Search for books in the EIU Library Catalog by author, title, keyword or subject.
Limit results under the "Tweak your results" section. “Subjects” are especially useful.
Use online indexes to locate journal articles online, in print at Booth Library or available through InterLibrary Loan.
Gale Literature
Topics: Literary Criticism for Authors and their Works | Cross-searchable with Children's Literature Review - Dictionary of Literary Biography - Literature Criticism Online - Something About the Author | Great Sources of Information about the Lives of Authors and their Works
Search online Reference Resources for background information on your topic.
The Reference Room, located on the 3000 Level of Booth Library also offers many handy reference titles that can help you with your research. A few examples are listed below, but you may also want to browse the shelves. Most theatre-related materials are shelved in the PN call number range.
The A to Z of African American theater
REF PN2270 .A35 H53 2009
Broadway: an encyclopedia of theater & American culture
REF PN 2277 .N5 B62 2010
Broadway: its history, people, and places: an encyclopedia
REF F128.65 .T5 B56 2004
Broadway musicals: the biggest hit and the biggest flop of the season – 1959 to 2009
REF ML1711.8.N3 F55 2010
The Columbia encyclopedia of modern drama
REF PN1861 .C65 2007
Encyclopedia of Asian theatre
REF PN2860 .E53 2007
Encyclopedia of Latin American theater
REF PQ7082 .D7 E63 2003
Encyclopedia of the New York stage, 1920-1930
REF PN2277 .N5 L36 1985
Encyclopedia of the New York stage, 1930-1940
REF PN2277 .N5 L364 1989
Encyclopedia of stage lighting
REF PN2091 .E4 B66 2003
Historical dictionary of Chinese theater
REF PN2871 .Y46 2008
New Penguin dictionary of the theatre
REF PN2035 .N49 2001
Oxford encyclopedia of theatre and performance
REF PN2035 .O92 2003x
The Shakespeare encyclopedia
REF PR2892 .C68x 2009
Vaudeville old & new: encyclopedia of variety performers
REF PN1996 .U5 C85 2007
Dictionary of Literary Biography
REF PN451 D53x
British dramatists since World War II v.13
British and Irish dramatists since World War II. Second series v.233
British and Irish dramatists since World War II. Third series v.245
British dramatists since World War II. Fourth series v.310
Elizabethan dramatists v.62
French dramatists, 1789-1914 v.192
Jacobean and Caroline dramatists v.58
Latin American dramatists. First series v.305
Modern British dramatists, 1900-1945 v.10
Nineteenth-century British dramatists v.344
Restoration and eighteenth-century dramatists. First series v.80
Restoration and eighteenth-century dramatists. Second series v.84
Restoration and eighteenth-century dramatists. Third series v.89
Russian literature in the age of Pushkin and Gogol. v.205
Twentieth-century American dramatists. First series v.7
Twentieth-century American dramatists. Second series v.228
Twentieth-century American dramatists. Third series v.249
Twentieth-century American dramatists. Fourth series v.266
Twentieth-century American dramatists. Fifth series v.341
Twentieth-century French dramatists v.321
Twentieth-century German dramatists, 1889-1918 v.118
Twentieth-century German dramatists, 1919-1992 v.124
William Shakespeare: A documentary volume v.263
In addition to print, access to the Dictionary of Literary Biography is availabe in: Gale Literature
A biographical dictionary of actors, actresses, musicians, dancers,
managers & other stage personnel in London, 1660-1800
REF PN2597 .H5
A dictionary of actors, and of other persons associated with the public representation of plays in England before 1642.
REF PN2597 .N8 1971
Famous actors and actresses on the American stage
REF PN2285 .Y6 1975B
Ivan R. Dee guide to plays and playwrights
REF PN2035 .G73 2004
Notable names in the American theatre
REF PN2285 .N6 1976
Profiles of African American stage performers & theatre people, 1816-1960
REF PN2286 .P46 2001
Who's who in contemporary world theatre
REF PN2035 .W485 2000
Who was who in the theatre, 1912-1976
REF PN2597 .W52
Browse the shelves in Reference (3000 Level, Booth Library) or in the Bookstacks (1000 Level, Booth Library) in these call number areas:
PN1600-3307: Literature -- Drama
By Period:
PN2131-2145… . Ancient
PN2152-2160 ……Medieval
PN2171-2179 ……Renaissance
PN2181-2193 …….Modern
Selected Subject Ranges:
PN2061-2071....…Art of acting
PN2085-2091…....Stagecraft (lighting, sound, set design, etc.)
PN 2080….............Monologues
Related call number ranges:
ML 1711-ML 2600...............Musical Theater
PR 3091...............Shakespeare on the stage
PQ 1-9999…..................Romance literatures
(French literature -- PQl-3999)
(Spanish literature -- PQ6001-8929)
PR 1-9680…....……..English literature
PS 1-3565…………..American literature
PT 1-9999…………..Germanic literature
American Association of Community Theatre
The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) is the national voice of community theatre, representing the interests of its members and over 7,000 theatres across the U.S. and with the armed forces overseas.
http://www.aact.org/
American Society for Theatre Research
The American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR), established in 1956, provides an organization and public voice for theatre scholars and promotes the cause of theatre as a field for serious scholarly study and research.
http://www.astr.org/
The Educational Theatre Association
https://schooltheatre.org/
International Federation for Theatre Research
The International Federation for Theatre Research exists to promote collaboration and the exchange of information between individuals and organizations concerned with theatre research. To this end the Federation supports conferences and publications and assists its members in all such activities and projects.
http://www.iftr.org/
Museum of the City of New York: Theater Collection
The Theater Collection at the Museum of the City of New York contains over 200,000 accessioned objects that document theatrical performance in New York City from 1785 to present day Broadway productions.
https://mcny.org/collections/theater-collection
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
http://www.nypl.org/about/locations/lpa
New York Public Library Digital Collections
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/
Of particular interest for theatre researchers is the Acclaimed Theatrical Photographers collection. The collections also hold a huge trove of photos and videos covering the history of theater and dance performance in New York.
Theatre Library Association
The Theatre Library Association is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1937 to promote the collection, preservation, and use of theatrical and performing arts materials. Membership includes librarians, scholars, curators, archivists, performers, writers, designers, historians, collectors, and students.
http://www.tla-online.org/