Drama, Film, & Theater Research Guide

This guide will point you to many of the library's resources in drama, film, & theater and will link you to additional resources. If you need help with your research ask a librarian.  

Databases

Search library databases for journal, magazine, and newspaper articles, case studies, editorials, reports, reviews, and other documents. The following databases are recommended for research in Drama, film, and theater. 

To select the databae(s) most suited to your needs, click on  for more information about each database. 

Most Frequently Used Databases in Literary Scholarship: 

•  Contemporary Literary Criticism  
• Humanities International Complete  
• JSTOR Arts & Sciences  
• MLA International Bibliography  

Most Frequently Used Databases for Finding Drama Online:

• American & English Literature 
• American Drama 
• English Prose Drama 
• English Verse Drama 

Additional literary works are available online from our Databases for English as well as Quick Reference: Literature. Or select other databases from all database options.

Are you looking for an article you can't find from the links above?

• Request an item through Interlibrary Loan | Help 
• Ask a librarian 

Help Using the Databases

• Literary Reference Center Guide & Video (4 min)

Additional database guides and tutorials are available. 

Reference & Books

Select from the following reference works to find dictionaries, criticisms, biographies, and more: 

Multi-volume Critical Reference Series

• Dictionary of Literary Biography 
• Drama Criticism 
• Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism 
• Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism 

Additional Reference & Books

• Bibliographies 
• Bibliographies, additional 
• Biographies 
• Dictionaries 
• Directories 
• Encyclopedias 

Reference Online

• Literary Reference Center 
• Quick Reference: Literature 

Books and Ebooks

Library Catalogs

• ODU Library Catalog - search for books, ebooks, and other materials in ODU Library and online 
• OhioLINK Library Catalog - search for materials statewide from 89 academic libraries 
• Library Catalog Guides & Tutorials   

• 780s (music)
• 790s (recreational arts)
• 800s (literature)

Are you looking for an item you can't find through the links above?

• Request an item through Interlibrary Loan | Help 
• Ask a librarian 

Journals

•  Browse select literature journals using the ODU Library Catalog 
•  Search for a journal in the ODU Library Catalog 
•  More options 

Videos

•  Search for a video in the library 
•  Search for videos on the web: Google Videos | Additional Video Search Engines 

Web Sites

Visit the following sites for authoritative information on theater, films, history of drama, and more.

Dictionaries

Online Film Dictionary 

General Information

• The American Muscial Theater Reference Library 
• Artslynx International Theater Resources 
• Elizabethan Costume Page 
• The English Server Drama Collection: Scripts of Classic & Contemporary Plays, Journals, & Criticisms 
• ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theater 
• Film Literature Index Online [index of records for articles, reviews; 1976-2001] 
• The Greatest Films 
• IBDB: Internet Broadway Database 
• Internet Movie Database 
• Masters of Cinema 
• Movie Review Query Engine 
• Playbill Online: The Theatre Source on the Web for Broadway Theatre Information 

History of the Theatre

• Fashion Resources: Clothing and Fashion History 
• The History of the Costume 
• History of the American Theatre 
• American Theatre History 
• Broadway Resources 
• Theatre History on the Web: A Resource for Theatre Historians and Students of the Theatre's History 
• Theatre & Performance Resources 
• Theatre Term Glossary 
• Historical Research 
• The Shubert Organization 

Prizes and Awards

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 
• British Independent Film Awards 
• European Film Awards 
• The Touring Broadway Awards 
• The Pulitzer Prizes  
• Oscar Awards 
• Yahoo Movies and Film > Awards 

 Past last updated: 13 April 2013 | ODU Library Reference Services