Libraries

Theatre Guide: Finding Plays

Finding the Text of Plays

Begin with MINERVA, the Libraries' catalog. In Basic Search, search...

• by author or title, for a specific play
• by keyword, using author last name and one or two distinctive title words, to identify plays in anthologies or collections

EXAMPLE: Looking for a copy of the play "Taking of Miss Janie" by Ed Bullins. A title search in Minerva does not get any results; however, a keyword search such as
retrieves the title Black thunder: an anthology of contemporary African American drama. When you look at that record and click on "Table of Contents" you will see that this play is included.

You can also use indexes to identify plays published in anthologies and collections. The most useful will be:

Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections...Between 1900 and 1985
Ekstrom Reference PN 1655 .O8

Play Index, 1949-2002
Ekstrom Reference Z5781 .P53

Black Drama

Any sources (anthologies, collections, periodicals) identified in these indexes will have to be searched in Minerva to see if the library owns the publication.

Finding Material about Plays and Theatre

When searching for books about authors and critical studies of their works, search Minerva by the author's name as subject.

For materials on other subjects, try a subject search. I fthere is nothing, or not enough, try a keyword search of that topic.

In keyword searches, if a term you want is a general term and you are getting too many irrelevant hits, add another word or provide it as a phrase:

Instead of costume, search costume and theatre, or "theatre costume"

TIP: In most databases, a phrase can be specified by putting the phrase in quotation marks.

If you are not getting enough, add synonyms: theatre and (costume or clothing or dress)

• Remember: AND reduces the number of items retrieved; OR increases the number
• Note sometimes our expected spelling "theatre" is not used. In Mienrva the subject headings using this word spell it "theater." Be sure to use the form the index or catalog uses.

Useful databases:
To locate additional material, both books and journal articles which are not available through Minerva, use databases, catalogs and indexes. The most relevant of these will be listed on our Theatre/ Performing Arts page.

In addition to the article databases listed there, the database WorldCat will allow you to search for books in libraries worldwide. Remember, if you need to use materials not held at UofL, use Interlibrary Loan.

Use the same tatics for searching databases as is outlined above for Minerva. Combine appropriate words to describe as accurately and specifically as possible the topic you are interested in. If you don't get enough references, then begin to use more general words, or add synoyms in order to broaden the coverage.