Best Bets for Starting Your Research in...
:: Theatre ::
Use databases to find articles on your topic. These databases are the best place to start.
- Humanities Full Text
Full text articles, page images, abstracts, and bibliographic citations for noted scholarly resources as well as specialized magazines in the humanities. Among the disciplines included are: art, dance, film, folklore, history, literary and social criticism, music, performing arts, philosophy, religion and theology.
Date coverage: 1984-present.
- Academic OneFile
With extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects, Academic OneFile is both authoritative and comprehensive.
Date coverage: 1980-present.
 Listen to a fun podcast "interview" with this database: iTunes RealPlayer
- New York Times - Historical
The New York Times - Historical offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.
Date coverage: 1851 - 4 years ago.
Tips: When searching databases, use AND, OR, and parentheses to focus your search.
The asterisk * symbol will search for all variations of a word. For example: basket* will search for baskets and basketry. Using quotes will search for a phrase.
Combine synonyms with OR and put them inside parentheses, like this:
"henrik ibsen" AND "a doll's house"
Here's another example:
"death of a salesman" AND (theme* OR motif*)
Already have the citation? Find an article with citation linker! Did you know...Databases are basically just search engines for articles on specific subjects. |
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Find books using the library catalog. Browse these subjects to get general information on your topic.
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Search the library catalog! Find books, media materials, and more. Other searches:
Browse | Advanced Search Tips: When searching the library catalog with keywords, use the dollar sign ($) to search for a word and all of its variations.
For example: theat$ will search for theater, theatre, theatrical, etc.
Did you know...- WorldCat is a catalog of thousands of libraries around the world!
- If a book isn't in the Fairfield U. catalog, search WorldCat and request the book from another library. Just click on the Interlibrary Loan button.
 - You can search ReQuest to search just the libraries in Connecticut.
- Contact John Cayer, Interlibrary Services, with questions.
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Reference tools such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are good places to start your research because they provide an overview of the topic as well as keywords, dates, and facts.
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Handbooks
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International Dictionary of Theatre
Ref. PN 2035 .I49 1992
Encyclopedic entries in three volumes focus on drama both as literature and as performance, but not on other performing arts such as opera, dance, mime, and such. Its scope is historical, from ancient Greece to that of the present day (1992), and international, covering plays of some 20 languages and playwrights, actors, directors, and designers of many nationalities. Criticisms and illustrations are included.
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The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance
Ref. PN 2035 .O94 2003
Entries broadly encompass theoretical, technical, and symbolic terms and concepts, from "absurd" to "word scenery" and from theatre to theory. Extended discussions are supported by useful examples, both classic and contemporary. This work maintains the typical listing of historical and literary terms, but replaces other dictionaries' technical and slang listings with specialized theoretical vocabulary.
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The Cambridge History of American Theatre
Ref. PN 2221 .C57 1998
These two volumes see theatre and performance broadly and with large cultural significance. What goes on a in a playhouse is central, but is expanded to include "paratheatrical" activities (rituals, parades, etc.); live entertainment (sport, cabaret, wild west shows); opera and dance; and the relationship of drama and theatre to film, radio, television, and new media. The encyclopedia also includes many basic explanatory entries on contemporary theatre and performance studies. The contributors are international, but more attention is paid to English-speaking regions.
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Backstage Handbook
Ref. PN 2091 .S8 C32 1988
This handy text full of pictures to identify specialty items, conversion tables, diagrams, strength tables, and more can often be found in shops and technicians' toolkits for quick reference.
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Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis
Ref. PN 2035 .P2913 1998
This anthology of essays attempts to correct in these volumes the "wisdom" that American theatre came into existence as a sudden grace, with Eugene O'Neill and his suitcase of plays. Includes all aspects of dramatic experience including paratheatrical forms, technical aspects, directing, playwriting, and how a play may reflect American social and political life. Each volume starts with a theatre timeline aligned with events in world history. Not intending to be encyclopedic, this work tells "the story of the birth and growth on the American continent of a form that ... in riverfront towns, in mining settlements, in growing cities, proved itself necessary to life."
Online Reference Tools
Grove Music Online
Comprehensive encyclopedia includes New Grove Dictionary of Opera.
Tips: Try looking at the bibliography at the end of the entry for a list of other sources such as relevant journal articles and books.
When you have found books on your topic, look at the books on the shelf nearby to see if they are related to your topic.
Did you know...
Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, so make sure you use another source to confirm the information you find there. |
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These web sites have been evaluated by librarians (that's a good thing) for your use in an academic setting.
Did you know...
There are billions of web pages and Google only finds a fraction of them (about 15%). The rest is held in what's called the "Invisible Web", which is made up of dynamically generated information, password protected sites, and databases-driven sites!
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Use these short e-learning modules to get quick answers!
Still have questions?
Contact a Reference Librarian
(203) 254-4000 ext. 2178
reference@mail.fairfield.edu
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FairfieldUlib@hotmail.com - MSN
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