LibGuides: THEA 623: Theatre History I: Finding Older Plays

Finding Playscripts

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To search for plays in the WSU Libraries:

Search the online catalog through the "Advanced Search" option. Click HERE to search.
Enter the title of the play in a single search field. This option will try to locate the play as a single book, or within a larger collection, when the catalog record lists the contents of the anthology.
If you are searching for an older play that does not show up in your previous search, please consult one of the indexes (begin with Ottemiller's Index to Plays, as listed below in "Helpful Resources."
If you are searching for a recently published play, you may want to consult the Worldcat database or the Wichita Public Library to confirm that the play is published and to loan the item from another institution (see the "Can't Find it in Our Library? box below).

Find playscripts online in these databases:

Drama Texts Collection This link opens in a new window
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With over 7,500 plays, the Drama Texts Collection is the supplemental text companion to North American Women's Drama, North American Indian Drama, and Asian American Drama. Terms of Use
Theatre & Drama Premium This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Theatre and Drama Premium provides everything you need to bring the spectacle of theatre and drama to your students, from interviews with giants like Arthur Miller or James Earl Jones to previously unpublished play manuscripts from the genius of Ed Bullins and Jeannie Barroga. Terms of Use

Project Gutenberg: One Act Plays
Playscripts for one act plays in the public domain.

Helpful Resources

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays by Michael Patterson (Editor)
Call Number: PN1625 .P38 2005
ISBN: 0198604173
Find here basic background information and synopses for 1,000 significant plays of world drama. Also with indices of major characters and playwrights; plays listed by country of origin and period, and a selective bibliography.
Index to Characters in the Performing Arts by Harold S. and Marjorie Z. Sharp
Call Number: PN1579 .S45
In 5 volumes and 3 parts, part one indexes characters in non-musical plays, part 2 indexes characters in operas and musical productions and part 3 indexes characters in ballets. Find the name of the character to see which work they appear in, what year it was written, produced, copyrighted or published and a terse description of who the character is. This covers ancient titles through the first half of the 20th century and a wide variety of languages. Note that entries for parts 2 and 3 are coded, and the second half of each part contains a listing of the symbols and further information about the work in question.
A Guide to Critical Reviews by James M. Salem
Call Number: Z5782 .S342
ISBN: 0810816903
In 5 volumes (4 parts and supplement), this is an index to reviews in major periodicals. Part one covers American Drama from 1910-1982; part two, musical theatre from 1909-1989; part three, foreign drama from1909-1977; part four, screenplays from 1927-1973; and a supplement to part four cover screenplays from 1963-1980. Each part is organized differently.
Play Index by Dorothy Herbert West, D.M. Peake & Estelle A. Fidell
Call Number: Z5781 .P53
This series indexes stage plays for both children and adults in collections, published singly and in collections. Also indexed here are radio and television plays. Plays are indexed by author, title and subject. Each volume is arranged in 3 sections: the index, a listing of collections, and a cast analysis (a listing by size or type of cast), although not always in that order.
The Crown Guide to the World's Great Plays by Joseph T. Shipley
Call Number: PN6112.5 .S45 1984
ISBN: 0517553929
Publication Date: 1984-12-01
Though this does not venture past the early 1980s, it does cover a great number of plays, from Ancient Greece through most of the 20th century. Play entries are arranged by author, with background and an assessment of each title. The contents are subjective but this is still a good overview of some prominent titles.

THEA 623: Theatre History I

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Can't Find It In Our Library?

Finding Playscripts

Helpful Resources