Basic Drama Reference Works

The following list of encyclopedias, dictionaries and bibliographies in Hunt Library are broad in scope and can often prove useful at at the start of a research project. These reference works (when in print) are separate from the circulating collections so that the researcher can gain quick and easy access to basic information. Most works are located near the Arts Reference Desk area on the 4th floor (HL4-FA-REF) or in the literature reference section (REF-1) on the 1st floor of Hunt Library. They are commonly used to:

To locate subject-specific reference works in Hunt Library and on the Web try
Drama Research Guide: Topics.

For key databases for Drama navigate to
Drama Research Guide: Databases.

Also try
Drama Research Guide: Web Gateways for Drama for meta-sites with hundreds of links.


Bibliography

Carpenter, Charles A. Modern Drama: Scholarship and Criticism, 1981-1990: An International Bibliography. Toronto, Buffalo and London: Modern Drama and University of Toronto Press, 1997.

Theatre Research Center. International Bibliography of Theatre. Brookyln, N.Y.: The Center, 1982-1999.
HUNT FA-REF-4 Z6935 .I53


Dictionaries (Terms and Concepts)

See also Encyclopedias

Mobley, Jonnie Patricia. NTC's Dictionary of Theatre and Drama Terms. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company, 1992.
HUNT STACKS-4 PN2035 .M63 1992

Pavis, Patrice. Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis. Toronto and Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1998.
HUNT-FA-REF-4 PN2035 .P2913 1998

Trapido, Joel, ed. An International Dictionary of Theatre Language. Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 1985.
HUNT-FA-REF PN2035 .I5 1985

Pickering, Kenneth. Key Concepts in Drama and Performance. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, N.Y. : Palgrave Macmillan, 2005
HUNT FA-REF-4 PN1579 .P53 2005
Main ideas and terms are discussed at an introductory level regarding the textual (plays), performance, production, staging and criticism

 

Biographical Dictionaries
See also Encyclopedias

Contemporary Dramatists. London: St. James Press.
REF-1 PR737 .V5 1973 and 1977; PR737 .C57 1982;
REF-1 928.2 C7611 1988; 1993
Writers for the stage, screen, radio and television.

Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co., 1984- (Annual).
This reference work continues Who's Who in the Theatre.
FA-REF-4 PN2285 .C58 Volumes 1-21, 1984-1999.

Contemporary Dramatists. London: St. James Press.
REF-1 PR737 .V5 1973 and 1977; PR737 .C57 1982;
REF-1 928.2 C7611 1988; 1993
Bio-bibliographies on writers for the stage, screen, radio and television.

International Dictionary of Theatre. (Hawkins-Dady, Mark, ed., Leanda Shrimpton, picture editor). Chicago and London: St. James Press, 1992.
HUNT FA-REF PN2035 .I49 1992

Plays Volume 1
Detailed information about play publication and production. Includes date of first production, translations and bibliography;critical summary of each play.
Playwrights Volume 2
Detailed information on life and work; critical summary; bibliography
Actors, Directors and Designers Volume 3
Detailed information on life and work, critical summary; bibiliography.


Magill, Frank N. Critical Survey of Drama : English Language Series. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Salem Press, 1985.
REF-1 PR623 .C75 1985 6 vols.
Biographical summaries; critical essays examine representative plays and identify themes and characteristics employed by English language dramatists.

Magill, Frank N. Critical Survey of Drama : Foreign Language Series. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Salem Press, 1986.
REF-1 PN1625 .C74 1986, 6 vols. with 1987 supplement
Biographical summaries; critical essays examine representative plays and identify themes and characteristics employed by more than 170 non-English speaking dramatists.

Encyclopedias (comprehensive in scope)

Berg Fashion Library
An integrated text and image database including the Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion, articles, essays, e-books and more. The multi-volume print edition of the Encyclopedia can be found in location,
HUNT FA-REF GT507 .E54 2010

Cambridge History of American Theatre (Don B. Wilmeth and Christopher Bigsby, eds.) New York; Cambridge: Cambridge University, Press, 1998.
HUNT FA-REF PN2221 .c37 1998 3 Vols.
Volume 1: Beginnings to 1870; Volume 2: 1870-1945; Volume 3: Post-World War II-1990s
A contextual survey; each section contains extensive timelines juxtaposing theatre events in America with selected historical/cultural American and worldwide events.

The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama. (Cody, Gabrielle H. and Evert Sprinchorn, ed.). New York: Columbia University Press, 2007.
HUNT FA-REF PN1861 . C65 2007 2 Vols.
Scholarly critical essays on individuals, plays, and types of drama from 1860 to present; cites first production of plays; emphasis placed on cultural context of dramatic works and their authors; appendices include synoptic outline of contents, directory of contributors. Bibliographies. Extensive index.

Gänzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. Schirmer Books, 2001.
HUNT FA-REF ML102 .M88 G3 2001 3 volumes

Eicher, Joanne Bubolz. Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion. Oxford University Press, 2010.
HUNT FA-REF-4 GT507 .E54 2010 10 vols.
Articles and images examined with an emphasis on multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives regarding all aspects of dress and fashion globally from pre-history to the present.

International Dictionary of Theatre. (Hawkins-Dady, Mark, ed., Leanda Shrimpton, picture editor). Chicago and London: St. James Press, 1992.
HUNT FA-REF PN2035 .I49 1992

Plays Volume 1
Detailed information about play publication and production. Includes date of first production, translations and bibliography;critical summary of each play.
Playwrights Volume 2
Detailed information on life and work; critical summary; bibliography
Actors, Directors and Designers Volume 3
Detailed information on life and work, critical summary; bibiliography.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. St. James Press, 2000
HUNT-FA-REF PN1997.8 .I58 2000 4 Vols.

Films Volume 1
Detailed production information
Directors Volume 2
Detailed information on life and work, critical summary; bibiliography.
Actors Volume 3
Detailed information on life and work, critical summary; bibiliography.
Writers and Production Artists Volume 4
Detailed information on life and work, critical summary; bibiliography.


Oxford Reference International Encyclopedia of Dance [online]
Oxford University Press, 2005.
This is the web edition of the 1998 6-volume print edition, (Selma Jeanne Cohen, ed.)
Images for this encyclopedia can only be viewed in the print version at location:
HUNT FA-REF GV1585 .I586 1998

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984.
REF-1 PN1625 .M3 1984, 5 vols.
Contains articles on dramatists, the theatre of nations or ethnic groups, genres, companies, and theoreticians. Includes indexes of subjects and the names of people and plays. Heavily illustrated.

Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance [online]
This is the web edition of the 2003 2-volume print edition. Images for this encyclopedia can be viewed only in the print version at location:
HUNT FA-REF PN2035 .O94 2003
The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. Don Rubin, ed. London ; New York : Routledge, 1994- .
FA-REF-4 PN1861 .W67 1994, 5 Vols.
Vol 1: Europe, Vol 2: The Americas, Vol 3. Africa, Vol. 4 The Arab World (North Africa and the Middle East), Vol. 5. Asia/Pacific, Vol. 6 Bibliography and Cumulative Index.

Mo Dawley, Art and Drama Librarian
md2z@andrew.cmu.edu
2014
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