Search the names of authors, directors, and designers to find their websites.
Theatre websites provide information about a company or venue. Look for links to "about," "history," or "history and background."
International Dictionary of Theatre by Use Primo to find resources about the author at Collins Library and beyond.
Use Primo to find information about theatre companies, authors, directors, or designers. For example:
If you can't find anything about a specific company, try broader terms.
Search the author or designer's name for biographies, autobiographies, collected letters, and general studies.
In addition to the director or designer's name, try these broader terms in Primo.
Once you've identified the play's designer, search for his or her portfolio
Search the company or venue's website for production photos. They may be included in reviews, articles, and theatre websites.
With common play titles, refine your search by adding a name (director, author, or actor) or the phrase "theatrical production."
Ex. Venus AND "theatrical production"
Ex. "Waiting for Godot" AND "Robin Williams"
For the best results, use the database's limiters, typically found in the left column, to modify your search by date, article, or review.
Start with these databases to find articles about an author, play, or company.
Reviews are examples of primary sources in theatre research. They may be found in blogs, newspapers, magazines, and other current sources. Sometimes, reviews are compiled and published in books.
Reviews provide information about the reception of a play. The length of a review varies but may include the following:
Search Tips: When searching newspaper reviews of a particular production, include the author, director, theatre, or production dates to refine your results.
You may also be able to limit your search to reviews if this option is available.
To find reviews of older productions, try these databases.
