Searching the Catalog
Search the library catalog, some good subject headings to get you started are:
- Monologues
- Acting Auditions
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama
These are shelved in two spots on the 3rd floor: PN2080 and PN4305.M6
- Audition Arsenal seriesThese books can help you find a specific type of comedic or dramatic reading
- WorldCat (FirstSearch) This link opens in a new windowSometimes the plays contained in a collection don't show up in the CFL Books search. Double check the name of the play in WorldCat to make sure the library doesn't have it.
New Play Exchange
- New Play ExchangeNew Play Exchange is the world's largest digital library of scripts by living writers. Search for plays, people, and organizations using the search tab on the top banner. Searches can be filtered by title, length, age level, genre, subject matter, production history, script availability, cast size and characteristics, playwright, and playwright demographics. You can also create your own profile and save your scripts and script searches, as well as browse and write script recommendations.
Indexes and Collections
Ottemiller's Index to Plays in CollectionsCall Number: Reference Z5781 .O8 2011Publication Date: 2011This may be the only way to discover if we own a particular play so make sure to check this index
Play IndexCall Number: Reference Z5781 .P53
Drury's guide to best playsCall Number: Floor 3 General Stacks: Z5781 .D8 1987
Humana Festival : the Complete PlaysCall Number: CFL Floor 3 Book Stacks (PS634 .H85a )Published annually by the Actors Theatre of Louisville to highlight contemporary playwrights
New PlaywrightsCall Number: CFL Floor 3 Book Stacks (PS634 .N416 )Contemporary playwrights series annual compilation
"The Best Ten-Minute Plays" book searchCall Number: various locationsDifferent titles for various numbers of actors
The Best American Short PlaysCall Number: CFL Floor 3 Book Stacks (PN6111 .B47 )A collection of one-act plays from American playwrights
Other Internet Resources
- Aisle SayA theatre review source covering major United States productions, with links to regional sites.
- Backstage.com Monologue SearchOffers different filters and categories for searches
- Doollee.comGuide to modern playwrights and playscripts (1956 to present)
- Dramatists Play Service, Inc.Since 1936, this service has published new plays and is now one of the major theatrical licensing agencies in the English-speaking world.
- Internet Broadway DatabaseContains detailed information on theater in New York from its beginnings.
- Lortel Archives - the Internet Off-Broadway DatabaseA catalog of shows produced in NYC Off Broadway
- Musicals 101Includes a history of musical theater, a who's who of performers, and reviews of new productions and recordings.