THETR 1260.101: In On the Act: the Spectator's Role in Comedy (Spring 2009)  Tags: theatre theater film comedy  

Reference sources -- both in print and online -- can provide information and overviews of a subject, providing historical context, identifying key events and people, and describing important concepts. A good reference source might also contain a core bibliography of books and journal articles worth looking for. This list highlights some reference material of particular relevance for this class.

Language & Literary Terms

Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage, 2009. Olin Ref PN41 A184 2009

"For clarity, concision and elegance Abrams has few peers and no superiors; plain spoken but not simplistic, his essays on critical methods are the best short treatments in the business." (Choice)

 

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism c1997- .

A full-text searchable database of articles on individual critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods. It also treats related persons and fields that have been shaped by or have themselves shaped literary theory and criticism. Each entry includes a selective primary and secondary bibliography. Paper edition (2005) in Olin Reference: Olin Ref PN81 J554 2005 +.

 

Oxford English Dictionary Online

The greatest dictionary of the English language, its aim is to present in alphabetical series the words that have formed the English vocabulary from the time of the earliest records down to the present day, with all the relevant facts concerning their form, meaning, pronunciation, and etymology. Over 400,000 entries. The most important use of this dictionary is for historical information about a word. This online edition is more up-to-date than the printed Second Edition, and represents the latest progress towards the Third Edition. Second ed. in Olin Ref PE 1625 M98 1989, and Uris Ref PE1625 M978 1989

Literature & History Reference Sources

Literature Resource Center [Farmington Hills, MI] : Gale Group, c1999-.

"The Literature Resource Center (LRC) is a complete literature reference database designed for the undergraduate student. LRC combines biographical, bibliographical, and contextual information to deliver a complete reference/resource package on authors and their works (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism). Centering on respected Gale sources, including Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and Contemporary Literary Criticism, this data set is augmented with full-text, excerpted, and commissioned critical material illuminating an oeuvre or era... LRC [also] offers the Encyclopedia of Literature,... The Scribner Writer Series, and The Twayne Authors Series: Twayne's US Authors, Twayne's English Authors and Twayne's World Authors, providing literary criticism, history and influence of literary movements, and the development of literary genres for approximately 200 authors.

 

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama: An International Reference Work in Five Volumes. 2nd ed. 5 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984. Uris Ref PN 1625 M14+ 1984; also Olin Ref

"The purpose of the book is to present, in the clearest possible format, factual information and critical evaluations of numerous dramatists' work and stature." (Preface) Most entries contain a biographical sketch, a brief critique of the dramatist's work, a selection of synopses of his/her plays, a bibliography of editions and usually a list of critical and biographical works. Emphasis is on English and Western European playwrights. Includes some general essays on drama of the world as well as many photographs taken during actual productions.

 

Brill’s New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmut Schneider. Leiden ; Boston: Brill, c2002- English ed. 12v. Print copy in Olin Library Room 604-605; DE5 .N48 2002+

Cover more than two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe. Special emphasis is given to the interaction between Greco-Roman culture on the one hand, and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the other hand.

 

Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization edited by Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Online version provides a survey of the Greek and Roman worlds in all their aspects. Drawing on the latest edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary, the Companion offers articles on diverse fields such as, history and politics; ethics and morals; law and punishment; social and family life; language, literature, and art; religion and mythology; technology, science, and medicine.

 

Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. 2nd ed.edited by M.C. Howatson.Olin Ref PA31 H84 1989

Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance, edited by Dennis Kennedy. 2 vols. Oxford Univ. Press, 2003. Also in print: Olin Ref PN2035 O92x 2003+

Provides information about theatre and performance internationally, through history and in the present. The 4300 entries are complemented by over 100 illustrations. Coverage ranges from ancient Greek theatre to 21st century developments in London, Paris, New York, and around the globe. Pays special attention to non-Western styles through articles on theatre and performance throughout Asia and Africa, often written by practitioners or critics from those areas. Dance, opera, performance art, radio, film, and television are covered at length. Also embraces para-theatrical, non-drammatic, and popular performance, including ritual, carnivals, parades, the circus, and public executions. Biographical entries cover the lives and work of major figures from the past and present: actors, playwrights, directors, designers, and critics. Entries on cities and regions place performance in its local social and political context.