William Hemmig Performing Arts Librarian Send feedback to jdshep@rci.rutgers.edu November 2005

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides: Theater and Dance:
Books, Videos, and Sound Recordings

• IRIS Catalog
• Other Library Catalogs and Research Guides
• Electronic Books
• Online Bookstores and Video/DVD Sources

IRIS Catalog

IRIS is the Rutgers University Libraries' online catalog. Use it to find books, journals, videos and sound recordings in the Rutgers University Libraries. For assistance using the IRIS catalog, consult the IRIS Guide; you can link to it from the top of every page in IRIS.

Here is a link to some useful subject headings for theater and dance topics.

Can't find a specific play? It may be published in a book with a different title. Look it up in Play Index (New York: H.W. Wilson, 1953-) by author, title, or subject to get information on the book it's published in. Then check the IRIS catalog for that book.

	MUSIC		Ref Z5781.W52p		(volumes through 1997)
	ALEXANDER		Ref Z5781.P453		(volumes through 1992)
	CAMDEN		Ref Z5781.F5		(volumes through 1992)
	KILMER		Ref Z5781.P53		(volumes through 1992)
	DANA		Ref Z5781.P453		(volumes through 1987)

Looking for books of actors' monologues? In the IRIS catalog, type monologues into the Basic Search box, and select "SUBJECT begins with," or go to the Douglass Library stacks and browse the shelves for call numbers beginning PN2080.

Here are two ways to find videos and sound recordings in the IRIS catalog:

1. For a specific item, go to Advanced Search. Type some key words into the Author and/or Title boxes, and then look for the Format box and select either "Recorded Sound" or "Visual Materials."
2. For a more general browse of the collections, go to Advanced Search. Type either drama, theater, actors, dance, or ballet into the Subject box, and then look for the Format box and select either "Recorded Sound" or "Visual Materials."

(Also, see the subject research guide for Media Collections for lists of selected videos by subject.)

Other Library Catalogs and Research Guides

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has the world's largest collection devoted to this subject, including books, sound recordings, videos and archival collections. The site includes an online catalog, finding aids to manuscript collections, online exhibitions, and links to related internet resources. Circulating materials can be requested through Delivery and Interlibrary Loan.

These subject guides recommend resources in their libraries' own collections and on the Web that supplement those found here:

Dance

New York University Libraries.
Subject Guide: Dance and Dance Education.

Theater

New York University Libraries.
Subject Guide:Theatre & Performance Studies.

Yale University Library.
Theater Studies Research Guide.

Electronic Books

Many plays in the public domain (no longer under copyright) are available online. Here is a selection of sources:

Black Drama: 1850 to Present. [Rutgers Restricted]
A full-text database of about 1200 plays by playwrights from North America, English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, and other African diaspora countries. Some are under copyright.

Digital Book Index.
A searchable index to full-text books, including plays, available on the Web. Not all are free of charge.

EEBO - Early English Books Online. [Rutgers Restricted]
Books published in English through the 17th Century. Full page images.

EEBO - TCP. [Rutgers Restricted]
Books published in English through the 17th Century. Structured SGML/XML text editions.

The Online Books Page.
This Web site provides easy access to over 20,000 books available without charge on the Internet, including many plays.

Project Gutenberg.
Free access to classic books, including plays.

Online Bookstores and Video/DVD Sources

Applause Theatre and Cinema Books.
Online shopping for theater books, VHS and DVDs published by Applause.

Dance Horizons.
Publishes many books on dance and also sells dance-related VHS, DVD, audiocassettes and CDs.

The Drama Book Shop.
A great place to frequent in New York, the Drama Book Shop also sells online. Inventory covers all aspects of the performing arts.

Kultur.
Has a wide assortment of dance and theater performances available on VHS and DVD.

TCG Bookstore.
Theatre Communications Group has a site for sales of its own publications and those of several small presses that specialize in plays and other books, audio and visual materials on 20^th-century and contemporary theater.

Some dance companies sell videos of their own work. Here are just a few: