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In 1993, when I first began to research theatre sites on the
internet, it was a difficult and laborious project. Sites were hard to
find, search engines were underdeveloped, there were very few theatre
people who had taken an interest in, or even knew about the internet.
Obviously, things have changed. Now the Web is easily accessible
through a variety of web browsers, making specific knowledge of such
utilities as telnet, ftp, and gopher (remember that one?) more
or less obsolete or invisible.
There are now so many theatre-related sites that keeping a
truly
comprehensive guide to resources theatre on the internet, compiled and
maintained through human intervention, is incredibly time-consuming.
The area of performance studies is even more of a problem, with its
incursions into popular culture, communication studies, and hundreds of
other (legitimate!) tangents.
The proliferation of search engines and databases on the web
now makes finding a comprehensive listing of links fairly easy for a
single user. Of course, access to such an expanse of information raises
the problem of evaluation and selection, which I have attempted to
address in this guide over the years.
This edition of my Brief Guide to Internet Resources in
Theatre and Performance Studies is based on what I have learned
as a seeker of information on the internet, which is mainly how to
quickly find information and resources in a medium where their sheer
quantity is overwhelming. As a researcher in search of useful
information, I find myself turning again and again to the same
information sources, engaging in the same techniques, and using the
tools at my disposal in similar ways.
In previous versions, I have struggled to keep a balance
between brief and comprehensive. I decided some
years ago to give the advantage to brief. This has resulted
in dropping (among other things) the "Listserv" section (except for new
resources), especially since most are now accessible through HTTP
addresses and can be found with a typical internet search. In any
event, I am attempting to live up to the title of this document as a guide
to resources rather than a listing of them.
What's not in this guide
In order to achieve this objective, some omissions have been
necessary. I consider this a good thing. Usually, when browsing through
sites, I tend to encounter the same links repeatedly and therefore run
myself around in circles. Although this sort of "empirical" research is
sometimes desirable, it is inefficient (not to mention frustrating) as
a first recourse. Therefore, I have privileged those sites that do
offer comprehensive listings, that offer something unique or
interesting, that are somewhat off the beaten path, or that serve as
significant examples of well-managed and productive sites.
I have opted not to list commercial organizations (such as
most actor
databases) or sites
that simply repeat services or resources. (Just a note: for actors who
want to find these resources, simply submit a form to a search engine
with the arguments
"actor," "casting," and/or "headshot" and you will be swamped with
information). I have also chosen to omit most regional theatres and
organizations, unless they offer significant resources (internet or
other). For example, I do not include the ANYWHERE, USA THEATRE
COMPANY, but I do include the National Endowment for the Arts at the
Kennedy Center, AisleSay production reviews, and many playwriting pages
(since these latter often include new, unpublished, and/or original
works).
Assumptions
This guide is not meant to be an introduction to the internet
itself. I am assuming that the reader will have a working knowledge of
a web browser; be able to formulate, understand, or at least use
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addresses; send and receive email; and
perform other basic tasks associated with the medium.
Submitting a site
For some time, I have begun to receive both automated and
human-generated missives from webmasters asking that their site be
included in my guide. In order for us all to better utilize our time, I
have composed the following criteria for a site to be considered for
inclusion in subsequent versions of my guide. The site should:
- not be commercial, unless it overwhelming fits one of the
following criteria;
- offer something unique or interesting (not offered by any
other site);
- provide valuable research tools (such as book, article, or
play indexes);
- provide a comprehensive listing of theatre or performance
studies resources; and/or
- be off the beaten path, that is, unlikely to be found in a
quick search engine query.
The reader will no doubt find exceptions to these guidelines
within the
body of this guide. Since I am a human editor, I reserve the right to
bend the rules and use my own judgment in making these determinations.
- Ken McCoy
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This section contains the resources that I consult most
often and that yield the best results. Be sure to look carefully at
this section before continuing, since the resources in it are not
repeated later (that would be redundant).
Theatre
Central
Now at Playbill. One
of the best-maintained and most comprehensive single site on the
subject of theatre, providing hundreds of links to theatre-related
resources of all stripes. It includes a directory of Theatre
Professionals on the Internet (email addresses, bios, etc.), casting
news, production listings, and even a journal.
The
World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Theatre and Drama
A collection of theatre links, whose scope aims for the
multi-cultural and multi-lingual. Its most remarkable features are its
index to plays available on the internet (in several languages) and a
(very modest) syllabus bank.
AisleSay
The Internet Magazine of Stage Reviews and Opinions, covering
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Melbourne, and more, with
frequent updates and additions.
It's been around for almost as long as this guide. OOBR
The Off-Off Broadway Review is an electronic edition of the
print journal, which provides listings and reviews of current and
archived shows of its members in the venue--defined as "an
Equity showcase or non-union production of equivalent resources, being
done in any of the New York boroughs." Free listings are welcomed in
the electronic version.
Musicals 101
This "Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV, and Film"
by John Kenrick is a great site to begin an exploration of musical
theatre as an art form. With papers on history, reviews, essays on a
variety of topics, and even some "how-to" guides, it's far more
than a fan site or list of links.
Playscripts, Inc.
Although this site is, technically speaking, commercial,
this online publishing house also happens to excel in providing access
to a huge collection of playtexts for performance, most notably short,
original scripts suitable for young performers and audiences (i.e.,
Thespian competition and high school festivals). Playtexts are at least
80% viewable online, which greatly facilitates a search for "that
perfect play."
Primer
for Actors
By Louis E. Catron, this is a great source of "how to"
information for student actors and other beginners. The advice on
resume construction is particularly well done. Dr. Catron has other
useful web publications on the home
site.
The Foundation Center
An information resource for grantseekers and grantmakers,
including fund-raising libraries, a digest, and publications.
Ropers Knots Page
A meta-page with links to knot-tying sites. It's got links to
ALL the knots. For when I can't remember how the rabbit goes around the
tree, in the hole, etc.
On-Line
Books Page
An index to online books and other documents, with links to
other electronic text sites, indexes, and more.
LANIC -- Latin
American Network Information Center (University of Texas).
UT-LANIC provides access to library catalogs, networks
(redes), databases, FTP and email archives (including the Latin
American Information Base), and more in and concerning Latin America.
The amount of information is immense.
Since my area of research interest is Latin American Theatre, I often
find it invaluable
(in locating play and production reviews published in newspapers, for
example).
The Internet Broadway Database
This one is all about Broadway, and is a great source for
statistics on productions appearing there. However, Broadway theatres
are no longer the sole controlling venues for theatre production in
America, especially non-musical theatre, so it's not really as useful
as I would want it to be. Still, a good start - easy to search and
fairly comprehensive.
The Internet Movie Database
As the film industry tends to be more centralized, this one
is more useful, especially for finding lists of performers, synopses of
their movies, awards won, and other good stuff. Actors who already
appear in the database can take advantage of the photo-resume service
to edit and post their own additional information.
Well, these are the resources that I consult most often.
After
reading through the many more that follow, be sure to look at the Other Guides section of this document for a
more comprehensive tour of the internet theatre world.
If you are looking for something specific, you might also
want to try a search engine. Although there are dozens of them, the two
I tend to use the most are Google
and Yahoo.
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World Wide Web Resources by Topic
Acting
Workshop Online
A nice, easy to understand site for beginning actors.
The Actor's
Checklist
A fairly comprehensive site containing information and advice
for actors new to the business of the art (mostly SAG and
film-focused).
The information is solid and reasonable and there are also suggestions
for other sites and print sources. AEA: Actors Equity
Association
This home of the professional Stage Actors' Union in the USA
includes FAQ, constitution/bylaws, and other info germain to the
working actor. It also includes information on auditioning as well as
links to other unions, a few producers, and other sites of general
interest.
ACTORSOURCE
A respectably comprehensive site for the actor. Most notably,
includes practical advice to the star-struck, such as how to avoid
scams, how to relocate to LA, and how to choose monologues and
headshots. It also includes valuable lists of agencies, casting
directors, comedy clubs, and selected conservatories, colleges and
universities (hard to cover them all) with programs in actor training.
The
Living Playbook
Rightly calls itself "the most complete, most up-to-date
collection of improv games on the planet." I have found them very
useful in classes and workshops, although it apparently has not been
updated since 2001.
Now Casting
A talent database, based in LA, for actors to post resumes,
photos, reel clips, etc. and review casting notices. The basic
membership is free.
The Online
Communicator
Essentially a site devoted to listing resources for the
Entertainment Industry, the Talent
section of this site lists resources useful to performers, such as
information on unions, vocal production, tongue twisters, audition
resources, and more. Maintained by Rich Wilson; last updated in 2005.
StageAgent.com
This site advertises itself as "free resource for the
performers and producers of musicals, operas, and dramas." It is mainly
a disucssion forum, but it is indexed with search capabilities, and
there are occasional short articles.
Elizabethan
Costuming Page
This is an excellent site for both amateur and professional
costumers (and students of course), with sections on history, design
and even construction techniques. A "Monthly Costume Feature" directs
the reader to other excellent sites of interest. This site is very
thorough, and definitely worth a visit (even if you're not a costumer).
Glossary
of Technical Theatre Terms: Theatrecrafts.com
Hosted by Jon Primrose / University of Exeter Drama
Department (UK), this is a very comprehensive glossary of
English-language theatre terms. Users can perform a Word Search, get a
random word, browse by category or alphabetically. Very informative.
The
History of Costume by Braun & Scheider
Braun & Scheider published this illustrated book on
costumes c.1861-1880. The web site is the book on line--an excellent
resource for costume designers, directors, and those interested in
fashion and period costuming.
Lighting & Electronics
Features safety guides, math formulas for lighting designers
and electricians, links to news services and magazines, and a
problem/solution page, in which solutions to common and not-so-common
lighting problems are discussed.
The Stagehand
Primer
Specifically intended for the use of the Stagehands and
Apprentices of IATSE Local 470 in Northeast Wisconsin,
this handbook contains lots of useful information for technicians and
other students of theatre
in need of plain definitions and procedures for the practical operation
of theatre production.
The Theatre Design and
Tech Jobs Page
A free online jobs bulletin board, artist listing, and forum.
USITT
The web site for the association of design, production, and
technology professionals in the performing arts and entertainment
industry in the USA.
10 Minute Plays
An archive of short plays. Very suitable for one-act
festivals and directing classes.
APN: The Alberta
Playwrights' Network
The Alberta Playwrights' Network is a non-profit arts service
organization dedicated to fostering playwriting in Alberta, Canada. The
site includes an online newsletter, but to take advantage of many of
the services, one needs to be in Alberta.
Cervantes
Project
An excellent site devoted to the Spanish Golden Age
playwright, with academic articles, indices, images, a local search
engine, and links to related sites. Available in Spanish and English, it
should prove very useful to the online researcher.
E-SCRIPT
An interactive scriptwriting workshop for playwrights and
screenwriters at all experience levels. The site also includes virtual
Q & A sessions and archives with professionals
in TV, theatre, and film.
Ibsen.net
A very nice searchable database concerning stage productions
of Ibsen's plays from 1850 and to present day.
In English, German, and Norwegian.
The
International Centre for Women Playwrights
The web site for this organization includes a discussion
list, links to conferences and programs, the newsletter, and a "diary"
of members' activities and awards.
Eugène Ionesco
Soren Olsen's page in French and English on the absurdist
playwright.
Limelight Scripts
The UK source for scripts for performance, notable for its
section on The
History of British Pantomime
and scripts for this unique form of drama.
Moliere Adaptations
In English by Timothy Mooney
An ever-growing collection of Moliere's plays in English
translation (and a few adaptations) that are original and creatively
rhymed. Tim will also email a free copy of select plays upon request.
He also performs on the Fringe Theatre and College Tour circuits.
Playwrights Cafe
The members of this organization in Albany, CA critiques a
play each month by one of its fellows; the Network Cafe in the site
allows participation, i.e., forum discussions, by non-members as well,
although threads are very sparse and limited except for the Playwrights
section.
The
Playwrights Forum
The Playwrights Forum is "a non-profit organization dedicated
to the artistic development of talented playwrights from the Washington
D.C. area." Their web site includes short descriptions of over 200
plays written by members.
Playwrights
on the Web
Maintained by Paul Thain on the Internet Theatre Bookshop web
site, this is a long contact list of playwrights whose material is
accessible on the web. His home site includes some nice links for
playwrights, especially those in the UK.
Playwriting
Seminars
This site is essentially a 230-page manual of the
playwright's craft, with an "inevitable excursion into film." It is a
very informative and thought-provoking guide to many playwriting
issues.
Small-Cast One-Act
Play Guide
A companion to the print-published index, this continually
updated site aims to access "playwrights, their scripts, and related
sundries." It includes indices of small-cast one-act plays sorted by
cast size/gender, title, and author, a glossary of terms, reference
sources for playwrights, and even script analyses.
August
Strindberg
This attractive site has some good biographical material and
photos, as well as excerpts from his journals and sketchbooks.
USA Plays for Kids
This program sponsored by the Drury University (Missouri)
Dept. of Education (and other partners) provides a listing of authors
willing to make direct contact with children who are producing their
plays--a worthy project, and well-thought out.
Writing-World.com
Formerly the InkSpot, this is a very solid site for writers
of all kinds. It includes a bi-weekly newsletter, interviews, articles,
links, and more.
Absolute Shakespeare
This impressive site includes not only the plays, sonnets,
and historical background, but also such features as trivia, study
guides, quotes, filmography, and bibliography. One of the best.
A Compendium of Common
Knowledge 1558-1603
(Hosted at Renaissance, The Elizabethan World, this a
very attractive and informative on-line book by Maggie Pierce Secara on
"Elizabethan Commonplaces for Writers, Actors, and Re-enactors." This
fifth edition is a very thorough source for information on everyday
life in Elizabethan times, drawn both from formal research and the
author's experiences at Renaissance Faires. The web designer, Paula
Katherine Marmor, has crafted a very elegant presentation. The book can
also be downloaded for printing in Word 6.0 and Adobe Acrobat PDF
format.
The main site also has other good resources. The Complete
Works of William Shakespeare
HTML versions of the plays.
Internet
Shakespeare Editions
According to the editors, the purpose of this site is "to
make scholarly, fully annotated texts of Shakespeare's plays available"
on the internet. This includes Quartos and Folios, old-spelling
editions of selected plays, and a refereed introduction to
Shakespeare's life and times.
Ren
Faire: Elizabethan Accents
A very interesting page that is part of a site devoted to
Renaissance Faires. It includes sections on pronunciation, vocabulary,
grammar, forms of address, insults and cursing, all aimed toward the
improvisational use of Elizabethan English. A particularly interesting
feature is a collection of sound files with Elizabethan pronunciations
of some words.
Shakespeare
Authorship
"Dedicated to the Proposition that Shakespeare Wrote
Shakespeare," this site is devoted to a critical examination of
Oxfordian claims on the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. It also
includes numerous links to other sites related both to the controversy
and to Shakespeare in general.
Shakespeare's
Theatre
Terry Gray's superb annotated guide to Shakespeare web
resources. A great place to start to research
your production.
AATE Online
The American Alliance for Theatre and Education web site.
American Arts
Alliance
The Advocacy Page of the American Arts Alliance provides
"advocacy information and tools for arts supporters to communicate the
need for continued federal support of the arts to their senators and
representatives."
American Association of
Community Theatre
A very respectable site that, in addition to a huge listing
of regional community theatres and programs to service them, has a Tips of the Month section
with practical advice on lots of theatre topics.
Americans for the Arts
(ArtsUSA)
ArtsUsa is the homepage of the Americans for the Arts, the
advocacy arm of the American Council for the Arts and the National
Assembly of Local Arts Agencies. Includes ACA Catalog of books, the
ArtsUSA Cafe discussion group, grant-writing and legal information, and
Arts Advocacy resources. An excellent site.
ArtsEdge
The mission of the Kennedy Center ArtsEdge is "to help
artists, teachers, and students gain access to and/or share
information, resources, and ideas that support the arts as a core
subject area in the K12 curriculum". This mission has given rise to
several programs of interest, including a news digest and archive,
links to sites in the arts and education, and a calendar of
Conferences, Contests, Grants, Requests for Papers, and Job Listings,
and the Community Center bulletin board.
ASTR: The American Society for
Theatre Research
The home site for the professional academic organization that
hosts a conference, working groups, a discussion list, and the journal Theatre
Survey.
ATHE
The Association for Theatre in Higher Education web site.
IATSE
The national website of the International Alliance of
Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and
Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada (the stagehands' union).
Institute for the
Management of Creative Enterprises
This site, formerly ArtsNet, provides (among other things) a searchable database
of arts resources.
The
International Federation for Theatre Research
In French and English, this is the home site for the
professional academic organization for conferences, working groups, and
the journal Theatre
Research International.
NEA Homepage
The National Endowment for the Arts.
Standing Conference of
University Drama Departments (SCUDD)
An umbrella agency for University Drama Departments in the
UK; includes a discussion list and some publications.
TCG: Theatre Communications
Group
The national membership organization for academes, amateurs,
and professionals alike. Among
other things, the organization features a bookstore, journal (American
Theatre) and ArtSearch, the
main national listing for jobs in the arts in the USA.
The Theatre Library
Association
Housed by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
at the Lincoln Center, this site for the
professional academic organzation supports librarians and archivists in
the performing arts. It features links to Performing Arts Libraries,
Archives and Museums, among other things.
World Wide Arts Resources
An impressive inventory of (mostly visual arts) resources
that includes a searchable database, some dance links, links to arts
organizations, arts employment, and more.
American Musicals
This site is basically a directory of contact information and
publicity for theatre practitioners and their shows in the Los Angeles
area.
American Theater Web
This site for "top news" has production listings by state,
date, and alphabetical order, as well as a callboard with various news
and announcements.
Bhasabharathi
The website of the Sopanam Institute of Kerala, India,
engaged in the production and preservation of performance styles and
methods of traditional Sanskrit and other Indian folk plays.
Branson Critic
This site provides a forum for volunteer reviewers as
"regular people" to share their quite literate opinions on theatre
performances in Branson, MO. They also offer a newsletter, a Q&A,
and an index to current shows playing.
Chicago Theatre from
Studio Z
Dan Zellner's page on Chicago theatre, with articles, play
bills, reviews, and links.
Culture
Vulture
The theatre section is a good place to find a sampling of
what's playing in various cities of the world. More importantly, it
includes very intelligent reviews and archives them for future
reference--many kudos to the webmaster.
CurtainUp
This site has lots of reviews, some feature articles and
interviews, covering the New York, London, and Washington, DC areas.
Institute of
Outdoor Drama
This site features an up-to-date list (directory) of
shows and contact information on outdoor drama producing organizations.
Drama.ca
Canadian theatre listings, reviews, festivals, theatre rental
information, news and auditions.
Irish Theatre
Resource
This site has a comprehensive directory of links to "all
Irish Theatre Companies, Venues, Dance, Festivals, and Theatre Sites."
London Theatre Guide
Concentrating on theatres that are members of the Society of
London Theatre: "the main 46 top theatres" of the West End.
Ohio Educational Theatre
Association (Ohio Thespians)
Aside from a center for information on Ohio Thespians, there
are excellent sections (reprinted articles) on copyright and censorship
concerns for theatre in public school settings.
StageDiary.com
Billing itself as an "Online Stage Magazine--a new source of
information and comment on theatre and other performing arts in
Queensland, Australia," this site includes arts headlines, reviews, and
a "what's playing" section.
Teatrolinks
Links to theatre groups, organizations, festivals, and other
web sites, mainly in Portugal, but also internationally.
Theatre Australia
Serving mostly Western Australia, this is a very respectable
and well-organized site. It includes the usual links to regional
theatres and their seasons, as well as a script library for locals,
message boards, and reviews of productions submitted by regular
theatre-going citizens. The gossip section is particularly juicy.
Theatre (Dance and
Performance) in Wales
A nicely organized site concerning the performing arts in
Wales. In addition to a comprehensive listing of companies,
universities and community organizations, the site includes a rich
compendium of reviews, articles, essays, and profiles on a variety of
related topics.
Larry Stark's THEATER
MIRROR, Boston's Live Theater Guide
This eclectic and witty guide starts with and focuses on
Boston, Massachusetts, but also expands its coverage of quality links
to the rest of the globe. Lots of information, few "bells and
whistles."
Theatremonkey.com
An "independent guide to London Theatre and Concert Venues,"
this site reviews London theatre auditoria, and gives advice on seat
selection, getting tickets while avoiding scalpers, etc. It also ranks
a seat's "value," which includes handicapped accessibility and general
comfort. They even send undercover agents in and publish a report of
their experiences at the hands of management.
World Theatres - New
York, London, Toronto and International
As the title suggests, this page gives the addresses and
seasons of various theatre companies sorted by venue.
Zurich's
Cynical Theatre Guide
A nice guide to the theatre scene in Zurich. It's in German,
but provides English descriptions
of the entries.
UK Theatre Web
A fairly comprehensive listing of performing arts events and
resources in the UK, including amateur and professional theatre, opera
and dance.
Potpourri: The Best of the Rest
AFS Home Page
American Fencers Supply, although a commercial site, also
offers much in the way of information and education on fencing and
weapons for the stage. Particularly informative is the illustration of
the many types of sword blades.
Applied and
Interactive Theatre Guide
Information on and links to psychodrama, drama therapy,
sociodrama, playback theater, Boal centers and practitioners, community
issues groups, and training and development specialists.
Artmedia (Australia)
Run by Alan Clay, this site
on Physical Theatre reads like a newsletter and focuses on Australia
and New Zealand. In fact, they have an e-newsletter available. It's an
interesting place to find out what's going on in that part of world in
that brand of theatre. Asian
American Theatre
Revue
An up-to-date resource on Asian American theatre, this site
includes a directory of organizations and annotated bibliography of
plays, as well as news and a calendar of events.
The Association of Theatre
Movement Educators
Formerly the Society of Theatre Movement Specialists, ATME is
an umbrella service organization primarily for movement educators in
actor training. Currently of national (USA) scope, plans are underway
to expand internationally.
Audio Theatre
Audio theatre is what happened to Radio Drama when "the
delivery vehicle abandoned the art form." This site includes news on
over 125 practicing organizations, as well as contests on writing and
producing audio theatre.
Bob Hope and
American Variety
More than a biographical Hope site, this online library of
Congress exhibit explores the American Variety performance from
vaudeville through the present using Hope's work as a springboard.
Photos, programs, partial scripts, and other memorabilia provide the
core of the collection.
Border Crossings
This site sponsored by a theatre company has a series of very
good essays on and interviews focusing on
intercultural theory and performances from its repertory.
Its chief patron is opera director Peter Sellars. Centre for
Performance Research
Located in Aberystwyth, Wales, this is a membership
organization whose site includes a
modest collection of links and descriptions of past and on-going
projects in performance. Members get more, such as a peer-reviewed
journal and access to an archive of books and videos on the subject of
contemporary (postmodern, etc.) performance.
Comedy-O-Rama
A comedy site from Joe Bevilacqua and Lorie Kellogg,
Comedy-O-Rama includes their own material (scripts, radio dramas,
funnies, etc.), as well as a very nice set of links to
resources on the "Great Ones" of comedy: Fred Allen, Fanny Brice, Phil
Silvers, and Jack Benny.
Creative Drama and
Theatre Education Resource Site
Geared for K-12 teachers, this site includes theatre games
and classroom
ideas, a short listing of plays for performance, and an annotated
bibliography of books for the classroom drama teacher.
Creative Drama
& Theatre for Youth Webring
This site links those with an interest in drama education and
drama for youth. There are now enough partners to make it a good
resource.
Dance Links
Links to dance-related resources based on the list compiled
by Amy Reusch and friends and hosted by Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. The
new web design may cause some erroneous file not found messages - but
don't worry - they are there.
DIOTIMA: Women and
Gender in the Ancient World
Contains a bibliography, links to course materials, on-line
articles, reviews, and images.
Eserver Drama Collection:
Drama
Links to plays, screenplays and discussions of drama and
dramatic productions not typically found elsewhere.
Federal
Theatre Project Collection
Lots of information and images from the Federal
Theatre Project archives at the Library of Congress. This is an
excellent tour through the only national theatre directly funded by the
US government in its history -- and rumor has it it actually made money.
Gruppo Storico e
Sbandieratori Città di Castiglion Fiorentino
An Italian site on folklore and historicla re-enactment from
the Tuscan Middle Ages. A good
source for music and flags/heraldry.
History
of Performance Studies
This site is a result of Dr. Kelly Taylor's Seminar on the
History of Performance Studies course at the University of North Texas.
There are student essays, as well as her own model site on Chambers of
Rhetoric.
Diane
Howard's Professional Support Network
An eclectic potpourri of professional resources in
performance studies and communication, such as course syllabi,
performance texts, audition announcements, and links to outside
resources in a variety of areas.
Interactive Drama
A "Scenario-Based Theatre-Style Interactive Drama Freeform
Live Action Roleplaying Game Scenario Archive." Includes many links,
information, and above all, a
collection of interactive scenarios available online.
International
Phonetic Association
Get the latest information about the International Phonetic
Alphabet, used in voice study. The site includes charts, a handbook,
and information on joining the association. For those who need to write
things in the internet phonetic alphabet, this page
contains links to several font packages for a variety of platforms.
Kabuki for
Everyone
A really nice, surprisingly comprehensive page on Kabuki and
related forms.
Landing Place
This site "for and about the fine arts" has a searchable
database of venues, lists of agents, bulletin boards, and more, with
contact information (phone and address more often than email or web
site).
Literary
Resources on the Net
Jack Lynch's site is a very comprehensive annotated
collection of links to literary resources, including many playwrights
and general theatre resources. It also includes a local search engine
for those seeking specific information.
The
Live Art Archives
A source for information about Live Art/Performance Art
materials in the UK. The current database covers 1994-2000, and work is
underway to update to the present. The site includes links to the
LiveArt discussion group and the Digital Performance Archives.
Magic for Socialism
This site is too interesting to pass by. Ian Saville explains
his magic routines: "whereas David Copperfield is content with little
tricks like making the Statue of Liberty disappear, I aim at the much
more ambitious goal of making International Capitalism and exploitation
disappear."
Medieval
English Drama
From the University of Rochester's Robbins Library, a
comprehensive bibliography of print resources on the subject, including
their Library of Congress designations.
Musicals.Net
Song lists, lyrics, synopses and more of your favorite
musicals.
Old
Sword-Play
A PDF version of the rare book by "Victorian scholar of the
sword," Captain Alfred Hutton. Caveat emptor.
On
the Theatrical Origin of the Expression "Green Room"
This scholarly article by George B. Bryan, published in DE
PROVERBIO: An Electronic Journal of International Proverb Studies
(Volume 3 - Number 1 - 1997), provides a great many options, but no
firm conclusions regarding the origin of the term.
Phonetics
Resources for Studying Spoken English
This site provides a nice annotated index to resources for
voice study on the internet; not only phonetics, but also speech
recognition and processing software and other technological fixes.
The Puppetry
Home Page
A very comprehensive page of links to puppetry resources,
including technique, construction, puppeteers, tour schedules, and
related issues.
The
Ring of Steel Theatrical, Stage and Film Combat Homepage
From Ann Arbor, Michigan, this is an excellent site for stage
combat and fencing. The Reference Shelf section is particularly
informative.
Semiotics
for Beginners
A comprehensive introduction to the subject of semiotics. It
is appropriately heady, and not for the academically thin-skinned.
Still, its
otherwise useful bibliography does not contain Keir Elam's Semiotics
of Theatre.
Stephen Sondheim Society
Besides the latest news on Sondheim productions and events in
the UK, there is an archive of performance records: programs, dates,
numbers of show runs, etc. as well as a message board.
Theatre
Ephemera
A collection of image files of mostly people, productions,
and theatres for teachers and students of theatre history. They seem to
cover mostly the 19th and early 20th century.
TheatreHistory.com
This is a quite comprehensive academically-oriented site
(almost an e-course) which provides a nice insight into issues of
theatre history. In addition to an index of topics (divided mainly by
region, but also by Age), there is a "Today in Theatre history"
section, as well as a featured topic and very modest script archive.
Theatre on a Shoestring
This is a remarkably comprehensive site for the theatre
aficionado and practitioner, offering a number of articles for theatre
people of all stripes, a glossary of theatre terms, theatre graphics,
theatre games, stagecraft tips, play synopses, and more. A very
impressive site.
Theatron: Theatre History
in Europe
An innovative presentation of architectural and textual
resources, offering interactive
walkthroughs of 3-d models of select theatre buildings. It does require
certain minimum computing
resources and the installation of two browser plugins, but it's worth
it to teachers and students
of theatre history.
Tongue
Twister Database
There are plenty of tongue twisters here,
indispensable for the actor/speaker.
Traveling
Culture: Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century
This Library of Congress online exhibit and searchable
database
presents an overview of this touring arts & lectures forum and
collection of circulars and talent brochures for performing artists.
Based on the records of one of the principal booking agents, Redpath
Lyceum Bureau, currently held by the University of Iowa Libraries. Vaudeville in
Ohio
A very interesting, freely accessible database cataloging
shows and performers at the Chicago Opera House in Chicago Junction
(now Willard), Ohio from August 1903 to December 1911. This small-town
American vaudeville information is just the kind of thing the internet
should make possible (in my opinion).
Urban Dictionary
This is an irresistible Wiki-style dictionary database of
current slang, focusing overmuch on the scatological. Still, when I
want to translate my students' rehearsal ad-libs into coherent terms, I
often consult it.
Virtual Vaudeville
This experimental site hosted by the University of Georgia
(USA) presents a Shockwave 3-D performance simulation by vaudevillian
Frank Bush, complete with reactions by the historical audience. It is
replete with historical information, presented both in the performance
context and as "notes." More importantly, it actually works -- a
one-of-a-kind application of scholarship and an amazing site!
Women's
Theatre and Creativity Centre
A page that seeks to create a community for women through
performance.
The World of Mime Theatre
Dedicated to "promotion of Mime as a serious theatrical art,"
this site offers a clickable index to all kinds of sites and subjects
related to Mime, which include "a Library, Resources, Performer
Contacts, and an Events Calendar."
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Please address
praise, scorn, and other comments concerning
the design of this web page to Ken McCoy
