Theatre reviews appear in a variety of sources, including popular magazines, newspapers, and theatre-related journals; they also appear on Web sites.

To find a review of a particular play or production,

1. Identify when the play was first performed or when a particular production opened.
   If you don't know the production history of a play, consult one of the following sources or ask a librarian for help.
   • International Dictionary of Theatre. Ed. Mark Hawkins-Dady. 3 vols. Chicago, IL: St. James Press, 1992.
     Reference R 792 I61
   • The Oxford Dictionary of Plays. Michael Patterson. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2005.
     Reference R 809.2 P318o
2. Select an index, database, or other resource that covers the time period in which the play was staged. Most major productions are reviewed soon after they open.
   • Recent Productions (staged within the last five years)
   • Older Productions

Note: to locate criticism and analysis of a play, consult one of the sources listed on the Indexes & Databases pages, especially those for Classics, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, or Theatre.

• Recent Productions

  To find reviews of productions staged within the last five years, search the following:

  • Academic Search Premier
    (1975 to present) Includes citations to reviews in popular periodicals, some scholarly journals, and several national newspapers.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Enter key words from the title of the play and then add the phrase "theater reviews."
    • Example: stuff happens and "theater reviews"
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Alternative Press Index
    Library has 1995 to present: Reference Index Area R 050 A466
    Indexes reviews in periodicals such as The Advocate, The Nation, The Utne Reader, and other "radical" or "alternative" periodicals.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Start searching in the volume covering the year that the play was performed.
    • At the back of the volume, there is a section listing "Other Reviews," which contains the sub-section "Theater Reviews." Entries are arranged alphabetically by playwright. Some theatre reviews also appear in the main part of the index, but the most complete list is in the back.
  • Contemporary Women's Issues
    (1992 to present) Includes citations to theatre reviews; also contains some full text.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Enter key words from the title of the play and then in the drop-down menu for "Article Type," choose "Media Review."
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: automatic
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance
    (c. 1982 to present) Includes citations to, and some full text of, journal articles, books, and essays on all aspects of theatre and the performing arts. International in scope. Unlike the MLA International Bibliography, the International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance focuses on theatre-as-performance.
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • LexisNexis Academic
    (Approx. 1980 to present) Includes the full text of theatre reviews from major national and international newspapers, such as the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Boston Globe, The Daily Telegraph, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Times (London); also includes articles from magazines and regional newspapers.
    To find theatre reviews, try several different searches:
    • Search News to find articles in U.S. and international newspapers.
    • Search News and from the "Select Sources" drop-down menu, choose "Book, Movie, Music, Play, and Video reviews." Enter key words from the title of the play and adjust the date range as appropriate.
    • To find review of local or regional productions:
      • Click on the red "Sources" tab in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
      • For step 1, keep the default "Publication type."
      • For step 2, "Filter by," choose "United States" as the country and then select the appropriate region or state.
      • For step 3, click on "News" and select one or more news sources.
      • Click the "OK - Continue" button on the right-hand side of the screen.
      • Enter key words from the title of the play and adjust the date range as appropriate. If your search retrieves too many records, add the name of the playwright and/or the name of the town or theatre where the performance was held.
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an exclamation point
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use an asterisk *
  • OmniFile Full Text Mega
    (1982 to present) Indexes articles from over 3,000 scholarly and popular periodicals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; also includes the full text of selected articles from over 1,650 of these periodicals.
    Note: OmniFile contains all of the information (1982 to present) in six Wilson databases, including Humanities Abstracts and Readers' Guide Abstracts.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Search strategy 1:
      • In the first entry box, enter key words from the title of the play and leave the default search type as "All - Smart Search."
      • In the second entry box, enter the phrase "theater review" and limit the phrase to the "document type" field in the drop-down menu.
    • Search strategy 2:
      • Enter key words from the title of the play and add the phrase "theater reviews." Leave the default search type as "All - Smart Search."
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • World Shakespeare Bibliography Online
    (1971 to present) Includes citations to performance reviews as well as articles, books, and audiovisual materials related to Shakespeare; also includes book reviews and film reviews.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • On the advanced search screen, enter any appropriate title keywords, title words, or names
    • In the "document type" drop-down menu, choose "production"
    • Reviews are listed in the records for particular productions.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""

• Older Productions

  To find reviews of productions staged more than five years ago, search the following:

  • Academic Search Premier
    (1975 to present) Includes citations to reviews in popular periodicals, some scholarly journals, and several national newspapers.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Enter key words from the title of the play and then add the phrase "theater reviews."
    • Example: stuff happens and "theater reviews"
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Alternative Press Index
    Library has 1995 to present: Reference Index Area R 050 A466
    Indexes reviews in periodicals such as The Advocate, The Nation, The Utne Reader, and other "radical" or "alternative" periodicals.
    To find  theatre reviews:
    • Start searching in the volume covering the year that the play was performed.
    • At the back of the volume, there is a section listing "Other Reviews," which contains the sub-section "Theater Reviews." Entries are arranged alphabetically by playwright. Some theatre reviews also appear in the main part of the index, but the most complete list is in the back.
  • Contemporary Women's Issues
    (1992 to present) Includes citations to theatre reviews; also contains some full text.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Enter key words from the title of the play and then in the drop-down menu for "Article Type," choose "Media Review."
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: automatic
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • A Guide to Critical Reviews. James M. Salem. 2nd ed. 3 vols. New York: Scarecrow, 1973-1979.
    Reference R 016.8 S163g2
    Covers reviews of New York productions from 1909-1982.
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present) Indexes theatre reviews from a variety of English-language journals in the humanities.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Plays produced prior to 1984:
      • Enter key words from the title of the play and then add the phrase "theater reviews." Keep the default search type "All - Smart Search."
      • Plays produced from 1984 to the present:
        • Search strategy 1:
          • In the first entry box, enter key words from the title of the play; keep the default search type "All - Smart Search."
          • In the second entry box, type "theater review" and choose "document type" from the drop-down menu.
        • Search strategy 2:
          • Enter key words from the title of the play and then add the phrase "theater reviews." Keep the default search type "All - Smart Search."
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance
    (c. 1982 to present) Includes citations to, and some full text of, journal articles, books, and essays on all aspects of theatre and the performing arts. International in scope. Unlike the MLA International Bibliography, the International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance focuses on theatre-as-performance.
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • LexisNexis Academic
    (Approx. 1980 to present) Includes the full text of theatre reviews from major national and international newspapers, such as the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Boston Globe, The Daily Telegraph, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Times (London); also includes articles from magazines and regional newspapers.
    To find theatre reviews, try several different searches:
    • Search News to find articles in U.S. and international newspapers.
    • Search News and from the "Select Sources" drop-down menu, choose "Book, Movie, Music, Play, and Video reviews." Enter key words from the title of the play and adjust the date range as appropriate.
    • To find review of local or regional productions:
      • Click on the red "Sources" tab in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
      • For step 1, keep the default "Publication type."
      • For step 2, "Filter by," choose "United States" as the country and then select the appropriate region or state.
      • For step 3, click on "News" and select one or more news sources.
      • Click the "OK - Continue" button on the right-hand side of the screen.
      • Enter key words from the title of the play and adjust the date range as appropriate. If your search retrieves too many records, add the name of the playwright and/or the name of the town or theatre where the performance was held.
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an exclamation point
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use an asterisk *
  • London Theatre Record (1981-1991)
    Theatre Record (1991 to present)
    Library has 1981 to present
    Covers performances in London and the West End; reprints reviews from British publications.
  • Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism
    • Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors through the Beginning of the Twentieth Century. Rev. Martin Tucker. New York: Ungar, 1966.
      Reference R 820.9 M92L1
    • New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985-1990.
      Reference R 809 C5162
    • The Major Author's Edition of the New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985- .
      Reference R 809 C5163
    For major authors, Moulton's reprints excerpts of criticism, including reviews and comments by the authors' contemporaries.
  • New York Critics' Reviews (1940-1995)
    National Theatre Critics' Reviews (1995-1996)
    Library has 1940-1996
    Covers performances on Broadway and Off-Broadway; reprints reviews from The New York Times, The New York Post, and other publications.
  • The New York Times
    • Online
      • 1851-2004: Historical Newspapers: The New York Times
        To find theatre reviews:
        • On the Advanced Search screen, enter key words from the title of the play.
        • Click on the "More Search Options" tab toward the bottom of the page and in the "Article Type" drop-down menu, choose "Review."
      • 1980 to present: LexisNexis Academic (for details, see above)
    • Reprint
      • New York Times Theater Reviews, 1870-1919. 6 vols. New York: New York Times, 1975.
        Reference R 792.09 N54
      • New York Times Theater Reviews. New York: New York Times, 1971-2000.
        Reference R 792.09 N532
        Reproduces the original reviews from 1920 to 2000.
        No longer published. For more recent reviews, consult LexisNexis Academic (see above).
        
    • Microfilm
      • 1851 to present
        Microfilm cabinets C20-C26
        Consult the New York Times Index shelved in the Reference Index Area at R 071 N53.
  • Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short Story Writers, and Other Creative Writers who Died between 1800 and 1900, from the First Published Critical Appraisals to Current Evaluations. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1981- .
    Reference R 809.03 N714
    To locate relevant entries in this set, consult Gale's Literary Index.
  • Periodicals Index Online
    (c. 1665-1995) Includes theatre reviews and criticism.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Enter the title of the play
    • If necessary, add the phrase "theater reviews" or the word "reviews" and limit by date
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic.
  • Readers' Guide Abstracts
    (1890 to present) Indexes theatre reviews appearing in English-language popular magazines. Particularly useful for its retrospective coverage.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • Plays produced prior to 1983:
      • Enter key words from the title of the play and add the phrase "theater reviews." Leave the default search type as "All - Smart Search."
    • Plays produced from 1983 to the present:
      • Search strategy 1:
        • In the first entry box, enter key words from the title of the play; keep the default search type "All - Smart Search."
        • In the second entry box, type "theater review" and choose "document type" from the drop-down menu.
      • Search strategy 2:
        • Enter key words from the title of the play and then add the phrase "theater reviews." Keep the default search type "All - Smart Search."
    Search syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Shakespearean Criticism: Excerpts from the Criticism of William Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry, from the First Published Appraisals to Current Evaluations. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1984- .
    Reference R 822.33 DS5275
    To locate relevant entries in this set, consult Gale's Literary Index.
  • Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short Story Writers, and Other Creative Writers, 1900-1960. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1978- .
    Reference R 809.04 T971
    To locate relevant entries in this set, consult Gale's Literary Index.
  • The Times [London]
    • Online:
      • 1985 to present: LexisNexis Academic
        For details, see above.
    • Microfilm:
      • 1785 to present
        Microfilm cabinets C35-C37
        To find reviews, consult the Index to the Times, shelved in the Reference Index Area at R 070 T58. Look under entries for "drama" or "theatrical productions" for citations to reviews.
  • World Shakespeare Bibliography Online
    (1971 to present) Includes citations to performance reviews as well as articles, books, and audiovisual materials related to Shakespeare; also includes book reviews and film reviews.
    To find theatre reviews:
    • On the advanced search screen, enter any appropriate title keywords, title words, or names
    • In the "document type" drop-down menu, choose "production"
    • Reviews are listed in the records for particular productions.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""