In-depth Guide to Theater Research
Whether you are a novice or an experienced researcher, the Albert S. Cook Library has a wealth of resources for theater research. If you are new to theater research, start here to see an overview of the various types of resources you can consult. This is not an exhaustive list of resources, but will lead you to the Reference stacks where you will find these and other related reference sources. Any resources listed as "Reference" are kept in the 3rd floor Reference area and must be used in the building.
General Theater Research Tools and Indexes
These are a few bibliographies of sources for general theater research. Some of them are a little dated, but will still lead you to standard titles that you should examine.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref PN2266.3.S53 |
American Theater and Drama Research (1991) - describes recommended reference books up to 1990 |
| Ref AZ221.B55 |
The Humanities: A Selective Guide to Information Sources (2000) - annotated guide to research titles in theater and other performing arts |
| Ref PN1526.P78 |
Popular Entertainment Research: How to Do It and How to Use It - (1992) - recommended sources that focus on theater personalities |
Theater Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Sometimes in your research, terms, names, and places can be unfamiliar. Use one of these basic guides to check correct spelling and definitions so you are clear when writing or using search terms in research tools. If your research centers on a particular playwright, director, or performer, many of these titles will have biographical sketches of important figures in theater. These articles will give a quick overview to the topic without overwhelming you, and (in some cases) give you a bibliography of recommended works to investigate.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref PN1861.W67 |
World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre (1994-1997) |
| Ref PN2035.C27 |
Cambridge Guide to Theatre (1995) |
| Ref PN2035.O9 |
Oxford Companion to the Theatre (1983) |
| Ref PN2220.B6 |
Oxford Companion to American Theatre (2004) |
| Ref PN2035.092 |
Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance (2003) |
| Ref PN2035.084 |
Acting: An International Encyclopedia (2001) |
| Ref PN2277.N5B43 |
Routledge Guide to Broadway (2007) |
| Ref PN1861 .C65 2007 |
Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama (2007) |
Drama & Criticism Sources
If you need to analyze or find criticism of a specific play, try one of these handbooks.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref PN1601.D59 |
Drama Criticism (27 vols.) - a good starting place for background reading. (1991-) |
| Ref PN1861.M27 |
Major Modern Dramatists (2vols.) - excerpts of articles with citation information, arranged by playwright (1986) |
| Ref PS332.A1E3 |
American Drama Criticism (Vol. 1 & Supp.) - checklist of criticism by playwright, then organized by title. Coverage extends up to 1996 |
| Ref PR85.C76 |
Critical Perspective (11 vols.) - background reading for author criticism with citations for additional articles (1985 - ) |
| Ref PR623.C75 |
Critical Survey of Drama (6 vols.) - overview of an author's work with a bibliography for further reading (1985) |
| Ref PS332.O84 Reserves |
Guide to American Drama Explication - citations for articles that will help you better understand a play. This title is on Permanent Reserve at the Faculty Reserve desk. (1995) |
| Ref PN2000.N76 |
New York Theatre Critics' Reviews - contains clippings of theatre reviews arranged chronologically (1958-1993) |
Biographical Sources
When writing about playwrights, actors, or directors, start with these books for a brief overview of your topic.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref PN2205.F54 |
Fifty Key Theatre Directors - international in scope, contains biographical data on 20th and 21st century directors (2005) |
| Ref PN2035.W485 |
Who's Who in Contemporary World Theatre - profiles actors, directors and more on the international stage (2000) |
| Ref PR737.C57 |
Contemporary Dramatists - a good encyclopedic overview of dramatists with commentary and bibliography (1993) |
| Ref PS351.C6 |
American Women Dramatists of the Twentieth Century bibliography of works and citations for biographies, criticism, and performance reviews (1982) |
| Ref PS338.N4W55 |
Contemporary African American Female Playwrights - gives publisher information, secondary source citations, and a scholarly criticism listing (1998) |
| Ref PN2208.C6 |
Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television (69 vols.) - biographical data for professionals in theatre (1984 -) |
| Ref PN2285.N65 |
Notable Women in the American Theatre (1989) - includes actresses, directors, directors, playwrights and more |
| Ref PN2286.P46 |
Profiles of African American Stage Performers and Theatre People, 1816-1960 (2001) - biographical entries complete with bibliographies for further research |
International Theater
For information about plays and playwrights beyond the US, try these sources.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref PN2035.W485 |
Who's Who in Contemporary World Theatre (2001) |
| Ref PN2921.L45 |
Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre (2006) |
| Ref PN2924.5.K3L44 |
New Kabuki Encyclopedia (1997) |
| Ref PN2721.S46 |
Historical Dictionary of Russian Theatre (2007) |
| Ref PN2969.C36 |
Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre (1994) |
| Ref PN2860.G48 |
Dictionary of Traditional South-East Asian Theatre (1994) |
| Ref PN2881.O94 |
Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre (2004) |
Guides to Musical Theater
Many students enjoy researching topics in musical theatre. Try these books to understand the important people, places, and works that are related to Broadway shows.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref ML102.M88 G3 |
Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre (1994) - 2 volume profiling shows |
| Ref ML1711 .B67 |
American Musical Theater: A Chronicle (2001) - describes important playwrights, plays, and theater groups |
| Ref PN2277.N5 B43 |
Routledge Guide to Broadway (2007) - information on people and shows |
| Ref PN2277.N5 N45 |
New York Times Book of Broadway (2001) - guide to individual shows |
| Ref ML102.M88 E94 |
Historical Dictionary of the Broadway Theater (2008) - profiles shows, performers, and venues |
| Ref ML1711.8.N3 N67 |
Chronology of American Musical Theater (2002) - 3 vol. set detailing shows, songs, and plots |
Focus on Shakespeare
If you are writing specifically about Shakespeare, try consulting these books for very targeted entries.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref PR2892.O56 |
All Things Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World(2 vols) (2002) |
| Ref PR2892.O94 |
Oxford Companion to Shakespeare - listing of important places, people and terms with illustrations (2001) |
| Ref PR2894.AIC5 |
Essential Shakespeare: An Annotated Bibliography of Major Modern Studies - bibliography of articles grouped by play title (1993) |
| Ref PR2894.S25 |
Shakespeare Index (2 vols.) - dictionary arrangement of topics with citations for specific plays (1992) |
Costume Dictionaries/Encyclopedias
These books will describe and illustrate a variety of costumes from all cultures and throughout history.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref GT507.E53 |
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (2005) 3 vols. - articles ranging from historical dress to body piercing with bibliographies |
| Ref GT595.P393 |
Complete Fashion Sourcebook(2005) - images and descriptions of formal and everyday dress from 1920-1989 |
| Ref TT957 .S46 |
Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History ) - useful for costume design and make up |
Timelines for Dramaturgical Work
Sometimes, it is helpful to place the topic that you are writing about within a larger framework of events in history. Use these timelines to help you understand what was going on in the world (particularly in society and history) when a play was written.
| Call Number | Description |
|---|---|
| Ref D11.M39 |
Chronology of World History (1999) 4 vols. - timeline of events in the arts, politics, society, and history |
| Ref D422.B76 |
Timelines of the 20th Century (1996) - descriptions of key events in the arts and other subjects |
| Ref NX447.5 .B76 |
Timelines of the Arts and Literature ) (1999) - chronology specifically devoted to events in the arts |
Electronic Reference Books
A new and rising category of reference sources are the library's electronic reference books which have full text articles and can be accessed both on and off campus. The electronic reference tools listed below can be found in the >Subject Gateway to Theater on the Cook Library web page.
If you are accessing these from off campus, you will first need to log in through >ResearchPort to access these.
Go to http://cooklibrary.towson.edu and click on
Find: Articles - Subject Gateways - Theater.
International Encyclopedia of Dance - full text entries of important people, companies, and topics in dance - includes artists in musical theater
Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance - profiles of actors, playwrights and plays
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion - full text articles representing all periods of history and cultures
Biography Resource Center - full text biographical articles from reference books and includes contemporary and historical persons (limit of 4 simultaneous users)
Academic Complete (ebrary) - searchable database of full text electronic books, including biographical accounts of composers and performers
Early English Books Online - includes full text of books published in the United Kingdom and the US from 1473-1700 (including plays)
Audio Streaming Services
The library also offers access to two online streaming services for audio files.
Naxos Music Library - streaming service of complete recordings from record labels owned by the Naxos company. Covers mostly classical music genres. Includes biographical sketches of composers, and in many cases, album liner notes.
Smithsonian Global Sound - streaming service in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution which includes most of the recordings on the Folkways record label. International in scope, also covers spoken word.
Searching for Books, and Audio/Visual Materials on your Topic
Albert S. Cook Library Catalog
- Start with the catalog for materials kept in the Albert S. CookLibrary. 
The library catalog lists all materials that are owned in the library, including scores and sound recordings. Most of these materials can be checked out.
This web site has specially designed Google Gadgets to help you search the library catalog for materials in the performing arts - try one of these links to search for materials. There are also a number of Wozworld Quick Guides to help you search for specific types of materials (scores, recordings, etc) in the catalog. These are step by step guides with illustrations. Look for these guides under the Wozworld Guide link on this web site.
USMAI Combined Catalog
Once you have exhausted the holdings here at Cook Library, you can search this catalog to see holdings in all other libraries in the state university system. With the exception of AV items and reference/reserve/special collection material, all other items listed in the USMAI catalog can be sent to Cook Library for you to borrow and return. Additionally, you may visit any state university school with your TU OneCard and borrow materials in person.
WorldCat
This database lists books, scores, and AV materials that are held in all public libraries, state and private university libraries, and organizational libraries across the country. This includes the materials owned at Peabody Conservatory. Through your interlibrary loan account, you may request any materials that are listed in WorldCat that are not available for loan through the USMAI Combined Catalog. Once the Interlibray Loan Department identifies a loaning library, you will be notified that your material is available for pick up at Cook Library. These items often have a shorter borrowing period than other items in the USMAI system libraries.
Other Options
You also have borrowing privileges at Goucher College, Loyola/Notre Dame Colleges, Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University), the Decker Art Library at Maryland Institute, College of Art, and Baltimore Hebrew University. If you borrow materials from these schools, you must return them yourself directly to these libraries. You have visiting privileges at the Arthur Friedheim Library of Peabody Conservatory. You may use their databases and resources in the building, but you do not have borrowing privileges. If you see materials that you would like to borrow, request them by using your ILLIad Interlibrary Loan Account.
Theater Journals
To see a list of availability and access modes for all of the theater journals subscribed to by Cook Library
- Start at the Cook Library web site
- Go to Resources - Journals/Periodicals (direct access to the jourals page is at http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/journalsTU.cfm)
- In the Search by Subject Category box, click the arrow and choose Music, Dance, Drama, and Film
- Click on Search
A list of theater journals will display, along with library access information. If the library subscribes to the journal in electronic format, you can view those articles right on your desktop.
Print Journals at Cook Library
Cook Library subscribes to a number of theater journals in print format only. While these issues may be indexed in electronic databases, sometimes, the only way to view their content is to visit the library and make a photocopy of the article you want. All print journals are kept in the Periodicals Department on the 2nd floor of the library and are used in the library only. There are photocopiers available to use, and photocopies are 10 cents per page (subject to change). A complete list of the music periodicals subscribed to in print can be viewed at the Periodicals Desk.
Searching for Journal Articles about Theater Topics
It is best to start searching for journal articles by consulting a proprietary database that indexes journals and, in some cases, delivers the electronic full text of the article. Some of the major databases helpful in music research are listed below.
All of the databases described below can be found by going to the Subject Gateway to Theater on the Cook Library web page.
Off campus users can access resources through Research Port. See the Wozworld Guide to off campus access for assistance.
Primary Theater Databases
International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance with Full Text - offers both indexing and abstracts for journal articles as well as full text delivery and/or access links
International Index to the Performing Arts - similar to IIMP above, but indexes different journals (limit of 4 simultaneous users)
Multidisciplinary Databases which include Music Topics
Humanities Abstracts, Academic Search Premier - multidisciplinary databases covering a wide variety of topics which will include some articles on theater
JSTOR - full-text journal articles from the 1800's - 2002, includes a good bit of music journals
Arts and Humanities Citation Index, 1988 - present - includes topics that cross into science, no full text in database, but sometimes available through Find It button (limit of 5 simultaneous users)
MLA Bibliography - indexes and includes some full text for drama - very useful for criticism of standard plays by authors such as Shaw, Wilde, Shakespeare
Project Muse - useful for full text articles of criticism - easier to use if you already know the specific journal that you need to see
World Shakespeare Bibliography Online - indexes but does not provide full text of books, articles devoted to teaching, reading, and performing Shakespeare's works
Lexis/Nexis Academic - full text newspapers and business periodicals from around the world, good for searching for reviews of performances and premieres. Requires patience and skill in using search fields to uncover results.
New York Times and New York Times Historical - databases indexing New York Times newspaper covering the present day back to the first issues. Full text is available, but many photos are blocked due to copyright restrictions. Good for obituary notices of composers and reviews of recitals and performances in the New York area
Websites
The Music Subject Guide web page (on the Cook Library web site listed under Resources - Subject Gateways - Theater) lists a number of web sites for music research that I have selected. Visit this list to find some good quality sites to use in getting started in your research.
Need More Help?
If you find that you need personalized assistance in your research, I am happy to meet with you to work one-on-one to find resources. Please either phone me, (410) 704-2498 or email lwoznicki@towson.edu to set up an appointment. I will contact you to find a time that is good for both of us to meet. If you need immediate assistance and can't wait for an appointment with me, please call the Reference Desk at 410 704-2462 to speak to a Reference Librarian. Remember to check the link for Wozworld Guides on my web page and my blog to see if there is a Quick Guide that covers the research skill that you need.
Beginning in mid-semester of Fall 2008, I will be in the Center for the Arts in the Commons Area on a weekly basis offering on-the-spot help. Look for further details on my web site home page and Wozworld Blog regarding the exact day and time that this session occurs.