This guide collects reference and historical sources to support students conducting research in theatre! We have collected resources and recommendations to help you find background information to enrich your research.
Use the tabs to the left to navigate the guide and explore the resources available.
As you are working on your research, remember that MPAL is not the only library with theatre materials - depending on the topic you're researching, you may also want to check out the collections in the Main Stacks, Literatures & Languages Library, and the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Be sure to double check the location listed in the library catalog for the resource you're looking for to make sure you go to the right place, and remember that you can usually request to have books sent to other campus libraries if you'd like to have books brought to MPAL for pickup.
This guide primarily collects background resources. If you need help finding academic articles, playscripts, performance reviews, or dissertations check out one of our other guides linked below.
For a full list of theatre guides from libraries across campus, check out the list of theatre subject guides. We have theatre guides on a wide range of subjects, everything from Shakespeare studies, to stage lighting, to accent & dialect resources for actors!
At MPAL, our collection includes books with call numbers from both Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Classification systems. We've provided a list below of call number ranges for theatre to help you browse the shelves. If you want to read more about call numbers and how to decipher them, check out our guide to Classification Systems.
Playscripts are located on the first floor of MPAL across from the computer area. They are organized alphabetically by playwright's last name and then by title.
Each item in the library catalog is assigned one or more subject headings to tell you what the item is about. You can search by subject heading using the catalog's Advanced Search feature.
To search by subject in the catalog:
Here are some theatre subject headings you can try as you search for materials in the catalog:
