Modern Drama - Selected Sources

Encyclopedias and Other General Reference Resources

Masterplots II (4 vols.)

Rev. ed. Magill, Frank Northen

Drama Series. Also available Online in MagillOnLiterature available online in E-Resources. Includes plays from around the world. Articles include a plot summary, character list, critical materials.

PN6112.5 .M37 2004

Reference

A Handbook to Literature

12th ed. Harmon, William

PN41 .H6 2012

(Vic Stacks)

Notable Playwrights

Ed. Carl E. Rollyson

Biographical sketches and critical studies of 106 of the most important playwrights from Classical times to the present.

PN1625 .N68 2005

Reference

Critical Survey of Drama

Ed. Carl E. Rollyson

Comprehensive resource for dramatic biographical reference and analysis.

PN1625 .C68 2018 (8 vols.) 3rd Ed.

Reference

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama: an International Reference Work in 5 volumes

Hochman, Stanley

PN1625 .M3 1984

Reference

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays

Patterson, Michael

Plays are arranged in A-Z order and also organized by country of origin and period; an index of playwrights and of characters.

PN1625 .P378 2005

Reference

How Plays Work

Edgar, David

Guide book to elements and varieties of dramatic form (action, character, genre, time and place, scenes, devices, etc.)

PN1661 .E34 2009

Stacks

Historical Dictionary of Postmodernist Literature and Theater

Mason, Fran

PN771 .M36 2007

Reference

Western Drama through the Ages: A Student Reference Guide

King, Kimball, Ed

PN1721 .W47 2007

Reference

The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama

Eds. Gabrielle H. Cody and Evert Sprinchorn

Playwrights and plays within their social, cultural, and historical contexts. Covers development of modern theatre in Europe, Russia, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Latin America, Africa & in the Yiddish language.

PN1861 .C65 2007

Reference

Modern Drama: Defining the Field

Ric Knowles, Joanne Tompkins, and W.B

PN1861 . M634 2003

Stacks

The Continuum Companion to twentieth Century Theatre

Colin Chambers, Ed.

PN2035 .C65 2002

Reference

The Ivan R. Dee Guide to Plays and Playwrights

Griffiths, Trevor R.

Plays and playwrights from ancient times to the present: cross-references to other plays/authors covering comparable subjects.

PN2035 .G73 2003

Reference

The New Penguin Dictionary of the Theatre

Chapman, Deborah

PN2035 .N49 2001

Reference

Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis

Pavis, Patrice

PN2035 .P2913 1998

Reference

Living Theatre: History of the Theatre

Wilson, Edwin and Alvin Goldfarb, Eds

PN2101 .W54 2008

Reference

The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Theatre

Richard Dutton

PN2589 .O84 2009

Stacks

History of the Theatre

Oscar G. Brockett and Franklin J. Hildy, Eds.

PN2101 .B68 2008 10th ed.

Stacks

The Bedford Introduction to Drama

Jacobus, Lee A

PN6112 .B36 2013

Stacks

A dictionary of stage directions in English drama 1580-1642

Alan C. Dessen and Leslie Thomson

PR658 .Sd50 D47 1999

(Vic Ref)

A cultural history of the theatre

Balme, Christopher B. and Tracy C. Davis, general editors

A Cultural History of Theatre' presents an authoritative survey from ancient times to the present. The set of six volumes covers a span of 2,500 years, tracing the complexity of the interactions between theatre and culture.

PN2100 .C85 2017 6 vols.

(Vic Stacks)

Bibliographies and Print Indexes to World Drama

Dramatic Criticism Index: A Bibliography of Commentaries on Playwrights from Ibsen to the Avant-garde

Eds. Paul F. Breed, Florence M. Sniderman

Z5781 .B8

Reference

Play Index

West, Dorothy Herbert

Z5781 .P53

Reference

Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism 1981-1990: An International Bibliography

Carpenter, Charles A

International criticism on modern and contemporary playwrights. Books and articles arranged by geographic area. Includes criticism and interviews.

Z5781 .C372 1997

Reference

Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism 1966-1980: An International Bibliography

Carpenter, Charles A

Z5781 .C37 1986

Reference

Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections: An Author and Title Index to Plays Appearing in Collections Published between 1900 and 1985

Ottemiller, John H

Z5781 .O8 1988

Reference

British and Irish Drama

Cambridge Companion to British Theatre

1730-1830

PN2593 .C37 2007

Stacks

Theatre in the Victorian Age

Booth, Michael R

PN/2594/B58/1991

Stacks

The Cambridge Introduction to Modern British Theatre

Shepherd, Simon

PN2595 .S44 2009

Stacks

The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature

David Scott Kastan, editor in chief

PR19 .O95 2006

British and Irish Dramatists since World War II

Bull, John (John Stanley)

PR736 .B68 2001

Reference

British Playwrights, 1956-1995: A Research and Production Sourcebook

Demastes, William W

Selected British playwrights active from 1956 to 1995, with biographical, theatrical, critical, and bibliographical information.

PR736 .B75 1996

Reference

Irish Playwrights, 1880-1995: A Research and Production Sourcebook

Schrank, Bernice

details for 32 Irish playwrights active from 1880 to 1995.

PR8789 .I67 1997

Reference

British and Irish drama since 1960

Acheson, James

PR737 .B675 1993

(Vic Stacks)

American Drama

Cambridge Guide to American Theatre

Don B. Wilmeth, Ed.

The most up-to-date guide to American theatre. Broad coverage on a national scale.

PN2220 .C35 2007 2nd Ed.

Reference

Historical Dictionary of American Theater: Modernism James Fisher and Felicia Hardison Londré, Eds.

Focus is on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Discussion of plays, termonology and individuals associated wirh the theatre.

PN2266.3 .F57 2008

Reference

The Oxford Handbook of American Drama

Jeffrey H. Richards and Heather S. Nathans, Eds.

Interpretive essays on American Drama, organized historically and by genre.

PS332 .O94 20i4

Stacks

Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary American Playwrights

Martin Middeke, Peter Paul Schnierer, et al

PS350 .M38 2013

Reference

Twentieth-century American Dramatists

Ed. John MacNicholas

PS351 .T9

Reference

Twentieth-century American Dramatists. Second Series

Wheatley, Christopher J

PS350 .T94 2000

Reference

Modern American Drama, 1945-2000

Bigsby, C. W. E

Studies major playwrights: Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, David Mamet, and Sam Shepard, and more.

PS350 .B54 2000

Stacks

African-American Performance and Theater History: a Critical Reader.

Elam, Harry Justin and David Krasner.

Available Online

Visions of tragedy in modern American drama : from O'Neill to the twenty-first century

David Palmer

PS336 .T7 V57 2018

(Vic Stacks)

Canadian Drama

Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre.

Information on plays, playwrights and theatre practitioners.

PN2301 .O93 1989

Reference

400 Ans de Théâtre au Québec

Desjardins, Nancy

PQ3911 .Q37 2008

Stacks

Directory of Canadian Plays & Playwrights.

Playwrights Guild of Canada

PR9196.35 D57 2003/05

Reference

Canada on Stage: Scenes and Monologues --a Survey of Canadian Theatre

Turnbull, Keith

PR9196.6 C34 2006

Stacks

Modern Canadian Plays

Wasserman, Jerry

PR9196.6 M63 2000 2 vols.

Stacks

Indigenous North American drama : a multivocal history / Birgit Däwes, Ed.

PS153 .I52 I56 2013

Stacks

Canadian Plays Catalogue, 1997-1998

Spine Title: Catalogue of Canadian plays, 1997-1998, and, Who's who in the Playwrights Union of Canada, 1997-1999.

Z1377 .D7 C36 1997

Reference

Bibliography of Theatre History in Canada : The Beginnings through 1984 = Bibliographie d'histoire du théâtre au Canada: des débuts - fin 1984

Ball, John L

Z1377 .D7 B352 1993

Reference

Theatre History in Canada

Online journal 1980 to the present

Available Online

Canadian drama and the critics

Conolly, L. W. (Leonard W.)

PR9191.5 .C35 1995

(Vic Stacks)

French Drama

Le Théâtre Français de l'âge Classique

Mazouer, Charles

PN2632 .M39 2006 V.1

Reference

Dictionnaire des Pièces de Théâtre Françaises du XXe Siècle.

PN2635 .D53 2005

Reference

Historical Dictionary of French Theatre

Forman, Edward

PN2637 .F67 2010

Reference

Asian Drama

Encyclopedia of Asian Theatre (2 volumes)

Samuel L. Leiter, Ed.

PN2860 .E53 2007

Reference

Italian Drama

A History of Italian Theatre

Joseph Farrell and Paolo Puppa, Eds.

PN2671 .H57 2006

Reference

Online Resources (UofT)

Drama Criticism

Major plays and playwrights Criticism taken from book, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. 90-95% of critical essays are full text.

MLA International Bibliography

academic journals, magazines, newspapers, dissertations, books

Poole’s Plus (part of 19th century Masterfile)

Full-text archive of scholarly periodical literature 1872+

JSTOR

Index to the published books, periodicals, newspapers and government documents of the 19th century

Dramatic Discourse: Dialogue as Interaction

Herman Vimala

Records of Early English Drama (REED)

International Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA)

210+ popular and scholarly journals and other resources in the fields of dance, drama, film, theater, opera, puppetry, circus, etc.

Abell (Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature, 1920-)

Twentieth Century North American Drama

1,122 plays by 170 playwrights, with information on related productions, theatres, production companies, etc

North American Theatre Online

Covers all aspects of Canadian and American theatre.

Asian American Drama

250+ plays, along with related biographical, production, and theatrical information .

Living Theatre

2017

Printed in July 06, 2025