Frequently Asked Questions about Theater Resources

• Finding Plays
• Finding Audition Pieces, Monologues, Scenes
• Finding Reviews and Literary Criticism
• Finding Theater Terms, Facts, and History
• Finding People: Playwrights, Actors, Directors, Designers
• Finding Internet Resources
• Finding Reference Books and Indexes
• Finding How to Write Papers

Plays

1. How do I find whether the Library has a play that I need?
   ANSWER. Look it up in the Library's on-line catalog, Sherlock, which is part of MiamiLINK. Look by title of the play or by name of the author.
   When you look by author's name, you might find a collection of plays by the writer that contains the play you want, even though the play is not itself listed separately by title in the catalog.

2. What if the the on-line catalog does not list this play?
   ANSWER. Perhaps the play is in an anthology (collection) of plays. Go to the Consultation Desk in King Library and ask to use Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections (also shelved in reference, King Ref PN 1655 .O88 1988).
   Another useful reference source is Play Index, an author, title, subject, and cast-analysis index to plays and anthologies of plays. Ref PN 1655 .P531
   Inter-Play is an online service that includes sources not covered by Ottemiller's Index or Play Index. To connect to Inter-Play, click on it or highlight the word and press Return.
   Use OhioLINK to see whether the play is in another library in Ohio. (OhioLINK is part if MiamiLINK.) If it is, you can use the terminal to request that the book be sent to you. (If necessary, ask for help at the Reference Desk.)

3. What I really need is a one-act play: How can find one?
   ANSWER. Use the Library's on-line catalog, Sherlock, which is part of MiamiLINK, to find anthologies (collections) of one-act plays. Do a subject search for "one act plays."

4. How about plot summaries and "Cliff's Notes": Does the Library have these?
   ANSWER. Yes, the Library has Masterplots on the CD-ROM LAN (ask at the Help Desk) and also the International Dictionary of Theatre. Vol. 1. Plays (Ref PN 2037 .I574 1992), which is very useful. To find "Cliff's Notes," use the Desk Reference Guide (ask at the Consultation Desk)

5. Finally, to ask the Library to buy plays for the collection, contact the Theater Librarian.

Audition Pieces, Monologues, Scenes

1. How can I find a scene from a play to use in acting class or for an audition?
   ANSWER. Use the Library's on-line catalog, Sherlock, which is part of MiamiLINK, to find books of monologues. Search by subject, the subject being "monologues" or "auditions."
   ANSWER. Ask at the Consultation Desk in King Library for an index to monlogues or scenes. Here are three:
   --Smith and Kraus Index to Monologues. Ref PN 2080 .S6 1995
   --Guide to Monologues, Men: An Index of Over 800. Ref PN2080 .G84 1988
   --Guide to Monologues, Women: An Index of Over 800. Ref PN2080 .G85 1988

Reviews and Literary Criticism of Plays

1. How can I find a review of a play?
   ANSWER. If the play is currently being performed, use an index to current newspapers or current periodicals, primarily
   • Periodical Abstracts
   • Humanities Abstracts
   • Arts & Humanities Citation Index
   • Academic Universe
   • Newspaper Abstracts
   See under Indexes and Databases in MiamiLINK.
   If these do not list any reviews, ask at the Reference Desk.

   If the play is an older one, ask at the Reference Desk. There are a number of sources of reviews, but the one to use depends on the play in question. For example, American Drama Criticism (Ref PS 332 .E33) indexes reviews of original productions in the 20th century. If the play ran in New York City, use the periodical National Theatre Critics' Reviews (formerly New York Theatre Critics' Reviews, 1940-1996), which reprints reviews from major New York media. (Shelved with King periodicals.)

2. How can I find literary criticism of a play or of the work of a playwright?
   ANSWER. Start with an index to books and the literary periodicals that publish criticism. The most useful indexes are:
   --MLA International Bibliography Available on MiamiLINK and on the CD-ROM Network.
   --Periodical Abstracts Available under "Article Indexes" on MiamiLINK
   --IBT: International Bibliography of Theatre (Ref PN 2012 .I57) indexes critical and scholarly writings about performance and production issues.
   --Use the on-line catalog, Sherlock to find books about the playwright or the play.

Theater Terms, Facts, History

1. How can I find definitions of, or information about, such things as "epic theater," "hunger artist," "Bread and Puppet Theatre," or "dramaturg"?
   ANSWER. There are several good theater dictionaries and encyclopedias in the reference collection, for example:
   --Cambridge Guide to World Theatre. Ref PN 72035 .C27 1988
   --McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama. Ref PN 1625 .M3
   --A Chronological Outline of World Theatre. Ref PN 2101 .M47 1992

People: Playwrights, Directors, Actors, Designers

1. Where can I find basic information about a playwright or other theatrical person?
   ANSWER. In addition to the dictionaries listed just above, try the following.
   For living playwrights, use: Contemporary Dramatists (Ref PN 1625 .V5 1993)
   For older playwrights, use: International Dictionary of Theatre. Vol. 2. Playwrights (Ref PN 2037 .C74 1992)
   For directors, use:The Great Stage Directors (Ref PN 2205 .L44 1994)
   For living actors, use: Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television, Ref PN 2285 .C58
   For designers, use: Theatrical Designers: An International Biographical Dictionary (Ref PN 2096 .A1 M 54 1992).
   For older figures, use, for example, The Biographical Encyclopedia and Who's Who in the American Theatre (Ref PN 2285 .R5 1966).

2. Where can I find in-depth, evaluative, and interpretive information about theater people?
   ANSWER. There are several possible sources. For English or American playwrights, try the Dictionary of Literary Biogaphy (Ref PN 451 .D5); for Europeans, try European Writers (13 volumes; Ref/PN 501 .E9); use the on-line catalog "Sherlock" on MiamiLINK, to find books about the writer.

   Be sure to ask at the Reference Desk if these books do not help. There are hundreds of theater and literature reference books and other important sources of information.

Internet Resources

1. Does the Internet have anything useful about theater?
   ANSWER. Yes, it has lots of useful and authoritative information--although it has even more information that isn't useful at all or that is misleading, wrong, weird, or lurid. The Library has listed recommended sites and you can easily use web searchers to find additional sites.

Theater Reference Books and Indexes

1. The Library seems overwhelming. How can I easily find information about theater?
   ANSWER. Although there are hundreds of reference books for theater research, the Library has produced Theater Reference, a short list of those that should be most useful for students. Reference Librarians are happy to help you, and you could contact the Theater Librarian for additional assistance.

Writing Papers

1. How do I do footnotes and bibliography for Theatre papers?
   ANSWER. Theatre students should use the format described in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition, 1998, Ref LB 2369 .G53 1998). There are copies in the Reference Collection, and it is for sale in most bookstores.
   See Chapter 4 where instructions are given for citing books, articles in periodicals and newspapers, reviews of performances, electronic sources, and other materials.