Theater and Dance Research Guide 

What's Here

Newspapers and magazines are the major sources for reviews of plays and dance performances. In addition, many scholarly journals (such as Theatre Journal and New England Theatre Journal) include production reviews.

But journalism on theater began early.  This page includes resources for find reviews and criticism running as far back as the late 17th century.

Other indexes besides the ones listed below list theater and dance reviews, such as Accessible Archives, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Periodicals Index Online and Periodicals Archive Online. See Finding Scholarly Criticism for further sources.

To find books collecting past reviews, search Orbis with these subject headings:

• Theater--Reviews
• Dramatic criticism

Sources for Local/Regional Reviews

• New Haven Register (SML Microform Room, Film An N41; partially online through Factiva and Lexis-Nexis)
• Hartford Courant (SML Microform Room, Film An H253; online through ProQuest Historical Newspapers 1840-1887, 1887-1922, 1923-1984, 1992-present; partially online through Factiva and Lexis-Nexis)
• New York Times (see below)

You must be a member of the Yale community oir oncampus to use the online resources.

Selected Resources for Finding Theater and Dance Reviews

Academic Search

Academic Search provides access to journal articles in most academic areas of study, and many general-interest magazines and newspapers. Type the title of the play (dance company, etc) to find articles of any sort about particular plays. If you want to limit your search to reviews only, look further down the page to the Document Type dropdown box, and select "Entertainment Review."

Aisle Say

"The Internet Magazine of Stage Reviews and Opinions." 

American Drama Criticism: Interpretations, 1890-1977. Compiled by Floyd Eugene Eddleman. 2nd ed. Hamden, Conn.: Shoe String Press, 1979.

SML Reference, Z1231 D7 P3 1979

Indexes reviews and criticism, some published in books and periodicals not indexed elsewhere. There are three supplements (1984, 1989, 1992) accompanying this volume, covering more recent publishing.

American Literary and Drama Reviews: an index to late nineteenth century periodicals. Patricia Marks. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall, 1984.

SML Reference, PN2259 M37 1984

Part 1 indexes reviews of American and foreign plays performed in the U.S. from 1880 through 1900. The reviews were published in general interest periodicals, rather than newspapers.

American Theatrical Periodicals, 1798-1967: A Bibliographical Guide. Carl J. Stratman. Durham, N.C.: 1970.                      
LSF Z6935 S76 (LC)

Drama Library Reference Lists some 685 theatrical periodicals published in 122 cities and 31 states. Includes annuals, directories, newspapers devoted primarily to theater. Notes locations in 137 libraries in the U.S., Canada, and the British Museum.

American Theatre Periodicals of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries [microform]. (Reading, Berkshire, England; Woodbridge, CT: Research Publications; Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1989.)                                                  
SML Microform Room, Film B16608
Guide: SML Microform Room, PN2000 A3 +A43 1989

Theater news from New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and other venues is covered in this collection of periodicals. Some titles focus on a broader scale of performing arts, including vaudeville, magic, opera and folklore. A detailed listing of volumes included at the beginning of each reel. For more information of the titles included, click here.

A Bibliography of British Dramatic Periodicals, 1720-1960. Carl J. Stratman. New York: 1962.                                          
SML Reference Z5783 S8

Lists British theatrical periodicals by date of debut. Gives location in some 160 libraries in the United States, Canada, and Britain. Indexed.

CurtainUp

"The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings."

The Dramatic Index. Boston: Boston Book, 1909-1949. Also known as Annual Magazine Subject-Index.                             
SML AI3 M343 (LC)

Indexes articles and illustrations in American and English periodicals and includes books, printed plays, government publications, and pamphlets. The Dramatic Index was published as Part II of Magazine Subject Index.

A Guide to Critical Reviews. James Salem. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 197? -.

SML Reference Z5781 S25 1973 (LC)

In three volumes: American Drama, 1909-1982, The Musical, 1909-1989, and Foreign Drama, 1909-1977. An index to reviews of plays and musicals produced in New York published in U.S. and Canadian periodicals.

Guide to the Performing Arts. 1957. New York: 1960-

SML ML118 G85 (LC)

Indexes about 50 journals, listing authors, subjects, and titles.  Covers 1957-1963, 1968.

How to Locate Reviews of Plays and Films: a bibliography of criticism from the beginnings to the present. Gordon Samples. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1976.

SML Reference, Z5781 S19 (LC)

A guide for locating theater and film criticism in books, newspapers, magazines and other sources.

International Index to Periodicals (New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1907-1965.)

SML Reference AI1 S63 (LC)

Index to scholarly and general interest publications beginning in the year 1907. Consult each annual volume under Dramas -- Criticism, Plots to retrieve a list of reviews. Continued by Humanities Full Text via WilsonWeb. 

Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe

Academic Universe provides the full text of articles from many major newspapers and magazines. Click on the News button. Enter the title of the play (dance company, etc).  Then scroll down to the Sources dropdown box, choose "Book, movie, music, play and video reviews."

New York Theatre Critics' Reviews. New York, Critics' Theatre Reviews, Inc., 1940-1994.

SML Stacks, PN1707 A1 +N48 (LC)

Drama Periodicals, N

Theatre Reviews is a complete guide and record of the New York stage, reprinted from New York Sun, New York Times, New York Herald Tribune, New York Post, New York Daily News, New York World Telegram (1940-); reprinted from the New York Daily News, Wall Street Journal, Time, New York Post, Women's Wear Daily, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, NBC (1976-). Continued by National Theatre Critics' Reviews at the same call number.

The New York Times Directory of the Theater. New York: Arno, 1973.

SML Reference PN2277 N5 +N48A Drama Reference PN2277 N5 +N48A

Indexes theater reviews printed in the New York Times during the period 1920-1970, by title and by personal names. Also records winners of the major theater awards.

New York Times Index. New York: 1851--.

SML Reference AI21 +N43B/N44 (1851-1945), SML Microform AI21 +N44 (1945-present)

See heading: "Theater-Reviews and Other Data on Specific Production." Issues of the New York Times since 1980 are available full-text online through The New York Times Historical database and Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe.

New York Times Theater Reviews. (New York: New York Times, 1870 -)

SML Reference, PN2266 +N48,  Drama Reference, PN2266 +N48 (LC)

Indexed photographic reprints of theater reviews as they appeared in the the New York Times from 1870 to the present. The print edition has two parts. The first is a set of volumes covering 1913-1968, with a single name/title index. From 1969-1998, volumes are annual cumulations of articles. The New York Times Historical database also has film reviews, but they can be much harder to find. See also Academic Universe (see explanation above).

Performing Arts in Colonial American Newspapers, 1690-1783 (New York: University Music Editions, 1997)

SML Stacks, PN2237 C67 1997 (LC)

This CD-ROM includes all references to music, poetry, theater, and dance in American colonial newspapers, including French and German newspapers. Over 50,000 full-text citations are available, and more than 235,000 indexed records, as well as graphic files of colonial woodcuts. The database is fully searchable and indexed.

Review of the Arts. Performing Arts. New Canaan, Conn.: NewsBank, 1981-97.

SML Reference, Z6935 +R48 (LC)

WilsonWeb

A collection of periodical indexes. Select Art Index, Humanities Full Text, Humanities & Social Sci Retro, Readers' Guide Full Text, Readers' Guide Retro, and Essay and General Literature to find film criticism and reviews. Type the title of the play (dance company, etc) to find articles of any sort about particular plays. If you want to limit your search to reviews only, look further down the page to the Document Type dropdown box, and select "Theater Review" (or for dance, try "Performance Review").