Subject Guides: TMA 121, 122 : The Voice: Research Help

Doing Theatre Research

1. Locate background information.

- use encyclopedia articles to find keywords (terminology, words for narrowing topic, important scholars) and citations to other materials.

2. Develop and narrow your topic; form an issue or research question.

3. Find research materials you may use in your paper.

- books, journal articles

4. Evaluate and select materials that you will use in your paper.

5. Write draft, cite sources, and write final paper.

- use an approved citation format, and consult style manuals as needed.

- begin writing early.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Banham. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. HUMREF PN 2035 .C27 1995

Bordman. American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1869-1914. HUM REF PN 2256 .B6 1994
------. American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1914- 1930. HUM REF PN 2256 .B6 1995
------. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. HUM REF PN 2220 .B6 1984

Bronner. The Encyclopedia of the American Theatre, 1900-1975. 1980. HUM REF PN 2266 .B68

Ceballos, Edgar. Diccionario Enciclopedico Basico De Teatro Mexicano. HUM REF PN 2311 .C37x 1996

Courtney. Dictionary of Developmental Drama: The Use of Terminology in Educational Drama, Theatre Education, Creative Dramatics, Children's Theatre, Drama Therapy, and Related Areas. HUM REF PN 3171 .C6388 1987

* Magill. Critical Survey of Drama. 1994. 7 vols. HUM REF PR 625 .C74x 1994

Drama Criticism. 1991. 3 vols. HUM REF PN 1601 .D59

Enciclopedia dello Spettacolo. 9 vols. + 2 suppls. 1954-78. HUM REF PN 1625 .E7

Hartnoll. The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. HUM REF PN 2035 .H3 1967

Hawkins-Dady. International Dictionary of Theatre. 3 vols. HumRef PN 2034 .I49 1992

Leiter. The Encyclopedia of the New York Stage, 1920-1930. 2 vols. HUM REF PN 2277 .N5 L36 1985

Loney. 20th Century Theatre. 2 vols. HUM REF PN 2189 .L65 1983

Lounsbury and Bonlanger. Theatre Backstage from A to Z. HUM REF PN 2091 .M3 L68 1989

McGraw-Hill Encylopedia of World Drama. 5 vols. 1984. HUM REF PN 1625 .M3 1984

Magill. Critical Survey of Drama: Foreign Language Series. 6 vols. 1986. Volumes 1-5 cover dramatists; volume 6 includes essays and index. Excellent source for critical summaries of major foreign dramatists. HUM REF PN 1625 .C74 1986

Packard et al. The Facts on File Dictionary of the Theatre. 1988. HUM REF PN 2035 .F27 1988

Philpott. Dictionary of Puppetry. HUM REF PN 1972 .P47 1967b

* Rubin. The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. 6 vols. HumRef PN 2189.W67 1994.

Swortzell. International Guide to Children's Theatre and Educational Theatre: A Historical and Geographical Source Book.
HUM REF PN 3157 .I58 1990

Trapido. An International Dictionary of Theatre Language. HUM REF PN 2035 .I5 1985

Wilmeth and Miller. The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre. HUMREF PN 2220 .C35 1993

Online Theatre Reference

Drama Online This link opens in a new window Complete digital library of the most studied and performed plays from the last 2,500 years. Contains scholarly notes, annotated texts, contextual information, synopsis, biographical entries, and material on acting, directing, and lighting. Features drama titles from the Methuen Drama, Arden Shakespeare lists, and the LA Theatre Works. Includes epics, monologues, and one-person plays in all time periods, as well as translations of major foreign works. Features play tools with character grids, words and speech graphs, and over 500 images.
Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre This link opens in a new window This concise version of the acclaimed Oxford Companion to the Theatre covers all aspects of theatre worldwide and throughout the ages. It contains entries on a vast range of theatrical styles, dramatists, performers, and directors, as well as information on theatres, festivals, and such technical topics as lighting, sound, and method acting.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new window Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7. Because each library creates its own eBook collection, the content you see may vary if you use the database at different libraries (your school, your public library, or your office).

Glossary of Theatre Terms Comprehensive searchable listing of technical theatre terms.

Theatre in Context (ASP) This link opens in a new window Formerly North American Theatre Online, this is a comprehensive reference work covering all aspects of the Canadian and American Theater. It includes major reference materials, plays, people, theatres, productions and production companies. Also includes some images, playbills, postcards, scrapbooks and other resources.
Play Index (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Play Index includes 40,000 plays published 1949 to the present. An invaluable aid to finding the perfect plays to match your production resources, Play Index covers a wide range of plays written in or translated into English, including mysteries, pageants, plays in verse, puppet performances, radio and television plays, and classic drama. Search for plays by title; author; subject (sisters, culture conflict, marriage); style (symbolism, experimental theater); genre (comedy, melodrama, musical); cast type; and more. *The record for each play provides: *Title and author of the play. *Descriptive annotation that summarizes the plot or dramatic action. *Number of acts and scenes. *Size and gender of the cast. *Number of sets, noting whether they are interior or exterior. *Notes on any dancing or music required. *Identification of plays suitable for children and young people.
World Shakespeare Bibliography Online This link opens in a new window Provides annotated entries for all important books, articles, book reviews, dissertations, theatrical productions, reviews of productions, audiovisual materials, electronic media, and other scholarly and popular materials related to Shakespeare. The scope is international, with coverage extending to more than 92 languages and representing every country in North America, South America, and Europe, and nearly every country in Asia, Africa, and Australia. Coverage: 1969-2002

Evaluating Information Worksheet

Information Evaluation Worksheet
Use this document to help you evaluate information sources.

When evaluating the quality of an information source, remember to examine:

Currency

Reliability

Authority

Purpose / Point of View

Here are some questions to ask yourself for each category:

Currency - How current is the information? Is the age of the publication likely to affect the conclusions drawn by the author?

Reliability - Does this work present you with high quality information? Is your topic treated as the main subject, or is it peripheral? Does the information support or disprove your thesis? Is the resource useful to your research need?

Authority - Who is the author of the work, and what are his/her credentials? Who published the work - a scholarly press, a commercial publisher, or is it self-published? If it is an online resource, can you determine who the author is?

Purpose/Point of View - What is the purpose of the resource? Is it to inform, entertain, etc? Is the purpose clearly outlined in the foreword or introduction? Is the work's audience an expert in the field or a layperson?