African American Theater

AFAM 369a • ENGL 364a • LITR 271a • THST 369a
David Krasner


Finding Secondary Sources:
The Major Resources

Article Indexes and Databases

America: History and Life
The primary index to the literature of American and Canadian history, covering over 2,000 journals in 45 languages. It also includes dissertations and selected book, film and video reviews.

Black Newspapers Index and Index to Black Newspapers
SML Reference, Index Case.
This index covers eleven African-American newspapers, for the years 1977 to the present.

Humanities Abstracts Full Text
SML Reference, Index Case
Humanities Abstracts indexes and abstracts articles over 350 English-language periodicals in the fields of archaeology and classical studies, art, dance, drama, and film, folklore, gender studies, history, journalism and communications, language and literature, literary and political criticism, music and performing arts, philosophy, and religion and theology. Periodical coverage includes some of the best-known scholarly journals and numerous lesser-known but important specialized magazines.


Clotilde in Sam Robinson's "We've Got It Co."
Courtesy of the Yale Collection of American Literature,
Beinecke Rare Book Library

International Bibliography of Theatre
SML, Reference. Z6935 +I53 (LC)
Annual bibliography and index that covers "any aspect of theatre significant to research."  This subject-classified bibliography includes books, articles, dissertations, essays, etc. published in any language from 1982 to the present on all aspects of theater, performance and dance.  Volumes are indexed by author, subject and country.

International Index to the Performing Arts
IIPA Full Text draws its current content from more than 200 scholarly and popular performing arts periodicals, and also indexes a variety of documents such as biographical profiles, conference papers, obituaries, interviews, discographies, reviews and events. IIPA Full Text covers a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry-including dance, film, television, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, broadcast arts, circus performance, comedy, storytelling, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic and more.

MLA Bibliography
SML Reference, Index Case
The MLA Bibliography indexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. The database provides access to citations from over 4,000 journals and series published worldwide, as well as books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations, and bibliographies. The print volumes go back to 1921 and the database covers from 1963 to the present. The MLA Bibliography continues the Modern Language Association Annual Bibliography, which is in the Reference Room index cases.

Periodicals Contents Index (PCI)
PCI Web indexes the contents of thousands of periodicals in the humanities and social sciences, from their first issues to 1995. Every article is indexed. The scope is international.

Bibliographies and Reference Works

African American theatre directory, 1816-1960: a comprehensive guide to early Black theatre organizations, companies, theatres, and performing groups Bernard L. Peterson, Jr.; foreword by Errol Hill.
SML Reference, PN2270 A35 P48X 1997
Online book

Black American playwrights, 1800 to the present: a bibliography. Arata, Esther Spring. (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1976.)
More Black American playwrights: a bibliography. (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1978.)
LSF, Z1229 N39 A7 (LC)
LSF and Drama, Z1229 N39 A73 (LC)

Black image on the American stage; a bibliography of plays and musicals, 1770-1970. James V. Hatch. (New York, DBS Publications [1970])
SML Reference, Z5784 N4 H37 (LC)

Black theatre directory. Compiled and edited by Addell Austin Anderson; graphic design and layout by Gary Anderson.
SML Reference, PN2270 A35 A52 1993

A century of musicals in black and white: an encyclopedia of musical stage works by, about, or involving African Americans. Peterson, Bernard L.(Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993.)
Music. ML102 M977 P4

Contemporary African American female playwrights:an annotated bibliography. By Dana A. Williams.( Westport, Conn. ; London : Greenwood Press, c1998.)
SML Reference, PS153 N5 P49 1988
DRAMA Reference PS153 N5 P49 1988

Contemporary Black American playwrights and their plays : a biographical directory and dramatic index. Bernard L. Peterson, Jr; foreword by James V. Hatch.
SML Reference, PS153 N5 P49 1988
DRAMA Reference PS153 N5 P49 1988

Dictionary of the Black Theatre: Broadway, Off-Broadway, and selected Harlem Theater Woll, Allen L. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983.)
CCL Stacks, PN2270 A35 W64 1983

Directory of Blacks in the performing arts.  Mapp, Edward. 2nd ed. (Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1990.)
SML Reference, PN1590 B53 M3 1990

Dissertations concerning Black theatre. Compiled and edited by Rhonnie Washington. 2nd edition.
SML Reference, Z5781 W35X 1992

Early Black American playwrights and dramatic writers: a biographical directory and catalog of plays, films, and broadcasting scripts. Bernard L. Peterson, Jr.
(New York: Greenwood Press, 1990)
SML Stacks: PS153 N5 P495 1990
DRAMA Reference PS153 N5 P495 1990

The ghost walks: a chronological history of Blacks in show business, 1865-1910. Sampson, Henry T. (Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1988.)
SML, Stacks. PN2270 A35 S25 1988


Related Research Guides: Theater Studies · African-American Studies · English Literature · American History

Yale University Library Research Guide for African American Theater
Last modified Tue, 10 Aug 2004 . © Yale University Library.
Comments to Tobin Nellhaus, Librarian for Drama, Film and Theater Studies