Plays
A play is a piece of writing that tells a story through the actions and words of characters and that is performed on a stage. Plays can be published on their own, but sometimes they are included in anthologies, compilations, etc. For this reason, locating plays can be tricky. Use the resources below to learn play access tips as well as literary criticism using print and electronic resources.
Drama Collection
VPL has a large selection of individual plays and collected works by both established and emerging playwrights. This collection, located on Level 6 of the Central Library, is broken into two sections: Drama Pamphlets and Play Sets.
Drama Pamphlets
This section consists of individual playscripts in small format paperbacks. It is organized by play category and, within each category, by playwright. Categories include: Comedies, Dramas, Melodramas, Musicals, Mysteries, Pantomimes, Christmas Plays, Easter Plays, Religious Plays, High School Plays, Dramas in French, and others. You can also browse for Scenes (for women, men, teenagers) or Monologues (for women, men, teenagers).
To find these in the catalogue, go to advanced search, then scroll to the bottom of the page and select Level 6 Drama Pamphlet from the Collections list.
Play Sets
This section consists of a lending collection of boxed-sets containing multiple copies of a play for playreading and theatre groups. They are organized alphabetically by the playwrights last name and are available for loan to any interested group.
To find these in the catalogue, go to advanced search, then scroll to the bottom of the page and select Level 6 Play Sets from the Collections list. Each entry includes information on:
- Whether the play is a comedy or a drama
- The number of characters in the play; how many are men and how many women
- The number of copies of the play in the play set
- A brief annotation describing the play
Locating Plays
In addition to the Drama Collection on Level 6 of the Central Library, you can browse plays at any VPL location by heading straight to the following call numbers in the non-fiction section: 822 (English), 832 (German), 842 (French), 852 (Italian), 862 (Spanish), 872 (Latin), 882 (Classical Greek). For plays originally written/performed in other languages or by playwrights hailing from other countries, it is best to search the catalogue directly.
If a specific copy of a play is not available, remember it might be available in a collection or anthology. Here are some tips for locating plays in a collection or anthology:
- Perform a keyword search in our catalogue and enter the title and author of the play. For example: if you are looking for the play "Big Fun" by John Patrick Shanley, enter: Big Fun Shanley.
- If you cannot find the play in the library's catalogue, try using The Play Index to locate plays published in anthologies or collections.
- Try the online index Inter-Play.
- Try finding plays through Google Books and Project Gutenberg - some plays are available in digitized format.
- If you need a play/scene/monologue with a specific cast size/age/gender go to publisher websites such as Concord Theatricals (Samuel French) or PlayFinder (Dramatists Play Service). You can look up plays with keywords and limiters by cast size/gender/age. There are also multiple print indexes on the 6th floor of the Central Library.
Finding Literary Criticism
For major playwrights, such as William Shakespeare or Tennessee Williams, the library will likely have books of criticism about their work. Search the playwright's name in the library catalogue by subject and add the phrase Criticism and Interpretation.
e.g. Tennessee Williams Criticism and Interpretation.
If an entire book has been written about a play, such as Shakespeare's Hamlet, you may find it at the library. Search for the playwright's name in the catalogue by subject and include the title of the play.
e.g. Shakespeare Hamlet
Key Reference Materials
The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama
809.203 C72c
2007
A wholly unique A to Z reference for modern drama, this authoritative encyclopedia differs from others in highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of drama by placing playwrights and plays within their social, cultural, and historical contexts. Over 450 leading scholars provide students, general readers, and scholars with clearly written and concise entries.
Critical Survey of Drama
809.2 C93mfa
2003
Combining two previously published reference works-Critical Survey of Drama: English Language Series and Critical Survey of Drama: Foreign Language Series-this set contains 602 alphabetically arranged essays.
Drama Criticism
809.205 D7631
Each volume of this resource covers four to eight significant dramatists or plays. For each play or playwright featured, a full range of critical opinion is presented, along with a biographical sketch, a chronological list of the writer's major works and more.
Drama for Students
809.205 D7632
Each volume features coverage of 14 to 15 plays most frequently studied in literature classes. Each detailed entry includes an introduction that provides an overview of the play; a brief biography of the playwright; a plot summary; a discussion of the play's principal themes; understandable essays on the play's construction; excerpted critical commentary; and much more. note: available in print and electronic formats
International Dictionary of Theatre
809.203 I61h v. 1
International and historical in scope, this reference includes nearly 1,500 entries, divided into three volumes - 1: Plays focuses on 600 of the world's most significant plays, with an authoritative essay on each play and more than 300 photographs.
Masterplots II Drama Series
809.2 M42m1
2004
Entries for each play feature a brief summary of contents and first production, a list of principal characters, and a plot summary. The reviewer then discusses the play's themes, dramatic devices, and critical context, concluding with a short bibliography.
Play Index
822X P72
Find both classic and modern plays. Search for plays by title, author, subject, style, genre, and cast type. A descriptive annotation summarizes the plot and indicates any staging requirements.
