Theatre Journals
| A journal of the history and technique of the British theatre. Full text of Theatre Notebook is available online. |
Databases and Web Resources for Plays
English Prose Drama and English Verse Drama are full-text collections spanning several centuries of British drama.
English Verse Drama covers the late thirteenth century through the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods to the end of the nineteenth century. A verse drama is generally defined as a work acted on or intended for the stage which is either completely in verse or includes significant verse content. It adds six centuries of poetry intended for the stage, masques and short dramatic pieces written primarily in verse, works written for children and numerous adaptations.
English Prose Drama is based on plays listed in the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature that were written or intended for the stage and wholly or primarily in prose. EPD contains more than 1,800 plays by approximately 400 authors from the renaissance to the end of the nineteenth century.
- American DramaAmerican Drama contains American dramatic literature from 1714 to the present, with more than 700 plays written by over 300 American dramatists. The collection will grow to contain more than 2,000 titles.
- Dramatists Play Service, Inc.In Dramatists Play Service, Inc., search by using the "Playfinder" to search for plays by cast size or keyword. A brief synopsis of the play is included in the brief record. Mainly targeted toward sales of plays.
- The Complete Works of William ShakespeareFull text from MIT.
- Open Source Shakespeare
Open Source Shakespeare includes a search engine designed to provide quick access to passages from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Search results are organized by topic, work, and character. This site is provided by the George Mason University.
Reference Books and Indexes for Plays
- Play IndexCall Number: REF PN1721.P5Publication Date: 1949-2002BGSU's Play Index covers the years 1949-2002. Use this index to find information on plays published in anthologies or separately.
Critical Survey of Drama by Call Number: REF PN1625 .C68 2003ISBN: 9781587651021Publication Date: 2003Provides brief (2-3 pages) author biographies; essays on dramatic periods and types of drama.
Thematic Guide to Modern Drama by Call Number: PN1861 .A235 2003ISBN: 9780313319501Publication Date: 2003Focuses on themes in modern drama and discusses plays that center on that theme. Coverage is roughly the last 100 years; limited non-American coverage.
The Oxford Dictionary of Plays by Call Number: REF PN1625 .P38 2005ISBN: 0198604173Publication Date: 2005Offers play details such as author, title (and alternative title), date of writing, date and place of first performance, publication date, dramatic genre, setting and time of action, and cast composition. Also includes a brief synopsis and commentary.
Although older, the following resources are helpful in finding works that Play Index may not include.
- Chicorel Theater Index to Plays in Anthologies, Periodicals, Discs, and TapesCall Number: Z5781 .C485Publication Date: 1970-72indexes authors, titles, and plays of a particular nation or time period. Contains a subject index, an author index, a play index, and an editor index. Not held on site, this item can be requested via OhioLINK from storage.
- Index to Full Length Plays: 1895-1925, 1926-44, & 1944-64 byCall Number: PN1655 .T5Publication Date: 1956
Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections Published Between 1900 and 1985 by Call Number: REF PN1655.O77ISBN: 9780810820814Publication Date: 1993The standard location tool for full-length plays published in collections and anthologies in England and the U.S. since the beginning of the 20th century.
Index to Plays in Periodicals by Call Number: PN1721.K44 1979ISBN: 9780810812086Publication Date: 1979Contains author and title entries for plays appearing in periodicals through 1976.
Finding Plays
It is mostly simple to find plays by title or author in Summon (BGSU library), the BGSU Library Catalog (BGSU), OhioLINK (Ohio libraries), or WorldCat (libraries around the world).
But many plays are published in collections and you may or may not find them with a title search. For these, use the Play Index (1949-2002) to find the titles of the anthologies a play appears in, then search the library catalogs listed below for the anthology.
- SummonLimit to material type books after you search to only bring up books (in print and online) at Jerome Library.
- BGSU Library CatalogFind books and videos owned by the BGSU Libraries.
- OhioLINK CatalogSearch for materials owned by dozens of academic (and some large public) libraries in Ohio. Request online; delivery to Jerome Main Circulation desk in 2-3 business days.
- WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch)
WorldCat contains catalog records, locations, and library borrowing information for books, journals, videos, sound recordings, archival materials and more owned by millions of libraries all over the world.
Additional Resources
If you are researching a play, use the databases listed on the Literary Criticism guide to find books or journal articles discussing the play, its author, or its performances. Plot Summaries will guide you to a source containing, well, a plot summary. A separate guide to theatre resources, including additional information on finding play texts and criticism, is found in our Theatre LibGuide. At any rate, depending on your project or need, all of these tabs might be useful. So, we're glad you stopped by, but don't make this your only stop.