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Literary Biography & Criticism (about Plays & Playwrights)
Drama Research Guide > Research a Play > Literary Criticism
Literary criticism and reviews help you identify key issues, ideas, and the play's (and playwright's) social and literary relevance. Public and critical perception changes over time, so consult both old and new reviews or critiques. Use dramatic arts dictionaries when faced with new concepts or terminology.
Biographical Summaries
This database has full-text criticism and interpretation of plays, biographical essays on authors, works lists, and bibliographies. Includes print encyclopedias Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism Select, and Dictionary of Literary Biography.
- Biographies (PDF) -- This guide lists additional print and electronic biographical resources.
Indexes to Criticism and Reviews
- Plays and Playwrights (PDF) -- Best bet! This guide lists books and databases that either index or contain theater criticism, reviews (old and new), biographies, and dramatic arts dictionaries.
- Book Reviews (PDF) -- Lists resources that contain or point you to reviews. Some include plays or books about plays.
- Digests of Literature & Drama (PDF) -- Lists resources that contain plot summaries, critical essays, character descriptions, and author biographies. Note: double check HOMER. Some books in this guide are also located in the Music/Drama Library (e.g., Masterplots II: drama series).
- Film Review & Criticism (PDF) -- Lists print and online resources that contain or point you to reviews.
Literary Criticism (PDF) -- This guide is broader than "Plays and Playwrights" (above). It includes pointers to criticism of film, literature (which may include plays), and additional theater resources.
The library has many other Research Guides covering humanities, sciences, law, business, etc.
Also find. . .
Books about
the play or playwright
Newspaper reviews
Scholarly journal
articles
These are also listed on the Research A Play Web page.
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This page was found at http://www.lib.uconn.edu/music/plays_research_litCrit.html