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Modern Drama — Selected Sources

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Encyclopedias and other General Reference Resources

Masterplots II Drama Series Magill, Frank Northen(Also available Online in MagillOnLiterature at the EJ Pratt Library only) Pratt logo Covers plays from around the world. Articles arranged alphabetically by play title include a plot summary, character list, critical material. 148 playwrights from around the world are represented.
PN6112.5 .M37 2004 Reference (4 vols.) Rev. ed
A Handbook to Literature Harmon, William.
PN41 .H6 2003 Reference
Notable Playwrights Rollyson, Carl E., ed. 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 Rollyson, Carl E., ed. 2nd rev. ed. Comprehensive resource for dramatic biographical reference and analysis.
PN1625 .C68 2003 (8 vols.) Reference
The Oxford Dictionary of Plays Patterson, Michael. Plays are arranged in A—Z order. a list of plays organized by country of origin and period; an index of playwrights; and an index of characters.
PN1625 .P378 2005 Reference
The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama Cody Gabrielle H. and Evert Sprinchorn eds. Places playwrights and plays within their social, cultural, and historical contexts. Covers the development of modern theater in Western Europe and Eastern Europe; in Russia, China, Japan, India, and all of Southeast Asia; in Australia and New Zealand; in the United States and Canada; in Latin America, Africa; and in the Yiddish language.
PN1661 .C65 2007
Western Drama through the Ages: A Student Reference Guide King, Kimball, Ed.
N1721 .W47 2007 vol. 1—2
The Ivan R Dee Guide to Plays and Playwrights Griffiths, Trevor R. Covers plays and playwrights from ancient times to the present, with biographical information and cross— references to other plays or authors who have covered comparable subjects.
PN2035 .G73 2003 Reference
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre & Performance Ed. Dennis Kennedy International reference source that includes entries on theatre, opera, film radio, dance, circuses rituals and more.
PN2035 .O94 2003 Reference (2 vols.)
Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis Pavis, Patrice.
PN2035 .P2913 1998 Reference
History of the Theatre Brockett, Oscar G.
PN2101 .B68 2008 10th Ed. Stacks
Living Theatre: History of the Theatre Wilson, Edwin and Alvin Goldfarb, Eds.
PN2101 .W54 2008
Dictionnaire des Pièces de Théâtre Françaises du XXe Siècle Guérin, Jeanyves.
PN2635 .D53 2005 Reference

Bibliographies and Print Indexes to World Drama

McGraw—Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama 2nd ed. Ed. Stanley Hochman. New York: McGraw—Hill.
PN 1625 .M3 1984 Vols. 1—5 Reference
Dramatic Criticism Index: A Bibliography of Commentaries on Playwrights from Ibsen to the Avant—garde Eds. by Paul F. Breed and Florence M. Sniderman. This source indexes playwrights whose work was performed in the 20th century.
Z5781 .B8 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 1991 Reference
Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism 1966—1980: An International Bibliography Carpenter, Charles A.
Z5781 .C37 1986 Reference
Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism 1981—1990: An International Bibliography Carpenter, Charles A.
Z5781 .C372 1997 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
Play Index West, Dorothy Herbert. Pratt has: 1949—52 — 1993—97; 1998—2002
Z5781 .P53 Reference

See also:

British and Irish Drama

Strategies of Political Theatre: Post—war British Playwrights Patterson, Michael. Analyses a group of  twentieth century British playwrights and their strategies for persuading audiences of the need for radical restructuring of society.
PR739 .P64 P38 2003 Stacks
British and Irish Dramatists since World War II Second series Bull, John. (John Stanley).
PR736 .B68 2001 Reference
The Cambridge Companion to Modern British Women Playwrights Aston, Elaine. Women playwrights in Britain throughout the twentieth century including the historical and theatrical contexts in which they wrote.
PR739 .F45 C36 2000 Stacks
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
A Concise Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Drama Holdsworth, Nadine and Mary Lckhurst, Ed. “Investigates key issues in British and Irish theatre since 1979. Covering topics from globalisation, genocide and terrorism to the use of new technologies, and physical and verbatim theatre practices, this volume illustrates the extraordinary diversity of contemporary drama and performance.” from Blackwell Publishing.
PR736.C576 2008 Stacks
Modern British Drama, 1890—1990 Innes, C. D. Evolution of modernism from the end of the 19th century to the present. Discusses all major dramatists and 200+ plays with their social and political contexts; comprehensive chronology.
PR736 .I5 1991 Stacks
The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth—century Irish Drama Richards, Shaun. Individual playwrights, from late 19th century melodramas to contemporary Dublin theatre festivals.
PR8789 .C28 2004 Stacks
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
Contemporary Irish drama: from Beckett to McGuinness Roche, Anthony. Survey of English—language Irish drama from the 50s to the early 90s.
PR8789 .R62 1995 Stacks

American Drama

A Companion toTwentieth—century American Drama Krasner, David. Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Eugene O’Neill, and previously lesser—known playwrights.
PS350 .C655 2005 Stacks
The Family in Twentieth—century American Drama Wakefield, Thaddeus. Studies the portrayal of the family in 20th century American drama, specifically its consumerism within the capitalistic culture of consumption.
PS338 .F35 W35 2003 Stacks
Twentieth—century American Dramatists MacNicholas, John, 1943—
PS351 .T9 v.1 1, v.2 Book Reference
Twentieth—century American Dramatists. Second series. Wheatley, Christopher J.
PS350 .T94 2000 Reference
Modern American Drama, 1945—2000 Bigsby, C. W. E. Surveys of major playwrights including Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, David Mamet, and Sam Shepard, and explores recent works by established dramatists.
PS350 .B54 2000 Stacks
Contemporary American Playwrights Bigsby, C. W. E. Dramatists: John Guare, Tina Howe, Tony Kushner, Emily Mann, Richard Nelson, Marsha Norman, David Rabe, Paula Vogel, Wendy Wasserstein, and Lanford Wilson.
PS352 .B54 1999 Stacks
Staging Masculinity: Male Identity in Contemporary American Drama McDonough, Carla J. Studies of four contemporary playwrights —— Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, Eugene O’Neill, David Mamet, and August Wilson —— especially issues of manhood from a post—modern perspective.
PS338 .M46 M33 1997 Stacks
“A Kind of Alaska”: Women in the Plays of O’Neill, Pinter, and Shepard Hall, Ann C. Covers the treatment of character by the three dramatists.
PS338 .W6 H34 1993 Stacks
American Realism and American Drama, 1880—1940 Murphy, Brenda. Native American realism is traced through a study of the evolution of dramatic theory from the early 1890s.
PS 338 .R42M87 1987 Stacks

Canadian Drama

Directory of Canadian Plays & Playwrights Playwrights Guild of Canada.
PR9196.35 D57 2003/05 Reference
Canadian Plays Catalogue, 1997—1998 Catalogue of Canadian plays, 1997—1998, and, Who’s who in the Playwrights Union of Canada, 1997—1999
Z1377 .D7 C36 1997 Reference
Theatre and Autobiography: Writing and Performing Lives in Theory and Practice Grace, Sherrill E. Examines works by female Canadian playwrights, including Linda Griffiths, Sharon Pollock,Wendy Lill, Michel Tremblay, Betty Lambert and others.
PN2039 .T537 2006 Stacks
The Buried Astrolabe: Canadian Dramatic Imagination and Western Tradition Walker, Craig Stewart. Introduction to contemporary Canadian dramatists (James Reaney, Michael Cook, Sharon Pollock, Michel Tremblay, George F. Walker, Judith Thompson).
PR9191.5 .W34 2001
The Theatre of Form and the Production of Meaning: Contemporary Canadian Dramaturgies Knowles, Richard.
PR9191.5 .K56 1999 Stacks
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

Spanish and Latin American Drama

Index to Twentieth—century Spanish Plays in Collections, Anthologies, and Periodicals Harvell, Tony A. Author, source, and title indexes contain lists of plays by Galician, Catalan, and Basque writers, as well as those writing in Castilian Spanish.
Z2694 .D7 H17 2000 Reference
Modern Spanish Dramatists: A Bio—bibliographical Sourcebook Parker, Mary. Entries for 33 Spanish dramatists, from the eighteenth century to the present.
PQ6051 .M53 2002 Reference
Latin American Dramatists since 1945: A Bio—bibliographical Guide Harvell, Tony A. Over 700 dramatists in 20 countries who have written most of their work since 1950, arranged by country.
PQ7082 .D7 H37 2003 Reference
Encyclopedia of Latin American Theater Cortés, Eladio, ed. Covers the pre—Columbian period to the present.
PQ7082 .D7 E63 2003 Reference

German Drama

Drama Contemporary: Germany Weber, Carl. German drama in the years immediately preceding and just after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.PT666 .T87 1992 Reference
PT1258 .D68 1996 Reference
Twentieth—century German Dramatists, 1919—1992 Elfe, Wolfgang. Bertolt Brecht, Hermann Broch, Elias Canetti, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Rolf Hochhuth, Franz Werfel, Peter Handke, Oskar Kokoschka, Robert Musil, Ernst Toller, Peter Weiss, Gunter Grass, Max Frisch, etc.
PT666 .T86 1992 Reference

Selected Playwrights

Edward Albee (U.S.)

The Cambridge Companion to Edward Albee Bottoms, Stephen J. Essays on Albee including The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2002) and an interview with Mr. Albee.
PS3501 .L178 Z586 2005
Edward Albee: A Casebook (Also available online) Mann, Bruce J. Analysis of Albee’s plays, including All Over, The Lady from Dubuque, and Malcolm, as well as his more well known works; a retrospective of his career; and an interview with Albee from 1999.
PS3501 .L178 Z655 2003
Edward Albee: A Singular Journey: A Biography Gussow, Mel. Biography of the three—time Pulitzer Prize—winning playwright (Seascape, A Delicate Balance, The Zoo Story), who, in the 1960s went on to write Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
PS3501 .L178 Z684 1999

Samuel Beckett (Irish)

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot: A Reference Guide Hutchings, William. Descriptions of the texts and various editions available. Discussion of the play’s intellectual content, its meaning, its dramatic art and a history of its performance.
PQ2603 .E378 E648 2005
The Grove Companion to Samuel Beckett: A Reader’s Guide to his Works, Life, and Thought Ackerley, Chris. A comprehensive guide to the concepts, characters, and biographical details mentioned by, or related to Samuel Beckett.
PR6003 .E282 Z5625 2004
No Author Better Served: TheCorrespondence of Samuel Beckett & Alan Schneider Beckett, Samuel. Describes the thirty—year working relationship between the playwright and his principal director in the United States.
PR6003 .E282 Z495 1998

Bertolt Brecht (German)

Bertolt Brecht’s Dramatic Theory White, John. Brecht’s contribution to the theory of acting and audience response is examined, and each theoretical essay and concept is placed in the context of the aesthetic debates of the time, subjected to a critical assessment, and considered in light of subsequent scholarly thinking.
PT2603 .R397 Z8996 2004
Brecht and Company: Sex,Politics, and theMaking of the Modern Drama Fuegi, John. This first full biography of the Brecht circle confirms Brecht’s rank as a world—class theatre director, but reveals that he regularly cheated his closest co—workers and lovers, publishing their literary works under his own name.
PT2603 .R397 Z61928 1994

David Mamet (U.S.)

The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet Bigsby, C. W. E. Essays include decade—by decade assessments of Mamet’s work in the 1970s through the 1990s, reviews of American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross and Oleanna, and descriptions of Mamet’s impact on actors, directors, and film.
PS3563 .A4345 Z59 2004
David Mamet: A Research and Production Sourcebook Sauer, David K. This reference guide examines Mamet’s life and career, a chronology, a primary bibliography, and interviews This is followed by a collection of summaries, reviews, and scholarly criticisms of each play.
PS3563 .A4345 Z877 2003

Arthur Miller (U.S.)

Arthur Miller: A Critical Study Bigsby, C. W. E. Discusses all of Arthur Miller’s output, including plays, poetry, fiction and films. Analyzes the influence of events of the 20th and 21st centuries on Miller’s works.
PS3525 .I5156 Z5445 2005
Arthur Miller: His Life and Work Gottfried, Martin. Gottfried analyzes all Miller’s plays, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and All My Sons, to rebut adverse comments made about them.
PS3525 .I5156 Z657 2003
Echoes Down the Corridor: Collected Essays, 1944—2000 Miller, Arthur. More than forty previously uncollected articles and essays.
PS3525 .I5156 A6 2000

Eugene O’Neill (U.S.)

Eugene O’Neill: Beyond Mourning and Tragedy Black, Stephen A. Eugene O’Neill’s life, from a troubled childhood and adolescence until he came out of his obsession with grief and loss that had permeated his life and his writings.
PS3529 .N5 Z5676 1999
The Cambridge Companion to Eugene O’Neill Manheim, Michael. Studies O’Neill’s life and how he related to the theatrical world of his creative period, 1916—1942 Includes descriptions of the O’Neill canon and its production history on stage and screen.
PS3529 .N5 Z575 1998

Harold Pinter (British)

Pinter in the Theatre Smith, Ian. Interviews and conversations with fellow dramatists, nine actors and directors who have worked with Pinter in the theatre.
PR6066 .I53 Z74 2005
he Cambridge Companion to Harold Pinter Raby, Peter. Deals with the full scope of Pinter’s work. Includes photographs from key productions.
PR6066 .I53 Z6255 2001
The Life and Work of Harold Pinter Billington, Michael. Biography examining Pinter’s work, including The Caretaker and The Homecoming, in the context of his life. Conversations with Pinter and interviews with his friends and colleagues were used for this book.
PR6066 .I53 Z623 1996

Tom Stoppard (British)

The Cambridge Companion to Tom Stoppard Kelly, Katherine E. Essays address all of Stoppard’s major work, including the recent plays, Arcadia and Invention of Love. Photographs from key productions, a biography and a chronology.
PR6069 .T6 Z615 2001
Stoppard’s Theatre: Finding Order amid Chaos Fleming, John. Arcadia, Indian Ink, and The Invention of Love are studied in this book; the revised versions of Travesties and Hapgood, as well as at four other major plays (Rosencrantz, Jumpers, Night and Day, and The Real Thing)
PR6069 .T6 Z648 2001

Judith Thompson (Canadian)

The masks of Judith Thompson Knowles, Richard Paul.
PR9199.3 .T588 Z76 2006

Tennessee Williams (U.S.)

The Tennessee Williams Encyclopedia Kolin, Philip C. Examination of Williams’ life and caree,. as well as critical commentary on Williams’s plots, sources, symbols, characters, sets, and ideas. A detailed chronology lists Williams’s accomplishments.
PS3545 .I5365 Z459 2004 Reference
The Cambridge Companion to Tennessee Williams Roudané, Matthew Charles. Essays on Williams’ works from his apprenticeship years to his major plays (The Glass Menagerie, Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) through to his last play before his death in 1983.
PS3545 .I5365 Z614 1997
Critical Essays on Tennessee Williams Martin, Robert A. 36 reviews and articles. Essays on the revision of Camino Real; psychological aspects of The Glass Menagerie and The Two Character Play; the use of monologues and mirrors in Sweet Bird of Youth, etc.
S3545 .I5365 Z615 1997

August Wilson (U.S.)

Lillian Hellman and August Wilson: Dramatizing a New American Identity Booker, Margaret. Examines the work of playwrights Lillian Hellman and August Wilson, both of whom “rewrite history to reflect their political activism while espousing a shared value system that demands recognition of women and African Americans as valuable citizens of American society.”
PS3515 .E343 Z58 2003
August Wilson: A Casebook Elkins, Marilyn Roberson, ed. Wilson, the only African American playwright to win the Pulitzer Prize twice. This work describes his use of the South and the black human body as metaphors; his collaboration with director Lloyd Richards; the influence of the blues, Baraka, Bearden, Borges, and Fugard on his work; his creativity; and his treatment of African American family life.
PS3573 .I45677 Z56 1994

Online Resources

Records of Early English Drama (REED)UofT logo MLA International Bibliography (Modern Language Association) UofT logo
Available Online
ABELL (Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature)UofT logo
Available Online
JSTORUofT logo An online, full—text archive of complete backfiles of scholarly periodical literature since 1872. Journals are intended to be archival, not current; most are 2—5 years behind the current issues, depending on the journal. Full Text.
Available Online
Poole’s Plus (part of 19th century Masterfile) UofT logo The electronic version of a standard reference index to the published books, periodicals, newspapers and government documents of the 19th century, covering 3.7 million records.
Available Online
North American Theatre OnlineUofT logo This is a comprehensive reference work covering all aspects of the Canadian and American Theatre.
Available Online
North American Women’s DramaUofT logo Contains 1,122 plays by 170 playwrights, along with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more.
Available Online
Twentieth Century North American DramaUofT logo Contains 1,122 plays by 170 playwrights, along with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more.
Available Online

compiled by: Gabbi Zaldin | updated: April 2008