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 Getting Help Subject Guides  Drama & Communications  
Theatre Resources

Subject Librarian: Jeanne Pavy, jpavy@uno.edu, 504.280.6547

How to find a Play

You can search the UNO Catalog to see if the library owns a copy of specific play. First try a simple title or author search. If the play is published alone as a separate book this should work. If a play is published as part of a collection, you may need to do a keyword search in order to locate the title. Choose keyword search and type in key words from the play's title (example: streetcar and desire).
The following sources also index plays in anthologies and collections:
  • Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections
    This work, subtitled "An Author and Title Index to Plays Appearing in Collections Published Between 1900 and 1985" allows you to look up a play title and get the name of the anthology or collection in which it is published REF. PN1654.Z99 O8 1988
  • Other Indexes to Plays in Anthologies and Collections:
    • Play Index (1949-1992) REF. PN1654.Z99 P5
    • The Drama Scholars' Index to Plays and Filmscripts: A Guide to Plays and Ffilmscripts in Selected Anthologies, Series, and Periodicals (includes some 18th and 19th century texts) REF. PN1654.Z99 S23
    • Index to Full Length Plays 1944 to 1964 REF. PN1654.Z99 T462

To identify a play with a certain number of characters by gender, you can use the PlayFinder database from Dramatists Play Service. Once you identify a play you want, search the UNO Catalog (as described above) to see if the UNO Library owns a copy.

How to find a Monologue

  • UNO Catalog
    You can search the UNO Catalog for collections of monologues in the library. Just type in the keyword or subject "monologues" and add other keywords as needed.
How to Find Reviews of Play Productions
For fairly recent productions (last 10-20 years), try one of these general databases that index popular publications:
  • Academic Search Complete
    This very large databases indexes and provides many full-text articles from a variety of popular and scholarly journals and magazines
  • LexisNexis News
    Coverage: Full-text book, movie, play and music reviews from a range of magazine and newspapers sources (including the New York Times.) Chronological coverage for specific publications varies, but is generally limited to the last 5-10 years.     Select "Book, Movie, Music, Play and Video Reviews" from the "Select Sources" pull-down menu.
  • Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
    Coverage: indexes about 250 general interest magazines, including the New Yorker, Time, and Newsweek. Years available in UNO Library: 1900-2000.
    Location: Reference Area -- INDEX AI3 .R4
  • Aisle Say: The Internet Magazine of Stage Reviews and Opinion
    This website collects reviews of play productions in the United States and provides links to similar sites.
To find reviews of older theatrical performances you can use these print indexes, available in the library's Reference area.
  • New York Times Theater Reviews REF. PN 1995.N4
    Covers the period 1870-1988. Volumes are organized by date. If you don't know the specific date of a play review consult the index. There is a cumulative index for 1920-1970. For other years, you have to consult the specific index for each volume.
  • London Times Index INDEX AI 21.T46
    Covers 1790-1905, 1939-1999. We own the microfilm for the actual newspaper 1914-present.
  • Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature REF. PN 1995.N4
    Covers the period 1900-1997. Indexes popular American magazines.
  • American Drama Criticism : Interpretations, 1890-1977 REF. PN1720 .Z99 P3 1979
How to Find Scholarly Criticism of Plays
  • MLA Bibliography
    Coverage: indexes about 3000 journals and series published worldwide, monographs, working papers and proceedings, and bibliographies pertaining to criticism, drama, folklore, and modern (not ancient) languages and literature. Years covered: 1926 - present.
  • Literature Resouce Center
    Provids author biographies, bibliographies and full text criticism of an author's works and literary career.

Biographical information about Directors, Screenwriters, etc.
  • Biography Resource Center
    In addition to biographical articles, this database provides links to newspaper and magazine articles, websites and other sources about important figures in a variety of professions.
Other Resources on the Internet
  • Drama, Theater, & Performance Art Studies (from Voice of the Shuttle)
    This website is a major listing of links about plays, productions, history of the stage, online journals, and much more.
  • Theater Connections (from UNC-Chapel Hill)
    This extensive collection of links covers acting, costume, design, lighting, plays and playwrights and much more.
  • The Costume Page
    Offers over 2000 links on topics such as costume history, ethnic and folk costume, theatrical costume, and directories of costume suppliers.
  • La Couturiere Parisienne
    "A repository of fashion and costume history info from late Gothic to the Golden Twenties: original pictures and patterns, an extensive how-to section and specials."

  • Dramatists Play Service
  • Samuel French
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