*Theater

World theater as practiced in 177 countries, from 1945 to the present day. Explores the social milieu from which each national theater community arises. Includes puppet theater and dance theater.

Publication dates: worldwide, ca. 1850-2005. Concentrates on drama as literature, rather than as performance. The best place to look for authoritative biographical information on lesser known playwrights from around the world. There are also extensive entries on individual works (e.g. Zong Fuxian's "In a Land of Silence").

Authoritative three volume history of American theater covering from the time immediately prior to European colonization through the 1990s.

Three volume history of British theater starting around the time of Shakespeare and continuing forward. An excellent source for background information and contextualization of British theater.