The New York Times Theater Reviews and the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature are major sources for reviews of play productions in the U.S., and occasionally abroad. In addition, many scholarly journals (such as Theatre Journaland New England Theatre Journal) include production reviews, so it can be useful to search the journal indexes and databases as well.
Other indexes besides the ones listed below include film reviews, such as
Arts & Humanities Citation Index and
Periodicals Contents Index. See
Finding Scholarly Criticism for additional sources.
To find books collecting past reviews, search Orbis with:
theater--reviews
EBSCOhost's Academic Search database provides access
to journal articles in most academic areas of study. It includes full-text
coverage of nearly 1,200 journals from 1990 to the present and abstracts/indexing
of nearly 3,000 journals from 1984 to the present. Many full text journals
from 1990 to the present. Abstracts and indexing for nearly 3,000 scholarly
journals from 1984 to the present.
"The Internet Magazine of Stage Reviews and Opinions."
Academic Universe is a full-text news and information
service that provides access to major newspapers, magazines, transcripts,
business and legal information and much more. Click on the News button.
At the "Select Sources" dropdown box, choose Book, movie, music, play and video
reviews. You may
also want to browse the database's sources under the "Sources" tab. Select Entertainment & Arts as the Topic.
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.
"The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings."
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.
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 Index Case, 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.
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 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).
New York Times Index. New York: 1851--.
SML Reference, Index Case AI21 +N43B/N44 (1851-1945)
SML Microform AI21 +N44 (1945-present)
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.
SML Reference, AI1 R43 (LC)
Index to articles in popular American magazines. To
find reviews, search each annual volume under the name of the playwright,
or look under Dramas -- Criticism, Plots.
Review of the Arts. Performing Arts. New Canaan, Conn.: NewsBank, 1981-97.
SML Reference, Z6935 +R48 (LC)
A collection of periodical indexes. Select Art Index,
Humanities Abstracts, Readers' Guide Abstracts, and Essay and General Literature
to find film criticism and reviews. Type [name of play] to
find articles about particular plays.
For example: Lion King or Rent reviews
(hint: you need to omit all stopwords (like The, Of, etc., when searching
in Wilson Web and add the word review if you want to limit your search
to reviews only)
Yale University Library Research Guide in Theater Studies