Encyclopedias and Guides
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Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowPublished by Oxford University Press, it is a fully-indexed, cross-searchable database containing dictionaries, language reference and subject reference works.
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Cambridge Companions Complete Collection This link opens in a new windowThe Cambridge Companions present collections of essays written by leading experts in the field on themes, subjects, and key figures in three broad areas: Literature and Classics; Philosophy, Religion, and Culture; and Music.
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The Language of Theatre by Theatre has provided many words and meanings which we use--ignorant of their origins--in everyday writing and speech. This is the first book to explore 2,000 theatre terms in depth, in some cases tracing their history over two and a half millenia, in others exploring expressions less than a decade old. Terms are defined, shown in use and cross-referenced in ways which will fascinate theatre- goers, and encourage those actively engaged in the theatre to examine the familiar from new angles.
Location: Mugar Reference X PN2035 .H297 1998Publication Date: 1998 -
The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama by 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 that steer clear of technical jargon while also offering advanced readers new perspectives on familiar figures, movements, trends, issues, and texts. The Encyclopedia concentrates on drama in the literary sense rather than as performance. The scope of this encyclopedia is truly global. The editors follow the development of modern theater in both Western Europe (England, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, France, Spain) and Eastern Europe; in Russia, China, Japan, India, and all of Southeast Asia; in Australia and New Zealand; in the United States and Canada; in Latin America, Africa, and in the Yiddish language. Entries are at least 500 words, richly researched and innovatively written. In "Brecht" the playwright's central themes and theories on theater are contextualized within the story of his exile, which paints a larger portrait of the cultural and political state of Europe at the time. In "Spain" the stories of certain theaters and prominent playwrights, such as Federico Garcia Lorca, are woven within the history of the country itself. And a colorful look at "Off Broadway" emphasizes the importance of theater economics and reveals its influence in shaping the development of drama. The history of modern drama is quickly becoming a popular area of study. The Encyclopedia of Modern Drama is a comprehensive and original approach to understanding this history and a powerful tool in reinforcing the vital role of drama in the intellectual and artistic life of the last 150 years.Location: Mugar Reference X PN1861 .C65 2007Publication Date: 2007 -
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama by Ranging from the earliest drama to the theater of the 1980's this encyclopedia includes coverage of national drama and theater around the world, theater companies, and musical comedy. Arrangement of the 1,300 entries is alphabetically by name or subject with nearly 950 of these devoted to individual playwrights and their works.Location: Mugar Reference X PN1625 .M3 1984Publication Date: 1984 -
The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre by This new and updated encyclopedic guide, with over 2700 cross-referenced entries, covers all aspects of the American theatre from its earliest history to the present. Entries include people, venues and companies scattered through the USA, plays and musicals, and theatrical phenomena. Additionally, there are some 100 topical entries covering theatre in major US cities and such disparate subjects as Asian American theatre, Chicano theatre, censorship, Filipino American theatre, one-person performances, performance art, and puppetry. Major popular forms are represented in entries such as circus, burlesque, vaudeville, and tent shows. Highly illustrated, the Guide is supplemented with a thorough historical survey as introduction, a bibliography of major sources published since the compilation of the first edition, and a unique and valued biographical index covering over 3200 individuals mentioned in the text. This new edition includes hundreds of new and updated entries, making it the most up-to-date guide to American theatre available.Location: Mugar Reference X PN2220 .C35 2007Publication Date: 2007 -
Modern Drama: Defining the Field by The contributors examine varied topics such as the analysis of periodicity; the articulation of social, political, and cultural production in theatre; the re-evaluation of texts, performances, and canons; and demonstrations of how interdisciplinarity inflects theatre and its practice.Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2016
Literary Biography
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Biography (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new windowBiography In Context offers biographical information about historically significant figures as well as present-day newsmakers. It includes reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images.
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Contemporary Authors This link opens in a new windowA bio-bibliographical guide to current writers in fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television, and other fields.
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Literature Online (LION) This link opens in a new windowLION includes texts, criticism, and reference material, including thousands of literary articles, essays, biographies and encyclopedia entries on over 350,000 works of poetry, prose, and drama from the 8th to the 21st century.
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The Ivan R. Dee Guide to Plays and Playwrights by With more than five hundred entries, from A to Z, providing information on the most important plays and playwrights (dead or alive) performed today, The Ivan R. Dee Guide to Plays and Playwrights is the most useful and comprehensive reference book for contemporary theatre now available. It is both biographically detailed and critically up to date, and offers an extensive cross-referencing system that allows for wider perspectives and new discoveries. For example: The entry on Carlo Goldoni provides his dates of birth and death; a complete listing of his plays with the dates they were written; approximately 300 words of biography and critical commentary on Goldoni's work; and references to other plays and playwrights that are similar in subject and treatment (in this case, for instance, "Beaumarchais's Marriage of Figaro for its treatment of servant and master relationships; Moli re, writing in a more formal style is more savage in exposing bourgeois and aristocratic hypocrisies;...") Stimulating, observant, and informative, The Ivan R. Dee Guide to Plays and Playwrights is an essential companion and reference tool for producers, directors, actors, teachers, and anyone with an active interest in drama. Illustrated with 34 black-and-white photographs.Location: Mugar Reference X PN2035 .G73 2004Publication Date: 2004 -
Librarian
Barbara Maratos
Contact:
Boston University Libraries
bkmarato@bu.edu
bkmarato@bu.edu
Subjects: Language & Linguistics, Literature