ref PN 1625.M3 1984
Hochman, Stanley, ed. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama. 2d ed. 5 vols. New York: McGraw Hill, 1984.
Covering performance (theatre) as well as literature (drama), this multi-volume set is a standard, important reference for theatre students. Included are survey articles, mainly of countries (American Drama, Chinese Theater, Comedie-Francaise, etc.); however, the majority of articles are names of playwrights with the following information for each: biography, critical analysis of creative achievement, brief plot summaries of major plays, lists of other plays, and a bibliography of primary (collected editions and anthologies) and secondary materials. Entries for types of plays such as comedy of manners and existentialism are under the names of authors who developed or used the type; therefore, except when looking for the names of a playwright, it is essential to use the index or Play Titles List. The last volume also contains an excellent glossary of theatre terms and throughout the volumes are excellent black and white photographs from productions.
ref PN 2035.C27 1995
Banham, Martin. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995.
Covering world theatre, this volume includes entries for individual countries, names of theatre personnel, theatres, acting companies, genres of theatre such as feminist theatre and expressionism, and a wide range of other terms such as theatre design and boys companies. The entries are signed but there is no bibliography accompanying the entries. No entries for play titles are included.
ref PN 2035.C65 2002
The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre. London: Continuum, 2002.
This excellent companion to twentieth century theatre contains more than 2,500 terms dealing with all aspects of theatre: personnel, theatres, countries (and prominent cities), acting companies, types of theatre and theatre movements, and other related terms (though not names of plays). All articles are signed and most contain a brief bibliography. What is unique about the volume is that a few of the entries are accompanied by boxed entries written by practitioners, e.g. an actor who has played O'Neill roles (under O'Neill entry) as well as a director of a particular type of drama. (musical theatre) or aspect of performance (lighting).
ref PN 2035.O94 2003
Kennedy, Dennis, ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre & Performance. 2 vols. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003.
This two-volume work emphasizes theatre and performance internationally. Arranged alphabetically by the term discussed, the entries include biographies (about 45% of the text), concepts, theories, brief histories of theatre in some cities and in a few countries (mainly African and Asian), buildings, and material elements. A thematic table of contents precedes the entries, listing entries under one or more of these eight categories: Concepts and theories; Styles and movements; Other historical themes; Cities, regions, linguistic traditions; Organizations and institutions; Buildings and material elements; Media issues; and Biographies. Following the text of the entries are a timeline of events in theatre history, a selective bibliography of some of the most important books and journals relating to theatre history, and a list of dramatic titles mentioned in the entries. (No play is listed as an entry in the text.)
ref PN 2035.P313 1998
Pavis, Patrice. Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1998.
Terms in this dictionary are quite lengthy--more than a page in length in several instances--and cover theoretical concepts in both theatre and drama such as absurd, chronicle play, experimental theatre, mimesis, and performance analysis. No names of people, theatres, or plays are included.
ref PN 2035.W670
Rubin, Don. The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. 6 vols. London: Routledge, 1994-2000. Vol. 1, Europe; Vol. 2: Americas; Vol. 3, Africa; Vol. 4, Arab World; Vol. 5, Asia/Pacific; Vol. 6, Bibliography/Cumulative Index.
WECT is a unique encyclopedia. As is evident from the titles above, each volume covers a large geographic area of the world and the word "contemporary" means theatre since World War II ended (1945). Covering over 150 countries, the following twelve sections are included for each country: History; Structure of the National Theatre Community; Artistic Profile; Music Theatre; Dance Theatre; Theatre for Young Audiences; Puppet Theatre; Design; Theatre Space and Architecture; Training; Criticism, Scholarship, and Publishing; and Further Reading. For some countries two, or even three, of these topics are combined. In the last volume which contains a bibliography divided by topic (not only countries but topics such as Genre and style, Gender studies, Theatre anthropology, Acting and directing, Costume, Theatre Space, Musical Theatre, etc.) and a cumulative index for all six volumes, author Rubin refers to the encyclopedia as "a piece of cultural cartography-the first attempt to create a truly inter-cultural and non-colonial world map of theatrical activity."
ref PN 2220.B6 1992
Bordman, Gerald. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 3d ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2004.
Companion is a good title for this volume that provides paragraph-length information for a variety of terms relating to theatre: theatre personnel, names of plays, acting companies, theatres, and organizations. Although articles are unsigned and no bibliographies are provided, this volume provides a wealth of material on American Theatre.
ref PN 2220.C35 1993
Wilmeth, Don B. and Tice L. Miller. Cambridge Guide to American Theatre. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2007.
This volume begins with a brief survey covering American theatre from the beginning to the publication of the volume. Entries vary in length from short paragraphs to several pages, depending on the topic, and include theatre personnel, play titles, cities noted for theatre history, acting companies, theatres, and other terms such as "Native Americans portrayed on stage", and "feminist theatre", as well as names of publications important to the theatre. A few entries have a bibliography; in addition, a bibliography of books on American Theatre is included at the end. Included also is an index of persons mentioned in entries but for whom there is not a separate entry.
Book Stacks PN 1625.E54
Enciclopedia dello spettacolo. 9 vols. Roma: Casa Editrice le Maschere, 1954-1962.
Although the articles are written in Italian, this monumental work includes names of theatre personnel, plays, musicals, etc. and dates that can be helpful even if one cannot read the language. In addition, many wonderful photographs are included. Its coverage is from antiquity to mid-twentieth century of topics in theatre, opera, ballet, motion pictures, vaudeville, the circus and related areas. Particularly strong is the coverage of theatre personnel, as well as other topics such as acting companies and theatres. Articles are signed, provide list credits, and are accompanied by a bibliography.
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Page Author: Nancy Fogarty
Theatre Librarian
