Subject Guides: * Theatre: Home

Theatre Research - Getting Started

The USM Libraries have a ton of helpful people and resources to make sure you're on the right track with your research! A few tips for getting started on your project:

Talk with your professor if you have any questions about the assignment.
Give yourself as much time as possible to find and request resources, write your assignment, and revise it.
Make a research appointment with a librarian, or email Carrie directly (carrie.bellhoerth@maine.edu) to set up a meeting.
Activate your USM Library Account.
Use URSUS and MaineCat to request items from public and academic libraries around the state.
Sign up for an ILLiad account to request scripts, articles, books, and more from libraries all over the world - all for free!
- ***You should never have to pay for access to library resources; if you hit a paywall or aren't sure how to get access to something, please contact us and we'll help.
Work with a USM Writing Assistant at any point during the writing process.
Use the resources in this LibGuide to find books, ebooks, scholarly articles, scripts, and more!

Find Books, eBooks, and Scripts

LibrarySearch (Library Catalog) This link opens in a new window
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URSUS is the book catalog for the University of Maine System Libraries, the Bangor Public Library, Maine State Library, Maine State Archives, and Maine State Law & Legislative Reference Library. Records for books, videos and other non-article materials are indexed. Online access is provided within records to online sources, such as e-books and streaming videos. Items can be requested for delivery to USM using your USM library barcode.
MaineCat This link opens in a new window
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Statewide book catalog that includes Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, UNE, and many other academic and public libraries in Maine. Items can be requested for delivery to USM using your USM library barcode.
WorldCat This link opens in a new window
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Bibliographic records for more than 36 million items held at OCLC member libraries throughout the world. Many items are requestable via your ILLiad account. Includes all types of information resources. Updated daily.

Find Articles

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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Academic Search Complete is a large scholarly, multidisciplinary, full-text database, with more than 7,400 full-text periodicals, including more than 6,300 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 11,500 scholarly, popular, trade, and special interest serials, and a total of more than 12,000 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, and more. Updated daily.
Digital Theatre Plus This link opens in a new window
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Provides online access to a digital streaming video collection of unique films of current, leading British theatre productions. Includes behind-the-scenes documentaries as well as teaching and learning resources to facilitate a deeper understanding of the productions and texts. Learning resources include a detailed introduction, plot summary, character biographies, a relationship map, language analysis, scene study, performance background and historical context for each play.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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JSTOR is a full text digital archive of scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Coverage generally begins with the first issuse running to within 3 years of present. Current issues of journals are often available from other USM databases.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
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Project Muse, a project initiated by John's Hopkins University Press, provides PDF full-text access to more than 600 peer-reviewed journals from 250 university presses and scholarly societies. Project MUSE covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and others.
Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen This link opens in a new window
Access Provided Courtesy of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen 1 (2008-2015): 21 plays recorded live on the Globe stage from leading actors including Mark Rylance, Stephen Fry, and Roger Allam’s Olivier Award-winning Falstaff in Henry IV. Inspired and informed by the unique historic playing conditions of two beautiful iconic theatres, Shakespeare’s Globe’s diverse programme of work harnesses the power of performance, cultivates intellectual curiosity, and excites learning to make Shakespeare accessible for all.

Shakespeare's Globe on Screen 2 (2016-2018): 9 landmark productions from the theatre’s most recent seasons, including two productions from Emma Rice’s tenure as Artistic Director and the first production from the indoor Jacobean theatre, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. These films showcase the Globe’s two unique playing spaces on Bankside and how different artists respond to them. Each performance transports viewers directly into the standing yard of the world famous Globe or the magical candlelit interior of the captivating new

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Theatre Research - Getting Started

Find Books, eBooks, and Scripts

Find Articles