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Prepared by Darwin F. Scott
Creative Arts Librarian
January, 2004
This guide presents a selective list of key resources on the history of 20th-century theater. It is designed to address the specific curriculum needs of theater arts department courses taught by John Bush Jones (The Theater in History).
Links appearing on this page are to catalog records in LOUIS (the online catalog of the Brandeis University Libraries) including reference tools such as books, electronic indexes and abstracts, full text resources, or government documents. Internet sites and other research resources are also indicated by highlighted titles, which are active links.
Comments or feedback on this guide are appreciated. You can contact the author directly by e-mail.
The Guide to Research in Theater is a selective list of key print and electronic resources that will be helpful for conducting general research in theater at the Brandeis University Libraries--and is always a good place to start a theater project involving library materials. It points to many (but not all!) of the resources listed below.
Annotations in this Guide to Research on the History of 20th-Century Theater often address why the resource is important for researching the history of 20th-century theater rather than theater in broader terms (as in the more general Guide to Research in Theater).
International dictionary of theatre.
Vol. 1: "Plays"; vol. 2: "Playwrights"; vol. 3: "Actors, Directors, and Designers." A selection of people and plays based on the recommendations of an advisory board. Includes entries on over 620 notable plays ranging from Ancient Greece to the present day. The scope is international, covering plays in many languages. Play entries include the date and location of first publication and first production; a chronological list of books and articles about the play, and a critical essay on the play. Playwright entries include a summary of the writer's life and career; a list of works by the playwright; a list of bibliographies and critical studies about the writer; and a critical overview of the playwright's work. Vol. 3 contains a summary of the subject's life and career; a list of relevant productions and roles; lists of publications by and about the entrant; and a critical overview of the entrant's work for the stage. Excellent overview if your play, playwright, or actor/director/ designer is covered.
Main Reference PN 2035 .I49 1992
The Cambridge guide to theatre.
Broad-ranging source for information on individuals, organizations, theatrical forms and movements, individual countries, and many specific topics.
Main Reference PN 2035 .C27 1995
The Oxford companion to the theatre.
Includes definitions of terms, sketches of theater personalities, articles on specific theater companies and buildings, and historical profiles of theater in individual countries and cities.
Main Reference PN 2035 .H53 1983
Brewer's theater: a phrase and fable dictionary.
Provides authoritative guidance to a wide range of theatrical topics and a wealth of anecdotal and historical material, covering all aspects of theatrical life, language, and legend.
Main Reference PN 2035 .B74 1994b
The world encyclopedia of contemporary theatre.
A 3-volume, comparative, broad-based, cross-cultural encyclopedia of nations and their theaters from 1945 to the present. Not a guide to individuals, companies, festivals, or forms but an examination of "a wide range of national theatrical activity on a country-by-country bases from a specifically national standpoint, . . . sketching out a social and political context for each of the countries being studied." Vol. 1: Europe; vol. 2: Americas; vol. 3: Africa.
Main Reference PN 2035 .W67 1994
Cambridge guide to American theatre .
Comprehensive coverage of American theater from its earliest history to the present, with special attention given to contemporary theater throughout the United States. Includes entries on people, venues, plays, and theatrical phenomena, plus topical entries.
Main Reference PN 2220 .C35 1993
The Oxford companion to American theatre.
Includes entries for personalities, theater companies and associations, and the plays themselves.
Main Reference PN 2220 .B6 1992
The encyclopedia of the American theatre, 1900-1975 .
Information about plays written (or adapted) by American or Anglo-American authors and produced on- and off-Broadway from 1900 to 1975. A source for quick answers.
Main Reference PN 2266 .B68
The
theatregoer's almanac: a collection of lists, people, history, and commentary on the American theatre .
Fascinating compendium of "myriad bits of information" on the American theater, combining lists, statistics, and selective and subjective observations--such as ticket prices, Broadway playhouses from the past and present, theatrical odds and ends, etc.
Main Reference PN 2266 .H53 1997
An international dictionary of theatre language.
Outstanding resource for the theater terminology in use throughout the English-speaking world, with ca. 10,000 English terms and 5,000 from other languages. Covers all aspects of production and drama.
Main Reference PN 2035 .I5 1985
American playwrights, 1880-1945: a research and production sourcebook.
Presents comprehensive entries on selective playwrights, with the following components: "Biographical Overview"; "Major Plays, Premieres, and Significant Revivals: Theatrical Reception"; "Additional Plays, Adaptations, and Productions"; "Assessment of the Playwright's Career"; "Archival Sources"; "Primary Bibliography"; "Secondary Bibliography"; "Bibliographies." Excellent starting place if your playwright is covered.
Main Reference. PS 351 A43 1995
American playwrights since 1945: a guide to scholarship, criticism, and performance.
Presents extremely detailed entries on playwrights responsible for the "greatest triumphs on the American stage" that have occurred since 1945. Each essay includes "Achievements and Reputation"; "Primary Bibliography"; "Production History"; "Survey of Secondary Sources" (bibliographies, biographies, influences, general studies and analyses of individual plays); "Further Research Opportunities"; and "Alphabetical Checklist of Secondary Sources." Excellent starting place if your playwright is included.
Main Reference. PS 350 A4 1989
The performing arts: a guide to the reference literature .
Describes, evaluates, and compares reference sources primarily in theater, musical comedy, and dance. Mostly emphasizes works in English from the last 30 years and omits resources that focus on drama as literature.
Main Reference PN 1584 .S56 1994
American theater and drama research: an annotated guide to information sources, 1945-1990.
Provides a basic list of general and specialized sources of reference and bibliographical information on American theater and drama after World War II. Attempts to include all relevant and important sources of information published after 1965.
Main Reference PN 2266.5 .S53 1991
United States theatre: a bibliography from the beginning to 1990.
Lists 7,464 books, pamphlets, and theses on various aspects of the American stage. Reflects English and Native American cultural traditions, excluding most ethnic theater.
Main Reference Z 5781 .S55 1993
Theatrical design in the twentieth century: an index to photographic reproductions of scenic designs.
Index of 114 books and journals focusing on photographs of 20th-century sets, renderings, and models of theater and opera productions. Included are books about theater history, scenic design, and stagecraft, as well as design exhibition catalogs and books about specific designers or types of productions.
Main Reference PN 2091 .S8T47 1996
The New York Times theater reviews. 1870-1919; 1920-1970; 1971/72-.
A reprint in chronological sequence of reviews of theater productions printed in the New York Times. Consists of 1870-1919 (1976; 6 vols.); 1920-70 (1971; 10 vols.); and a biennial series commencing with 1971-72. Both historical sets, as well as the biennial volumes, have indexes of titles, production companies, and personal names.
Main Reference PN 2266 .N48
The New York Theatre critics' reviews, 1943-
Reproduces the original reviews from the New York press and other media. Cumulative title indexes: 1940-60; 1961-72; 1973-86.
Main Stacks [+]PN 1601 .N4
A guide to critical reviews.
A complex publication. Contents of
3d ed .: pt. 1, "American Drama, 1909-1982"; pt. 2, "The Musical, 1909-1989." Originally published in 4 parts,
1966-71 . Parts 1-3 were issued in a
2d edition (1973-79) ; pt. 3 has title "Foreign Drama, 1909-1977." No 2d ed. of pt. 4 ("The Screenplay from The Jazz Singer to Dr. Strangelove") was never published, but a supplementary volume "The Screenplay, Supplement 1, 1963-1980" appeared in 1982. Provides citations to reviews of staged productions of plays and musicals. The reviews cited are from popular American and Canadian periodicals, including those in the New York Times.
Main Reference PN 2266 .S35
The London stage, 1900-1909: a calendar of plays and players.
A calendar furnishing a chronological listing of plays and players on the London stage from 1900 to 1909 (2,973 productions). Each entry provides the name of the theater, the period of the run, the number of performances, a cast list, production staff, and a short bibliography of first-night reviews. Vol. 2 concludes with title and general indexes
Main Reference PN 2596 .L6 W38
The London stage, 1910-1919: a calendar of plays and players.
A calendar furnishing a chronological listing of plays and players on the London stage from 1910 to 1919 (3,278 productions). Each entry provides the name of the theater, the period of the run, the number of performances, a cast list, production staff, and a short bibliography of first-night reviews. Vol. 2 concludes with title and general indexes.
Main Reference PN 2596 .L6 W383 1982
The London stage, 1920-1929: a calendar of plays and players.
A calendar furnishing a chronological listing of plays and players on the London stage from 1920 to 1929 (3,980 productions). Each entry provides the name of the theater, the period of the run, the number of performances, a cast list, production staff, and a short bibliography of first-night reviews. Vol. 3 comprises a title and general index.
Main Reference PN 2596 .L6 W384 1984
The London stage, 1930-1939: a calendar of plays and players.
A calendar furnishing a chronological listing of plays and players on the London stage from 1930 to 1939 (4,256 productions). Each entry provides the name of the theater, the period of the run, the number of performances, a cast list, production staff, and a short bibliography of first-night reviews. Vol. 3 comprises a title and general index.
Main Reference PN 2596 .L6 W3845 1990
The London stage, 1940-49: a calendar of plays and players.
A calendar furnishing a chronological listing of plays and players on the London stage from 1940 to 1949 (2,409 productions). Each entry provides the name of the theater, the period of the run, the number of performances, a cast list, production staff, and a short bibliography of first-night reviews. Vol. 2 concludes with title and general indexes.
Main Reference PN 2596 .L6 W3846 1991
The London stage, 1950-1959: a calendar of plays and players.
A calendar furnishing a chronological listing of plays and players on the London stage from 1950 to 1959 (3,117 productions). Each entry provides the name of the theater, the period of the run, the number of performances, a cast list, production staff, and a short bibliography of first-night reviews. Vol. 2 concludes with title and general indexes.
Main Reference PN 2596 .L6 W3847 1993
Stage deaths: a biographical guide to international theatrical obituaries 1850 to 1990.
Basic biographical information and citations to printed English-language sources for theatrical personalities who died between 1850 and 1990.
Biographies Reference Z 5781 .S76 1991
Variety obituaries: including a comprehensive index .
Vol. 1-10: 1905/28-1984/86;
vol. 11: Index;
vol. 12-, biennial compilations beginning with 1987-88.
Reprints from Variety news stories, editorials, and obituary columns covering the deaths of individuals connected with show business.
Biographies Reference PN 1583 .V35
United States / Canada / Great Britain
Literature Resource Center (Brandeis users only)
Contains online full-text biographies and critical analysis of authors from every age and literary discipline--includes text of Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and Contemporary Literary Criticism. Use author search to access author resource page, which provides biography, lists of works, criticism, Internet resources, overviews, and further resources (bibliographies).
Brandeis Library Web Page
Contemporary dramatists.
Contains over 450 entries for contemporary dramatists writing in English. Entrants were living at the time of publication. Now deceased dramatists listed in previous editions are listed within the text with a reference to the most recent edition of Contemporary Dramatists that contains entries on them. Each entry consists of a biography, a complete list of produced and/or published plays and other publications; a bibliography; a statement by the entrant, and an essay on the dramatist's work. Excellent starting place if your playwright is included.
Reference PN 1625 .V5 1993d
Notable women in the American theatre: a biographical dictionary .
Presents and evaluates lives, accomplishments, and professional contributions of actresses, producers, playwrights, directors, designers, critics, theatrical agents, managers, and other noteworthy women involved with the American theater. Includes useful critical summations of the work of important theater actresses.
Biographies Reference PN 2285 .N65 1989
Famous actors and actresses on the American stage.
Presents contemporary evaluations of the abilities of certain actors or actresses and relates a performer's philosophy of acting and approach to certain roles.
Biographies Reference PN 2285 .Y6 1975
American and British theatrical biography: a directory.
A guide to biographical information appearing in works of collective biography, theater yearbooks, theater encyclopedias, etc.
Biographies Reference. PN 2285 .W42
Who was who in the theatre, 1912-1976: a biographical dictionary of actors, actresses, directors, playwrights, and producers of the English-speaking theatre; compiled from Who's who in the theatre, volumes 1-15 (1912-1972).
Contains 4,100 biographical entries.
Biographies Reference. PN 2597 .W52
Theatrical directors: a biographical dictionary.
Contains biographical sketches of nearly 300 directors with international reputations, particularly those who have significantly influenced American theater. The entries include summaries of the director's life and a critical assessment, a chronological listing of important productions not discussed in the narrative history, and a select bibliography.
Biographies Reference PN 2205 .T54 1994
American theatre: a chronicle of comedy and drama, 1869-1914.
Chronicles in order by opening, every Broadway comedy and drama, show by show, season by season, offering plot synopses, principal players, important statistics, descriptions of scenery and costumes, and comments of the plays' contemporary critics for the period 1869-1914.
Main Reference PN 2256 .B6 1994
American theatre: a chronicle of comedy and drama, 1914-1930.
Chronicles in order by opening, every Broadway comedy and drama, show by show, season by season, offering plot synopses, principal players, important statistics, descriptions of scenery and costumes, and comments of the plays' contemporary critics for the period 1914-30..
Main Reference PN 2256 .B62 1995
American theatre: a chronicle of comedy and drama, 1930-1969.
Chronicles in order by opening, every Broadway and every major off-Broadway comedy and drama, show by show, season by season, offering plot synopses, principal players, important statistics, descriptions of scenery and costumes, and comments of the plays' contemporary critics for the period 1930-69.
Main Reference PN 2266 .B64 1996
Famous American playhouses.
A sourcebook for primary and secondary readings on the physical structure of 199 important American theaters. Most documents are contemporary with the matter under discussion. Illustrations include architects' drawings, etchings, and photographs.
Vol. 1: 1716-1899 ;
vol. 2: 1900-1971 .
Art Reference NA 6830 .Y67 and NA 6830 .Y68
Guide to American drama explication .
Furnishes a source of interpretations published between 1942 and 1994 of drama by representative playwrights from 1665 to the present. Good coverage of journals, periodicals, collections of articles, and monographs.
Main Reference Z 1231 .D7O84 1995
American drama criticism interpretations, 1890-1977 .
Selective bibliography of critical "interpretations of American plays published primarily between 1890 and 1977 in books, periodicals, and monographs."
Main Reference Z 1231 .D7P3 1979
Modern drama scholarship and criticism, 1966-1980: an international bibliography.
A selective list of international publications on world drama since Ibsen, published between 1966 and 1980.
Main Reference. PN 1851.C36 1986
Modern drama scholarship and criticism, 1981-1990: an international bibliography.
Continues the 1966-1980 compilation, covering materials published between 1981 and 1990.
Main Reference. PN 1851 .C37 1997
LOUIS , the online catalog of the Brandeis Libraries , is the principal means for locating books in the library collections. LOUIS can be useful for this purpose at two levels of your research. If you have already identified the book(s) you need through other research aids, search LOUIS by Title or by Author to locate the item(s) in the library. If you are trying to identify books that will be useful for your research, search LOUIS by Subject or by Keyword.
Help locating a book in the library
Arts & humanities citation index (Web of Science) (Brandeis users only)
Indexes over 1,000 scholarly journals from the arts and humanities and links older, cited references to current literature, 1975 to present. For theater, results will be very selective, but the quality of the material is generally very good.
Brandeis Library Web Page
MLA bibliography (Brandeis users only)
Indexes over 1,000 scholarly journals from the arts and humanities and links older, cited references to current literature, 1989 to present.
Excellent resource for drama criticism.
Brandeis Library Web Page
Academic Search Premier (Brandeis users only)
Provides full text and indexing of thousands of journals in all academic fields. Dates vary according to publication.
Brandeis Library Web Page
Cumulated Dramatic index, 1909-1949: a cumulation of the F. W. Faxon Company's Dramatic index.
A composite photographic reproduction of the actual entries as they were originally printed in the 41 annual volumes of the Dramatic Index. Indexes the contents of articles and illustrations from English-language journals concerning theater production, plays, and playwrights from 1909 to 1949.
Call no.: Indexes and Abstracts Reference Z 5781 .C7
Theatre and drama.
This outstanding resource points to substantive scholarly and recreational Web sites dealing with theater and drama. Theatre studies, articles, and resources points to bibliographies, checklist, databases, libraries, museums, archives, scholarly organizations, and online resources. British-based but internationally focused and continually expanding. Part of the World Wide Web Virtual Library. http://vl-theatre.com
American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library.
Sponsored by the Library of Congress. Now contains over 70 collections online. American Memory Collections: Topics: Performing Arts, theatre, and drama points to specific theater collections, but it is valuable to do a search across all of the collections .
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
