Research Guides: Theatre: Home

Shane Neifer, MLIS, MA

Shane Neifer

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Subjects: Adventure Studies, Biology, Drama, Geography and Environmental Studies, Natural Resource Science, Science

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KEY RESOURCES

Academic Search Complete
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Research articles on multidisciplinary topics.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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JSTOR represents over 600 journals in the arts, humanities and social sciences. NOTE: Does not provide access to current issues of periodicals. JSTOR provides archival access to journals and access to journals varies from publisher to publisher. In most cases two to five years plus the current calendar year are excluded.
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to scholarly research in nearly 4,000 journals and series. Also covers relevant monographs, working papers, proceedings, bibliographies, and other formats. Updates: unknown
Theatre in Video This link opens in a new window
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Included are landmark performances such as The Iceman Cometh, Hamlet, Othello, Awake and Sing, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Playboy of the Western World, and others. Notable actors include Gene Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Richard Dreyfuss, Walter Matthau, Meryl Streep, and more. Contains more than 250 definitive performances of the world's leading plays, together with more than 100 film documentaries, online in streaming video - more than 500 hours in all. This first release contains over 50 titles, representing hundreds of leading playwrights, actors and directors. Update frequency: N/A

Playwrights Guild of Canada
PGC is a national arts service association mandated to advance the creative rights and interests of professional Canadian playwrights, promote Canadian plays nationally and internationally, and foster an active, evolving community of writers for the stage.-- website
Canadian Theatre Critics Association
Association of professional critics, entertainment writers and journalists from the electronic, broadcast and print media.
Critical Stages (journal)
A peer-reviewed open access journal that offers a platform for debate and exploration of theatre and performance art manifestations from all over the world.
Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Website. Information on Canadian plays, playwrights and theatre practitioners.

Drama Criticism by Lawrence J. Trudeau, editor
Call Number: PN 1601 .D59 V.1-44
Presents criticism of the most significant and widely studied dramatic works from all the world's literatures. There is a cumulative author index in each volume. Use the last volume of this set to see the index for the entire series.
Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections by Denise M. Montgomery
Call Number: PN 1601 .O8 2011
In this new edition, Denise Montgomery has expanded the volume to include collections published in the entire English-speaking world through 2000 and beyond. This new volume lists more than 3,500 new plays and 2,000 new authors, as well as birth and/or death information for hundreds of authors. Representing the largest expansion between editions, this updated volume is a valuable resource for libraries worldwide.
Play Index
Call Number: PN 1601 .P53
Provides detailed information about individual plays ranging from puppet shows to classical drama. The main body of the index is one merged list of authors, subjects and titles. There is a cumulative author index in each volume. Use the last volume of this set to see the index for the entire series.

Books to Get You Started

Catalogue Search

Use the following terms in a subject search to find related items in the library catalogue.

Subject headings to explore:
• Drama
• Dramatists
• Theater
• Theater reviews
• Playwriting
• Performing Arts

Why Reference books?

Question: What value lies in a reference work? Why should you bother to consult these books?

Answer: Reference books help create a framework around your topic. They can help guide you in asking the right questions. Reference books can help researchers become more efficient database searchers - in formulating which keywords (or search terms) to use. Scholarly reference books also contain bibliographies (!!) - a listing of some of the most respected secondary and most useful primary sources on a topic. In a nutshell.... reference books are a great way to begin your research.

Books to Get You Started

Here are some awesome books to get you started on your research topic. Please note: E-Books are restricted to current TRU students, staff and faculty

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays by Michael Patterson (Editor)
Call Number: PN 1625 .P38 2005
The Oxford Dictionary of Plays provides accessible, authoritative, handy, and illuminating information on 1000 of the best-known, most popular, and most important plays of world theatre.
World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre - Europe by Peter Nagy (Editor); Philippe Rouyer (Editor)
Call Number: PN 1861 .W67 1994 v.1-6
The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre is a large international co-operative undertaking focusing on the history of world theatre.
The Cambridge Guide to Theatre by Martin Banham (Editor)
Call Number: PN 2035 .C27 1995
Substantially revised and updated for this new edition, this is the most comprehensive guide to the history and current practice of worldwide theatre available today.
Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre by Colin Chambers (Editor)
Call Number: PN 2035 .C65 2002
This work details practical topics such as directing, acting, design, lighting, sound, voice, wig and prop-making, to historical surveys raging from black theatre to gay and lesbian theatre; from pantomime, experimental theatre, theatre-in-the-round to architecture, funding, drag and circus.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance by Dennis Kennedy (Editor)
Call Number: PN 2035 .O94 2003
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance the resource of choice for readers interested in theatre and performance, from occasional playgoers to newspaper critics, students, and scholars.
Dictionary of the Theatre by Patrice Pavis; Christine Shantz (Translator); Marvin Carlson (Preface by)
Call Number: PN 2035 .P313 1998 Print & E-book
An encyclopedic dictionary of technical and theoretical terms, the book covers all aspects of a semiotic approach to the theatre, with cross-referenced alphabetical entries ranging from absurd to word scenery."
Coming to terms with acting : an instructive glossary by Doug Moston
Call Number: PN 2061 .M67 1993
This book provides definitions of the specialized terminology used to teach and direct actors. Single-sentence definitions are followed by explanation and/or discussion. Examples are often given.
Drama Criticism by Lawrence J. Trudeau, editor
Call Number: PN 1601 .D59 V.1-44
Presents criticism of the most significant and widely studied dramatic works from all the world's literatures. There is a cumulative author index in each volume. Use the last volume of this set to see the index for the entire series.
Bibliography of Theatre History in Canada : the beginnings through 1984 by John Ball; Richard Plant (Editor)
Call Number: PN 2301 .B33 1993
A revision and complete updating of the editors' previous bibliography of Canadian theatre history and its supplement, this volume contains more than 8,000 new entries. Topically arranged, with author and keyword indexes it includes contributions from Patrick O'Neill, Jean Cléo Godin, Leonard Doucette, David Gardner, Anton Wagner, and Malcolm Page.
The Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre by Eugene Benson (Editor); L. W. Conolly (Editor)
Call Number: PN 2301 .O93 1989 E-book, House of Learning Library, & Williams Lake Library
The Canadian theatre has seen an extraordinary growth in writing talent and new professional companies in the last two decades. This is the first book accurately to chart its expansion and development from the beginnings to the present day.
Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections by Denise M. Montgomery
Call Number: PN 1601 .O8 2011
In this new edition, Denise Montgomery has expanded the volume to include collections published in the entire English-speaking world through 2000 and beyond. This new volume lists more than 3,500 new plays and 2,000 new authors, as well as birth and/or death information for hundreds of authors. Representing the largest expansion between editions, this updated volume is a valuable resource for libraries worldwide.
Play Index
Call Number: PN 1601 .P53
Provides detailed information about individual plays ranging from puppet shows to classical drama. The main body of the index is one merged list of authors, subjects and titles. There is a cumulative author index in each volume. Use the last volume of this set to see the index for the entire series.

Websites

Associations

Canadian Association for Theatre Research
Supportd and encouraged research in theatre and performance studies in Canada, with a special interest in Canadian work. Membership includes scholars, students, and theatre professionals from around the world who are leading developments in our field.
Association for Theatre in Higher Education
ATHE serves as an intellectual and artistic center for producing new knowledge about theatre and performance-related disciplines, cultivating vital alliances with other scholarly and creative disciplines, linking with professional and community-based theatres, and promoting access and equity. -- website
Theatre BC
Canada Council for the Arts
American Society for Theatre Research
Professional Association of Canadian Theatres
Playwrights Guild of Canada
PGC is a national arts service association mandated to advance the creative rights and interests of professional Canadian playwrights, promote Canadian plays nationally and internationally, and foster an active, evolving community of writers for the stage.-- website
Canadian Theatre Critics Association
Association of professional critics, entertainment writers and journalists from the electronic, broadcast and print media.

Websites

Theatre in Video This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Included are landmark performances such as The Iceman Cometh, Hamlet, Othello, Awake and Sing, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Playboy of the Western World, and others. Notable actors include Gene Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Richard Dreyfuss, Walter Matthau, Meryl Streep, and more. Contains more than 250 definitive performances of the world's leading plays, together with more than 100 film documentaries, online in streaming video - more than 500 hours in all. This first release contains over 50 titles, representing hundreds of leading playwrights, actors and directors. Update frequency: N/A

Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Website. Information on Canadian plays, playwrights and theatre practitioners.
Theatre History on the Web
New York Times Theater Reviews
Inter-Play
Index to plays in collections and periodicals.
Glossary of technical theatre terms
Theatre Museum Canada
Theatre Museum Canada seeks to share the wonder of Canada’s rich theatre legacy with Canadians and theatre enthusiasts everywhere.
We exist to serve the theatre community of Canada by preserving and interpreting the work of nationally significant theatre artists for the Canadian public.
We believe that the legacy of the past will inspire even greater achievements in the theatre arts in the future. -- Website

Research Strategies

Research Tips

Some really great resources to consult are:

Guide to Evaluating Web Sites
Learn how to recognize high quality information on the internet and in print.
Following a Citation Trail
Discover how to find a book from a reading list or a bibliography/reference list.
Citation Management
This guide provides an overview of citation management and its benefits, and information about getting started with either RefWorks, Mendeley, or Zotero.

Quick Links

Article Databases
See the full list of all TRU article databases
Find your Subject Librarian
Connect with the librarian best able to help you in your research
Online Forms
Find the right form to submit an ILL request, book a group study room, request a book purchase, and more!
TRU Library Events & Workshops Calendar
Calendar listing current workshop offerings at the TRU library

Citation Guides

Common Citation Styles

ACS Citation Style (American Chemical Society)
APA Citation Style 7th ed (American Psychological Association)
Psychology and other social sciences, e.g., Linguistics, Sociology, Economics, Criminology. Also Nursing and sometimes Business. But check with your instructor!
APA Citation Style 6th ed. (American Pscyhological Association)
guide to citing your sources for Psychology and other social sciences, e.g., Linguistics, Sociology, Economics, Criminology. Also Nursing and sometimes Business. Check with your instructor for which edition to use.
ASA Citation Style Guide (American Sociological Association)
Sociology and other social sciences, but check with your instructor to be sure.
Chicago Manual of Style
Style guide. Commonly used for History, the Humanities and various other disciplines. However, check with your instructor.
CSE Citation Style (Council of Science Editors)
Biology and other sciences.
MLA Citation Style (Modern Language Association)
Style guide. Frequently used in English and Humanities studies. Check with your instructor to be sure.

Theatre

Shane Neifer, MLIS, MA

Live Help

Home

KEY RESOURCES

Books to Get You Started

Catalogue Search

Why Reference books?

Books to Get You Started

Websites

Associations

Websites

Research Strategies

Research Tips

Quick Links

Citation Guides

Common Citation Styles

Ask a Question