Library Research Guides: THEATRE: Find Plays

Find Plays in Print

Trying to find out where a play might have been collected? Trying to find a play--any play--set in a hospital? Try one of these resources.

Guide to Browsing for Plays in the Wellesley College Library [PDF]
Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections [e-book]
Find plays by title or author in 2000 collections published from 1900 to 2000.
Play Index
Call Number: Clapp Ref Z5781 .P53
From 1949 - 2002. Find plays by title, author, subject, style, genre, and setting. Full bibliographic information for every play. Coverage includes all kinds of plays written in or translated into English, from classic drama, to radio and television plays, to puppet performances.
Inter-Play
Online index to plays in collections, anthologies and periodicals.

If you find your play in Inter-Play you’ll need to go back to our library catalog and see if we have the collection, anthology or periodical that contains the play.

Inter-Play is based on the library collection at Portland State University, so if you don’t find your play listed it doesn’t mean your play hasn’t been published.
Index to plays in periodicals
Call Number: Clapp Reference Z5781 .K43
Indexes plays in the periodicals and features all types of plays in a variety of languages, from works for children to Broadway hits, classics, and closet dramas. Search by author or title.

Commercial Publishers

You can use the online catalogues of commercial theatrical publishers like those listed below to browse for plays that fit your cast, audience, or other production needs.

Find Plays Full Text Online

Asian American Drama This link opens in a new window
Full-text of over 250 plays by Asian American playwrights, with biographical, production, and theatrical information, late 19th century to present

American Drama 1714-1915
More than 1,500 dramatic works from the early eighteenth century up to the beginning of the twentieth. Searchable through our Literature Online (LION) database.
English Drama
A unique collection of more than 3,900 plays in verse and prose tracing the development of drama in English from the medieval mystery cycles to the comedies of Oscar Wilde. Searchable through our Literature Online (LION) database.
EServer Drama Collection
This site contains a collection of original plays and screenplays, criticism and links to other sites concerned with theatre. It publishes both classic and contemporary works.