plays, entertainment, & masterpieces, casts… (Ref PN2592 .L6 v.1-5)

Major Modern Dramatists (Ref PN1861 .M27 1984, v.1-2)

Masterplots II: Drama Series (Ref PN6112.5 M37 1990)

McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama (Ref PN1625 .M3 1984, v.1)

Modern Drama: A Checklist of Critical Literature on 20th Century Plays (Ref PN1620 .A1 A34 1967)

Modern Drama: Scholarship and Criticism, 1966 - 1980. An International Bibliography (Ref PN1620 A1 B1 1986)

Oxford Companion to American Theatre (Ref PN2220 .B6 1984, 1982)

Oxford Companion to Theatre (Ref PN2220 .O9 1983)

Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama (Ref PN1625 .G3)

Research Guide to Biography and Criticism: World Drama (Ref PN1811 .B1 R48 1986)

Shakespearean Criticism: Excerpts from the Criticism of William Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry (Ref PR2965 .S44, v.1, 1985 - v.46, 1999)

Biographical Resources

Biographical Encyclopaedia & Who's Who of the American Theater, 1966. (Ref PN2285 .R5)

Biography and Genealogy Master Index [Online]

Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television. 11 vols. (Ref PN2285 .C58)

Current Biography [Monthly with annual cumulation] (Ref CT100 .C8)

DAB – Dictionary of American Biography (Ref E176 .D562)

DNB – Dictionary of National Biography (Ref DA28 .D4 v.1-10, supplements)

DLB – Dictionary of Literary Biography (Ref PN451 .D5 Y3)

Notable Names in the American Theatre (Ref PN2285 .N6 1976)

Twenty Modern British Playwrights (Ref Z2014 .D7 K47)

Variety Obits: An Index to Obituaries in Variety, 1905-1986 (Ref PN1583 .P4 1980)

Who was Who in the Theatre, 1912-1976. 4 vols. (Ref PN2597 .W62)

Indexes

Chicorel Theater Index to Plays in Anthologies and Collections 1970-1976. (Ref PN1655 .B1 C45 1977).

Drama Scholar's Index to Plays and Filmscripts (Ref PN1655 .S35)

Dramatic Criticism Index: A Bibliography of Commentaries on Playwrights from Ibsen to the Avant-Garde (Ref PN1620 .A1 B13 1972)

Illustration Index (Ref N7525 .V3 1980)

Index to Full Length Plays, 1944-1964 (Ref PN1620 .A1 T52 1965)

Index to Plays in Periodicals (Ref PN1721 .B1 K35 1979) and Index to Plays in Periodicals 1977-1987, Supplement.

Index to Plays in Collections [Ottemiller's] (Ref PN1655 .O8 1988)

MLA Bibliography (1921- ) [Online 1963- present]

New York Times Theater Reviews, 1920 - 1990 [Online - Lexis-Nexis]

Play Index. 1949 to present. (Ref PN1600.5 .B1 P53 1949-1992)

Plays in Periodicals: An Index to English Language Scripts in Twentieth Century Journals (Ref PN1721 .B1 P38 1970)

World Painting Index (Ref ND45 .H38)

Drama Periodicals Held by UNCA

To see holdings at UNCA, ASU, and WCU, click "View Record" or search by Periodical Title in the library catalog. "Current" means that UNCA has a current subscription:

American theatre	PN2000 .T483	View Record  Current
Billboard (Cincinnati, Ohio : 1963)	PN2000 .B5	View Record  Current
Comparative drama	PN1601 .C66	View Record
Carleton drama review	PN1601 .T8	View Record
Drama	PN2001 .D64	View Record
Drama	PN2001 .L611	View Record  Current
Drama magazine	PN2595 .D7	View Record
Drama review: TDR (1968-87)	PN1601 .T8	View Record Available in InfoTrac and EBSCOHost
Dramatics [microform]	PN3175 .A1 H5	View Record  Current
Educational theatre journal	PN3157 .Y68	View Record
Lighting dimensions	PN2091.E4 L54	View Record  Current
London drama	PN2 .L5X	View Record
London theater record	PN2596 .L6 T5	View Record
Modern drama	PN1861 .M55	View Record  Microfilm only. Runs 1 year late.
National theatre critics reviews Reviews	PN1601 .N4	View Record
New theatre quarterly : NTQ	PN2001 .T435	View Record  Current
New York theatre critics' review Reviews, a standard	PN1601 .N4	View Record
Nineteenth century theatre: NCT	PN1851 .N55	View Record
Plays and players	PN2001 .P57	View Record
Plays and players applause	PN2001 .P57	View Record  Current
Research in drama education	PN3171 .R47	View Record  Current
Southern theatre	PN2000 .S57	View Record  Current
TCI : the business of entertainment technology & design	PN2000 .T482	View Record Available in EBSCOHost and Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
TDR (1967-68)	PN1601 .T8	View Record
TD & T	PN2000 .T52	View Record  Current
Theater week	PN1601 .T59	View Record
Theatre arts (New York, N.Y.)	PN2000 .T45	View Record
Theatre arts magazine	PN2000 .T45	View Record
Theatre arts monthly	PN2000 .T45	View Record
Theatre communications	PN2000 .T483	View Record
Theatre crafts	PN2000 .T48	View Record
Theatre design & technology : journal of the U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology	PN2000 .T52	View Record  Current
Theatre journal	PN3171 .E38	View Record  Current Available in InfoTrac
Theatre notebook	PN2001 .T43	View Record  Current
Theatre quarterly	PN2001 .T435	View Record
Theatre record (London) Reviews, a standard	PN2596 .L6 T5	View Record  Current
Theatre survey	PN2000 .T716	View Record  Current
Tulane drama review	PN1601 .T716	View Record
Variety (New York, N.Y.) Reviews	PN2000 .V3	View Record  Current
World theatre. Theatre dans le monde	PN2001 .W6	View Record
Youth theatre journal	PN3157 .Y68	View Record  Current

Electronic Databases

The use of periodicals (magazines, journals and newspapers) is central to a good research strategy. Often timely interviews, analysis and commentary may be found in journals, magazines and newspapers. To locate your topic in a periodical, choose from among several electronic indexs. The general indexes Infotrac, ProQuest, and EBSCOHost are good places to begin. Many of these online indexes have full-text articles or abstracts. Or, you may choose from among many subject indexes that address particular subject topics, for example, Social Science Abstracts, for sociological information on racial tension, violence, divorce, feminism, etc., or Historical Abstracts for Greek and Roman history, the Spanish Golden Age, etc.

 
Periodical Indexes Online

America: History and Life - The best source for articles on many aspects of history in the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Coverage is from 1964 to present and derives form some 2000 journals. Abstracts are often extensive.

JSTOR. The scholarly journal archive; provides full text of over 450 journals covering a broad array of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. UNCA collections include Arts and Sciences I, II, III, and IV. See detailed lists.

Humanities Full Text - A Wilson database with selected full-text articles covering all aspects of the theater arts.

Art Abstracts - Indexes about 300 arts periodicals, plus yearbooks, museum bulletins, exhibition listings, interviews, film reviews, and more. May be searched together with Humanities Full Text.

InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP - One of the best general full-text databases. Includes Theater History Studies (abstracts only), Comparative Drama (abstracts and citations), Theater (abstracts only)

Inter-Play - an online index to plays in collections, anthologies and periodicals. Frequently updated. 17,647 citations.

LexisNexis Academic -Provides full-text access to newspaper articles, to magazines, to radio and television transcripts, legal information and much more. Select GENERAL NEWS: Entertainment Stories, or INDUSTRY & MARKET NEWS: Arts & Entertainment.

MLA International Bibliography - Coverage is from 1963- . Indexes critical materials on languages, literature (including dramatic literature), linguistics, and folklore. Materials are derived from approximately 4,000 journals and series, books, anthologies, essay collections, conferences proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies. For older issues, see our paper indexes.

Project Muse - Another source for full-text articles. Selected from the 40+ scholarly journals published by Johns Hopkins University Press. Covers Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. Includes Performing Arts Journal, Theater Journal and Theater Topics as well as many literary journals.
 

Newspaper Indexes Online

See Electronic Resources: Newspapers for a complete list.

New York Times (1851-2001) - Historical Newspaper Collection. Full-image articles from the last 150 years. Includes digital reproductions of every page from every issue -- cover to cover -- in downloadable pdf files. ProQuest.

America's Newspapers. Searchable full-text content from North Carolina and regional newspapers, including the Asheville Citizen-Times. NewsBank

LexisNexis Academic -Provides full-text access to newspaper articles, to magazines, to radio and television transcripts, legal information and much more. Select GENERAL NEWS: Entertainment Stories, or INDUSTRY & MARKET NEWS: Arts & Entertainment.

Internet Resources

Citing and Evaluating Internet Resources

Critical evaluation process and citing Internet resources

Electronic Journals

Didaskalia: a Journal of Ancient Theatre

Playbill Online

Stage Directions

TDR: The Drama Review. InfoTrac (full-text 1996+) and EBSCOHost (full-text 1997+)

Theater Magazine (Yale School of Drama). Contents only.

Lighting Dimensions Magazine

TCI-The Business of Entertainment Technology and Design. EBSCOHost (full-text Aug. 1997+) and Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (full-text 1993+)
 

General Internet Resources

Aisle Say International in scope. Thoughtful reviews of play productions.

Alex: A Catalog of Electronic Texts Full text database which includes comedy and drama texts.

American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment 1870-1920 [Library of Congress - American Memory Project]

Art Images by Period Still growing database of images. Many from the Classical and Renaissance period.

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive Mainly film but contains a broad range of materials related to the review process, festivals, and documentation for world film.

Black Film Center/Archive Focused on the black experience. Indexes films and related materials by and about African Americans.

Communication Studies and Theatre Arts, Stetson University

Complete Works of William Shakespeare The server for Shakespeare

CultureVulture: Theater

Didaskalia - Ancient Theater Today An electronic journal. Excellent source for commentary on theater of the ancient world.

ELAC Theatre Arts Online Research Library [East Lost Angeles College] Extensive lists of theater resources on the internet. Includes plays, playwrights, history, periodicals, careers, organizations, and links to other internet sites.

English Server: Drama

Indiana University Libraries Theater and Drama page

Infomine - Visual and Performing Arts

Inter-Play an excellent online index to plays in collections, anthologies and periodicals. Currently cites some 17,647 locations which list plays not commonly found in library catalogs. International in scope.

Ken McCoy's Brief Guide to Internet Resources in Theater and Performance Studies

Dramatists Play Service , Inc.

Playwrights on the Web

Playwright Theater Resources at World Wide Arts

Ren Faire: Elizabethan Accents

San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum Largest collection of performing arts material on the West Coast and still growing. Good contemporary theater source.

Shakespeare Links One of many sites for Shakespeare resources, but one of the best.

Shakespeare Illustrated A large and growing body of images related to Shakespeare's plays. Many individual scenes form the plays. [temporarily unavailable]

Stage Door

Stetson Library: Theater

Theatrales French site with links to drama texts (in French).

Theatre Net

Theatricopia: Musical Sites An extensive guide to internet resources for musical theatre.

UCLA Arts Library - Selected Internet Sources in Theater

University of Puget Sound - Theatre: Dramaturgical Research

Village Voice

Voice of the Shuttle - Theater and Drama Sites

WEBCRAWLER Arts & Literature – Theater

WireImage

Women of Color, Women of Words

World Wide Arts Resources - Theater Resources Index

World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Theatre and Drama

Yahoo - Performing Arts -Theater

Yale University Drama and Theater Research Guide
 

Associations and Institutions

Theatre Library Association. Good list of theatre resources as well as comprehensive listing of associations and institutions with strong theatre interests.

Careers

Ken McCoy's Brief Guide to Internet Resources in Theater and Performance Studies

Grants

Foundation Center

 Special Topics

Help

Librarians at UNCA are assigned to subject specialties and to work with the individual departments to provide faculty and students with the resources needed for instruction and for learning. If you are having difficulty locating resources for class projects/papers or find the new technologies perplexing, you may drop by the Reference Desk in Ramsey Library, or call for an appointment if you need a longer session, or e-mail questions to library@unca.edu

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