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

Contemporary Production History Assignment

For the Contemporary Production History component of the Dramaturgy Sequence Assignment you will need to research a production of the play you've selected that has been staged since 1970. You will need to look for

reviews and scholarship about the production
pictures, interviews with the artists
information about the design
information about organization
information about the venue

Here, you'll find suggested resources and search tips for finding Stage Histories, Reviews, and Media to help you get started on your research.

Production History Overview

Production history covers original and subsequent productions. Writers generally discuss:

Overall evaluation of the production
Theatrical innovations
Directing
Casting, acting
Staging
Substance or meaning of the play
Other details

Start with Primo

Find books and more when you search PRIMO.

Suggested PRIMO Search terms. Copy and paste into the PRIMO search box.

Medieval English Cycle Plays and Processional Staging

Theater -- England -- History -- Medieval, 500-1500
Mysteries and miracle-plays, English -- History and criticism
Christian drama, English (Middle) -- History and criticism
Bible plays, English -- History and criticism

Commedia dell'arte

Commedia dell'arte -- History and criticism
Theater -- Italy -- History -- 16th century

Court Masques

Masques -- History and criticism
Masques with music -- 17th century -- History and Criticism

General Histories

Theater Great Britain History 17th century
Theater -- England -- History -- 16th century
Theater History Medieval

Examples of Stage History Books

Breaking the Rules: The Wooster Group by David Savran
Call Number: PN2277.N52 W667 1988
ISBN: 9780930452827
Publication Date: 1993
Through interviews and descriptions of methodology, Breaking the Rules captures the essence of major works by the internationally acclaimed avant-garde company.

Sources for orginal productions and revivals

David Mamet by David K. Sauer; Janice A. Sauer
Call Number: PS3563.A4345 Z877 2003
ISBN: 9780313318368
Publication Date: 2003-09-30
Presenting a complete overview of all reviews and scholarshp on Mamet, the authors challenge assumptions about the playwright, such as the charge that he is an antifeminist writer.
Marlowe: Doctor Faustus by James N. Loehlin
Call Number: Print Books PR2664 .L57 2016
ISBN: 9781137426338
Publication Date: 2015-11-24
This introductory guide to one of Marlowe's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of screen adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama by McGraw-Hill Staff; Daniel Gerould (Preface by)
Call Number: PN1625 .M3 1984 Reference
ISBN: 0070791694
Publication Date: 1984-01-01
Peter Brook by Albert Hunt; Geoffrey Reeves; Christopher Innes (Contribution by)
Call Number: PN2598.B69 H86 1995
ISBN: 9780521296052
Publication Date: 1995
Peter Brook is regarded as one of the most important and influential directors today. In this fascinating study, Albert Hunt and Geoffrey Reeves chronicle Brook's development beginning with his earliest productions and concluding with some of his most recent and innovative work.
Staging O'Neill by Ronald H. Wainscott
Call Number: PS3529.N5 Z888 1988
ISBN: 9780300041521
Publication Date: 1988
Eugene O'Neill's most exciting experiments with stage direction and design took place in his plays produced between 1920 and 1934-from Beyond the Horizon to Days Without End. The impact of these experiments on the American theater was enormous, and in this book Ronald H. Wainscott critically examines the staging of these innovative works.
Theatre at Work: the story of the National Theatre's production of Brecht's Galileo by Jim Hiley
Call Number: PT2603.R397 L454
Publication Date: 1981

Mulitdisciplinary Databases

Use these databases to find articles from more than one academic discipline.

JSTOR
An interdisciplinary journal archive. It includes archives of over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work. Includes the Artstor image collections.
ProQuest Central
Covering more than 160 subject areas, ProQuest Central is a large aggregated database of periodical content. It features a diversified mix of content including scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, books, newspapers, reports and videos.

Subject Databases

These subject databases may be especially useful for your research project for this class.

MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
The key database for identifying scholarly books, essays, articles, and dissertations on modern literature in all languages. Also covers cultural studies, folklore, film studies, and linguistics.
Performing Arts Periodicals Database
Provides indexing, abstracts and some full-text, for international periodicals. Covers a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry - including dance, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, circus performance, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic, performance art, film, television and more.
Humanities Abstracts
Covers topics including art, classical studies, dance, film, journalism, philosophy, religion and much more. Content includes feature articles, interviews, obituaries and original works of fiction, drama, poetry and reviews.