The Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama by John E. ThorburnThe great era of classical drama continues to be widely studied today. One of the most extensive works of its kind, The Facts On File Companion to Classical Drama examines the history and development of ancient Greek and Roman drama from the late sixth century BCE through the first century CE. Approximately 400 entries cover the 80 complete plays that survived from the classical era; the major authors; the background, characters, and themes of the dramas; and the conventions and practices of their respective theaters.
Publication Date: New York, NY : Theatre Communications Group
The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare by Bruce R. Smith (Editor); Ton Hoenselaars (Associate Editor); Akiko Kusunoki (Associate Editor); Andrew Murphy (Associate Editor); Katherine Rowe (General Editor); Aimara da Cunha Resende (Associate Editor)The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare aims to replicate the expansive reach of Shakespeare's global reputation. In pursuit of that vision, this work is transhistorical, international and interdisciplinary. Volume 1, Shakespeare's World, 1500-1660, includes a comprehensive survey of the world in which Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived, while Volume 2, The World's Shakespeare, 1660-Present, examines what the world has made of Shakespeare as a cultural icon over the past four centuries. For each of the work's twenty-eight broad subject areas, ranging from translation to popular culture to performing arts, an overview is followed by a series of shorter essays taking up particular aspects of the subject at hand. Richly illustrated with more than three hundred images between the two volumes, this work brings the world, life and afterlife of Shakespeare to readers, from non-academic Shakespeare fans and students to theater professionals and Shakespeare scholars.
Call Number: PR2976 .C295 2016
ISBN: 9781107057258
Publication Date: 2016-01-21
African American Dramatists by Emmanuel S. Nelson (Editor)Despite their significant contributions to the American theater, African American dramatists have received less critical attention than novelists and poets. This reference offers thorough critical assessments of the lives and works of African American playwrights from the 19th century to the present. The book alphabetically arranges entries on more than 60 dramatists, including James Baldwin, Arna Bontemps, Ossie Davis, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Wright. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and includes a biography, a discussion of major works and themes, a summary of the playwright's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography. African American dramatists have made enormous contributions to the theater and their works are included in numerous editions and anthologies. Some of the most popular plays of the 20th century have been written by African Americans, and high school students and undergraduates study their works. But for all their popularity and influence, African American playwrights have received less critical attention than poets and novelists. This reference offers thorough critical assessments of more than 60 African American dramatists from the 19th century to the present.
Call Number: PS338.N4 A69 2004
ISBN: 0313322333
Publication Date: 2004-10-30
Drama by Carl E. Rollyson (Editor); Frank N. Magill (Editor); Dawn P. Dawson (Editor-In-Chief); Christina J. Moose (Editorial Coordinator); R. Kent Rasmussen (Editorial Coordinator); Salem Press StaffCritical Survey of Drama, Second Revised Edition, combines, updates, and expands two earlier Salem Press reference sets: Critical Survey of Drama, Revised Edition, English Language Series (1994), and Critical Survey of Drama, Foreign Language Series (1986). This new eight-volume set contains 613 essays, of which 548 discuss individual dramatists and 65 cover overview topics. The set also contains lists of major dramatic awards, a detailed time line of world drama history, a glossary of dramatic terms and movements, and a bibliography. Of the revised edition's 548 profiles, 90 are completely new essays, primarily reflecting playwrights who have recently come to be regarded as established figures in theater. More than 110 author profiles have been updated and revised to include the authors' new works and achievements, developments in their personal lives, more current analysis, and updated bibliographies. All other author profiles have been re-edited and the bibliographies have been updated and annotated. Each dramatist essay starts with direct ready-reference material: birth/death dates and places and list of the author's major dramatic works. Every essay also includes a brief survey of the author's publications in other literary forms, a summary of professional achievements and awards, and an extended biographical sketch. The bulk of each entry is a clearly written, extensive critical analysis of the writer's major dramatic works and career. Each entry ends with an annotated bibliography of secondary works about the author, providing a solid list of sources for further study. Overview essays, which are arranged under broad subject headings, cover dramatic traditions in the United States and other parts of the world, as well as various genres and techniques. The set includes more than 30 new overview essays. More than 25 of the original overview essays have been updated to reflect current trends in the theater. In addition to the overview essays, volume 8 includes an annotated general bibliography; a chronological listing (by birth dates); a geographical index that separates dramatists by the geographical areas in which they have lived or worked; a categorized list of dramatists, which groups them by movement, dominant genre, or ethnic affiliation; and a comprehensive subject index.
Reference sources can provide you with valuable information such as:
Background information
Important figures
Dates, places, and people
Definitions and key terms
Lists of additional sources (articles, books, etc.)
They are an excellent way to begin your research by allowing you to become familiar with the topic in preparation to choose the best articles, books, and additional resources.