Theatre Fundamentals: Core Books

Core Books

Depending on the time period of your play, you will use any of the following books as an introduction to the play, playwright, and all aspects of theatre during that time.

If you use these core books You will be able to answer questions such as: * What were people wearing in France during the 17th century? * What did the theatre space look like in ancient Greece? * Where were medieval plays performed? * What did scene and costume design look like on the Elizabethan stage? * What were acting companies? * What was the progession of stage machinery?

PLEASE REMEMBER to follow the citations you find in these core books. And then when you find the books in the catalog, PLEASE REMEMBER to follow the subjects link. If you do this, your research will be easier because you will be building your bibliography and locating additional sources that are extremely important to your research. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD: some of these books are in the STACKS not REFERENCE, and thus may be checked out. If you do not plan ahead, the books may very well be checked out and you will need to request them from another library or recall them. Please see the following guides: Theatre Fundamentals: Deciphering the Catalog Theatre Fundamentals: Known Citations

ALSO, the following are certaintly not all the core books you need to use. There are many other titles, covering all different time periods and countries and aspects of theatre that are available. Examples: Routledge Companion to Theatre and Performance; Historical Dictionary of German Theatre; Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre; Oxford Companion to American Theatre; Cambridge History of British Theatre... Use the strategies listed below AND browse in the Reference Collection on the first floor of PAL.

CORE BOOKS

• Author: Bate, Jonathan.
  Title: The Oxford Illustrated History of Shakespeare on Stage

• Author: Haigh, A. E.
  Title: The Attic theatre; a description of the stage and theatre of the Athenians, and of the dramatic performances at Athens

• Author: Izenour, George.
  Title: Roofed Theaters of Classical Antiquity

• Author: Kesler, Jackson.
  Title: Theatrical Costume. A Guide to Information Sources.

• Author: Leacroft, Richard.
  Title: Theatre and Playhouse: an illustrated survey of theatre building from Ancient Greece to the present day.

• Author: Leech, Clifford, ed.
  Title: The Revels History of Drama in English.

• Author: Mullin, Donald.
  Title: The Development of the Playhouse: a survey of theatre architecture from the Renaissance to the Present.

• Author: Rehm, Rush.
  Title:Greek Tragic Theatre

• Author: Stoddard, Richard.
  Title: Stage Scenery, Machinery, and Lighting.

• Author: Stoddard, Richard.
  Title: Theatre and Cinema Architecture. A Guide to Information Sources.

• Author: Tortora, Phyllis.
  Title: Survey of Historic Costume: a history of western dress

• Author: Vince, Ronald.
  Title: Ancient and Medieval Theatre: a historiographical handbook

• Author: _______.
  Title: Neoclassical Theatre: a historiographical handbook

• Author: _______.
  Title: Renaissance Theatre: a historiographical handbook

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