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Theatre and Dance: Background/Overview Sources

Reference Sources

Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre
Short entries cover all aspects of theatre worldwide and throughout the ages. It contains entries on a vast range of theatrical styles, dramatists, performers, and directors, as well as information on theatres, festivals, and such technical topics as lighting, sound, and method acting.

Dictionary of Literary Biography This link opens in a new window
The database features comprehensive literary biographies of more than 143,000 past and present authors, historians, journalists, screenwriter, publishers, and playwrights. The biographies discuss the lives and careers of the literary figures profiled, along with the critical response to their works.

International Encyclopedia of Dance

Internet Broadway Database
The official database for Broadway theatre information. IBDB provides records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre until today.

Masterplots, 4th edition This link opens in a new window
The database furnishes fundamental reference data, plot synopses where applicable, and critical evaluations of a comprehensive selection of English-language and world literature that has been translated into English. The essays are in alphabetical order by title, and each includes an annotated bibliography to aid readers in further study.

Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance
Covers styles and movements, organizations, regions and traditions; it has a particularly strong focus on biographies of actors, playwrights, directors, and designers.

Oxford Dictionary of Dance

Oxford Dictionary of Plays
Provides essential information on the best-known, best-loved, and most important plays in world theatre. Each entry includes details of the title, author, date of writing, date of first performance, genre, setting, and composition of cast; there is also a summary of the play's plot, and a brief commentary.

Last Updated: Mar 9, 2023 2:28 PM
URL: https://libguides.niu.edu/TheatreandDance
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Subjects: Theater and Dance

Tags: dance, theater