LibGuides: English Language and Literature: Theatre

Online Playscripts

Play Database.com
A database of over 12,000 plays, searchable by author, title, genre, characters and more.
Internet Movie Script Database
The biggest collection of movie scripts available anywhere on the web. The site lets you read or download movie scripts for free.

Playwriting 101
This playwriting tutorial was written by playwright and screenwriter Jonathan Dorf, whose plays have been produced in more than 45 states and on five continents.
Gilbert and Sullivan Archive
Devoted to the operas and other works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan and some pages relating to other light operas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In general terms, Reviews usually refer to analysis of live performances and Criticism refers to critique or analysis of the text of a play.

Playbill
This resource is one of the largest and most popular theatre pages on the Web, reaching a wide audience (amateur, student, and professional) with its listings of theatre-related sites. With a focus on current and future theater happenings in New York City and the United States, Playbill gives readers a sense of the contemporary theater community.
Southeastern Theatre Conference
The largest and most active regional theatre organization in the United States. SETC offers extensive resources and year round opportunities for their constituents.

A Young Actor's Scene Book : a training tool by Barbara Marchant
Call Number: 808.82 Y68
Publication Date: 2000
Outstanding Stage Monologs and Scenes from the '90s : professional auditions for student actors by Steven H. Gale (Editor); Theodore O. Zapel (Editor)
Call Number: 808.82 O94
Publication Date: 2000

History of the Theatre by Oscar G. Brockett; Franklin J. Hildy
Call Number: 792 B864H
Publication Date: 2007
African American Performance and Theater History : a critical reader by Harry J. Elam (Editor); David Krasner (Editor)
Call Number: 792.089 A258
Publication Date: 2001
Making the Scene : a history of stage design and technology in Europe and the United States by Oscar G. Brockett; Margaret A. Mitchell; Linda Hardberger
Call Number: 792.025 B864M
Publication Date: 2010

"No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance" : a history of the American musical theater by Sheldon Patinkin
Call Number: 782.14 P298N
Publication Date: 2008

Costumes for the Stage by Sheila Jackson
Call Number: 792.026 J14C
Publication Date: 2001
Making Stage Costumes : a practical guide by Tina Bicât
Call Number: 792.026 B583M
Publication Date: 2001
Stage and Screen Makeup : a practical reference for actors, models, makeup artists, photographers, stage managers & directors by Kit Hall; Kit Spencer
Call Number: 792.027 S745S
Publication Date: 2009

Light Fantastic : the art and design of stage lighting by Max A. Keller
Call Number: 792.025 K29L
Publication Date: 1999

Stage Lighting for Students
Includes links to the history of lighting and other websites, as well as a thorough look at lighting design, CADD, and lighting technology.
TheatreCrafts.com

DesigningSound.org
A resource dedicated to the art and technique of sound design, with the aim of sharing information and knowledge for free.
TheatreCrafts.com

Illustrated Theatre Production Guide by John Holloway
Call Number: 792.02 H745i
Publication Date: 2010
This book examines theatres and their equipment, tools and materials, and scenery construction, as well as the principles of electricity and implementation of a lighting design.

The following sites and books will describe various acting techniques and vocal dialects.

A Beginner's Guide to Acting.com
International Dialects of English Archive - An online archive of primary-source recordings of English dialects and accents as heard around the world.

Telling Stories : a grand unifying theory of acting techniques by Mark Rafael
Call Number: 792 R136T
Publication Date: 2008
Stella : the art of acting by Howard Kissel; Marlon Brando (Preface by); Stella Adler
Call Number: 792 A237S
Publication Date: 2000
A Method to Their Madness : the history of the Actors Studio by Foster Hirsch
Call Number: 792.082 H669M
Publication Date: 2001

19th Century Actors and Theater Photographs
Over 600 photographs of entertainers, actors, and actresses who performed on the American stage in the mid- to late 1800s.
Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume Design
Original materials on the theatre comprising over 5000 items from more than 150 productions in England and the United States. These materials include costume and set designs, sketches, notes, photographs, prop lists, storyboards, and swatches of fabric. You can browse items indexed in this collection by theatre or by play title.
The Costume Gallery
15 areas of The Costume Gallery Websites include over 40,000 web pages, 85,000 images, and two databases.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Check out the "Stage Costume" section which includes an archive of images from the V&A's theatre and costume collection.