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Actors Page

An overview of the resources available for researchers in the field of Acting.

Time Period Research

Researching the Time Period of a play can be a daunting task.  Use this page to find out what is the time period of your play.  You may need to search newspapers, archives, books etc. and don't forget documentary films!

llustration depicts two actors sword fighting on a bare stage with people in the gallery.

The Battle of Bosworth Field - A Scene from the Great Drama of History.

Newspapers

The library has a variety of newspapers in various time periods available for study.

Archives

Archives are places where records, documents, or other materials of historical interest are housed.

Historical Databases

Use these historical databases to find information about actors, actresses, time period etc. Some go back as far as 1400!

Letters & Diaries/Oral Histories

Letters & Diaries/Oral Histories are great places to find first hand information about actors, time periods etc.

Avery Fisher Center

Multi-Volume Sets

Here are several multi-volume sets that provide easy access to information about time periods in America and Europe, they are excellent for Background Research.

Finding background Information in the Catalog on Europe

To find similar information on Europe begin with an encyclopedia.  You can find them in the reference room, AE5 .E363, or use online ones by entering the titles, "Britannica" or "Columbia encyclopedias" in the Catalog

To access the history collections in the Catalog enter:

  • History AND choose country

This will result in a collection of general histories being displayed.

To locate chronologies follow a similar method:

  • Chronology AND Europe

Credo Reference Online

Credo is a collection of dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical sources, quotations, bilingual dictionaries, and measurement conversions covering topics from the arts to the sciences.