Guides: Theatre: Find a Play

How to Find Plays in the Library Catalog

By Author
Search last name first.
e.g., Friel, Brian

By Title
Omit initial articles like "the".
e.g., Playboy of the Western World

By Subject
Common subject headings for plays include:

If a play is about a person, event, or topic, search by subject using the name of the person, event, or topic and look for the subdivision -- Drama.
For example:

By Call Number
Browse anthologies and collections of plays with common characteristics.

General Play Collections

PN6111 and PN6112 Collections of plays in English
PN6120 Collections of plays arranged alphabetically by topic

American Play Collections

PS623 and PS625 Collections of American plays
PS627 Collections of American plays arranged alphabetically by topic
PS628 Collections of American plays arranged alphabetically by ethnicity
PS628.W6 Collections of plays by American women
PS634 Collections of 20th-Century American plays

British Play Collections

PR1243-PR1272 Collections of British plays

Browse More

Acting One Collection

Acting One Collection
These plays were added to the library in support of Middlebury's Acting One course. (This link will start a MIDCAT library catalog search.)

Indexes & Lists of Plays

An Index to One-Act Plays
PN1865 .L83

Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections
Ref PN1655 .A1 O8

Smith and Kraus Monologue Index
Ref PN2080 .S6 1999

Reviews of Plays

Internet Broadway Database
Start here to find when and where a Broadway production was given. See opening dates, cast, director, awards, and more.

Tips:

Enter the title of the play in quotation marks for a more precise search. e.g., "King Lear"
When searching for reviews, enter a date range up to a week or more before and after the opening or revival.

Historical Newspapers (ProQuest)
Search the digitized full-text and images of several major newspapers including New York Times (1851-2018); Wall Street Journal (1889-2010); Los Angeles Times (1881-1997); Washington Post (1877-2006); Chicago Tribune (1849-1998); Boston Globe (1872-1990); Christian Science Monitor (1908-2009); Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945). Black Newspapers: Chicago Defender (1909-1975); Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003); Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002)

Newsstand (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Find reviews for productions after 2000. Search the New York Times and other papers of interest.

LibrarySearch
Middlebury Library's search engine. It searches nearly everything we own or have access to, including books, articles, films, reference materials, primary sources and more. (go/LibrarySearch/)
New York Theatre Critics Reviews
Includes a variety of reprinted newspaper reviews. Browse by the year of the production.
Print: PN2000 .N76 in Bound Periodicals, lower level.

Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 (H.W. Wilson) This link opens in a new window
For reviews in popular magazines.
Online (1890-1982)
Print: Reference, Main Floor, AI3.S6 (1900-present)
Times of London Digital Archive, 1785 - six years ago This link opens in a new window
Access the digital archives of The Times of London from 1785 onwards (most recent 6 years not included). Search by keyword, by words in text, or browse by date and retrieve the full text as it appeared in the paper. Search with other collections and British newspapers via Gale Artemis.

Plays Available for Purchase

PlayFinder at Dramatists Play Service (DPS)
Premiere play-licensing agency in the English-speaking theatre, offering an extensive list of titles, including a many of the most significant American plays of the past half-century. Searchable by number and gender distribution of cast members.
Samuel French
Major publisher of plays and related works, including anthologies, monologues, instructional volumes, and supplemental materials. Searchable by cast attributes and other production requirements.