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
