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Theatre & Dance: Home

Department Research Guides identify and define standard information retrieval tools for a specific department. Each guide was created and is maintained by the library liaison for that department. We encourage you to recommend resources for the guides.

A Good Place To Start

Subject Headings

Here are some subject headings you can use to search the catalog for books or the online databases for journal articles about theatre. Also try proper names such as, New York Shakespeare Festival or Jason Alexander.

  • acting
  • actors
  • actresses
  • African Americans -- Drama
  • American drama
  • auditions
  • authors and the theater
  • black theater
  • comedy
  • commedia dell'arte
  • community theater
  • costume
  • costume design
  • drama
  • drama technique
  • dramatic criticism
  • dramatists
  • dramatists
  • English drama
  • experimental drama
  • experimental theater
  • feminism and theater
  • folk drama
  • gay theater
  • historical drama
  • improvisation
  • little theater movement
  • method acting
  • monologues
  • motion pictures and theater
  • movement (acting)
  • musical theater
  • musical theater
  • one-act plays
  • performing arts
  • playwriting
  • religion and drama
  • set designers
  • stage adaptations
  • stage directions
  • stage lighting
  • street theater   
  • summer theater
  • theater and society
  • theater audiences
  • theater casting
  • theater critics
  • theater history
  • theater management
  • theater production and direction
  • theater, open-air
  • theaters
  • theatrical makeup
  • tragedy
  • vaudeville
  • workers' theater

 

Call Numbers

Use the Library of Congress Classification Outline to browse your subject area. Here are some of the call number ranges for theatre:

  • GT 500 – 2370 Costume. Dress. Fashion
  • GV 1580 -1799.3 Dancing
  • NA 278.T5-6845 Fine Arts. Theaters. Architecture.
  • PN 1530 The monologue
  • PN 1551 The dialogue
  • PN 1560-1590 The performing arts. Show business
  • PN 1585-1589 Centers for the performing arts
  • PN 1600-3307 Drama
  • PN 1660-1693 Technique of dramatic composition
  • PN 1720-1861 History
  • PN 1865-1988 Special types
  • PN 1997-1997.85 Plays, scenarios, etc.
  • PN 2000-3307 Dramatic representation. The theater
  • PN 2061-2071 Art of acting
  • PN 2085-2091 The stage and accessories
  • PN 2131-2193 By period
  • PN 2131-2145 Ancient
  • PN 2152-2160 Medieval
  • PN 2171-2179 Renaissance
  • PN 2181-2193 Modern
  • PN 2219.3-3030 Special regions or countries
  • PN 3035 Jewish theater
  • PN 3151-3171 Amateur theater
  • PN 3175-3191 College and school theatricals
  • PN 3203-3299 Tableaux, pageants, "Happenings," etc.
  • PN 6110.5-6120 Drama collections
  • PQ 500-591 French Literature. Drama
  • PQ 1211-1241 French Literature. Drama collections.
  • PQ 4133-4160 Italian Literature. Drama
  • PQ 4227-4245 Italian Literature. Drama collections
  • PQ 6098.7-6129 Spanish Literature. Drama
  • PQ 6217-(6241) Spanish Literature. Drama collections.
  • PR 621-744 English Literature. Drama
  • PR 641-744 English Literature. Drama. By period
  • PR 1241-1273 Collections of English Literature. Drama
  • PS 330-353 American Literature. Drama
  • PS 623-(635) Collections of American Literature. Drama
  • PT 605-709 German Literature. Drama
  • PT 1251-1299 German Literature. Drama collections.
  • TK4399.T6, TK7881.9 Technology in the Theater.

Instructional Librarian