Getting Started - THTR 371 | Theatre History I: From the Origins of Theatre to the 17th Century - Collins Memorial Library at University of Puget Sound

Choosing a Play

The dramaturgy sequence assignment asks you to focus on a play from the early modern period (roughly dated 1500 to 1700). (Plays from earlier eras covered in class may also be approved by the instructor.).

You'll find a list of suggested plays here:

THTR 371 : Suggested Plays

Activity : Exploring Plays

The following group activity will help you to explore a list of plays and choose one that you’ll use for your upcoming dramaturgical and historiographical inquiry. By the end of class, you should have a strong sense of which play interests you most, and why.

THTR 371 : Exploring Plays Activity
Before you begin, make a copy of this Google doc so that you can take notes on it!
THTR 371 : Collaborative Slide Deck
Add your group's notes to this collaborative slide deck

Plays : Background Information

Use the following sources to briefly explore any plays that are of interest to you:

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays by Michael Patterson
Call Number: Online access

ISBN: 9780198604174

Each entry includes details of title, author, date of composition, date of first performance, genre, setting, and the composition of the cast, a synopsis of the plot and a brief commentary.

Wikipedia
While you'd never cite Wikipedia in your final project, it can be useful for a quick play synopsis or set of dates to help you get started!

Literature Resource Center
Contains articles from academic journals and literary magazines as well as excerpts from scholarly monographs, literary correspondence and diaries.

Out of the Wings
Contains details of plays written in Spanish in different periods and countries, as well as information about their authors, sample translations into English, synopses, performance histories and many other tools for interpreting the featured drama. Use the Play Index or Author Index for best results.