LibGuides: Theatre: Databases

Library Subscribed Research Databases

Use these databases to find articles from peer-reviewed journals.

Academic Search Complete
Full-text articles from journals, magazines, and reference sources that covering a broad range of academic study.

Covers anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, engineering, ethnic & multicultural studies, geology, law, materials science, mathematics, music, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, psychology, religion & theology, veterinary science, women's studies, zoology, and many other fields.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index
Multidisciplinary index covering arts and humanities. Coverage: 1980 - present.
International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text
Index of full-text articles covering theatre, dance and performing arts. Coverage: 1984 - present.
JSTOR
Full-text scholarly journal articles and ebooks related to the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Coverage: 2-5 years from current.
Literature Criticism Online
Index of literary criticism with full-text from several collections including Contemporary, 20th-Century, 19th-Century, Shakespearean, 1400-1800, Classical & Medieval, Poetry, Short Story, Drama and Children's.
MLA International Bibliography with Full Text
Index with some abstracts and some full-text journal articles, books, series, translations, and dissertations on the study of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and film. Includes. Coverage: 1900s - present.

Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA) and includes the MLA Directory of Periodicals and the MLA Thesaurus.
Project MUSE
Full-text journals covering literature, history, visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, and gender studies. Coverage: 1993 - present.
Shakespeare Collection
Full-text reference data, scholarly periodicals, reprinted criticism, primary source material and the full-text annotated works from The Arden Shakespeare. Coverage: 1517 - 1975.

Free and Open Resources

This list contains resources free and open to all students regardless of LUC affiliation. This may contain resources for jobs, news, and local indexes.

American Theatre Magazine
AmericanTheatre.org is the online home of American Theatre magazine. It contains every article published in the magazine, with the exception of the complete play scripts. With content updated daily, AmericanTheatre.org delivers up-to-the minute news, in-depth features, stunning visuals, exclusive podcasts and videos, and artists’ commentary and opinions across technological platforms.
Art Search
Since 1981, ARTSEARCH® has published job openings for the professional performing arts field. Whether you are looking for full-time or part-time, seasonal or year-round, paid or volunteer, ARTSEARCH® makes your job search easy.
Chicago Theatre History Project
Includes a bibliography of works about Chicago theatre history as well as a database of important names and theatres.
Federal Theatre Project Collection
This online presentation includes over 13,000 images of items selected from the Federal Theatre Project Collection at the Library of Congress. Featured here are stage and costume designs, still photographs, posters, and scripts.
Federal Theatre Project Collection
This online presentation includes over 13,000 images of items selected from the Federal Theatre Project Collection at the Library of Congress. Featured here are stage and costume designs, still photographs, posters, and scripts for 70 plays.
Howl Round Theatre Commons
Theatre Commons hosting active discussion on theatre practice and pedagogy specific to the Chicago area.
Internet Broadway Database
IBDB provides records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre until today.
Internet Off-Broadway Database
Provides a catalogue of shows produced Off-Broadway including title page credits, original cast members and replacements, window card photos, awards won, number of performances and much more.
League of Chicago Theatres
The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.
New York Public Library Collections
A searchable database of over 16,000 images, audio, and video clips from the collections of the New York Public Library.
NYPL Digital Gallery: Arts & Literature
Images from the collections of the New York Public Library include photographs of Broadway theater marquees, photographs of actors and actresses, in character and as themselves, from the 19th century to recent years, and placards from the two leading centers of Yiddish theater in their respective heydays.
Performing Arts Encyclopedia
A guide to the collections and other resources at the Library of Congress pertaining to music, theater, and dance.
Playbill Vault
Includes cover images and cast information from Playbills of Broadway productions 1930 to present.
Theatrical Lighting Database
This collection contains actual lighting design plots, focus charts, cue sheets and much more from four landmark productions digitized from the collections of the New York Public Library.