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Research Guides

Drama 302 - Critical Analysis (MIHAYLOVA, Autumn 2013): Production Histories

Guide to production histories and resources that provide contextual information

What are Production Histories?

A production history (performance history or stage history) is an account of significant productions of a theatrical work.  You can research a production history either through primary sources or secondary sources

  • Primary sources include production ephemera such as programs, photographs, promptbooks, etc., production designs, published scripts, or newspaper reviews or notices. 
  • Secondary sources include journal and magazine articles, critical resources on the playwright or play, biographies, websites such as IBDB.com, and stage histories of plays or playwrights.    

 

Note:  No one source is going to provide complete production history information. 

Acting Edition or Other Published Version of the Script

The acting edition of a play (usually published by Samuel French or Dramatists Play Service) will contain information on the first production.  Other published versions of the play may contain information on the first production.

Most acting editions offer a copy of the play text with more extensive stage directions than found elsewhere. If the show moved from regional theatre to New York or from Off-Broadway to Broadway you may find information on the production history for both productions. 

Information that may be found in acting editions

  • identify cast in the original production
  • identify theatre and opening dates of the first production may also include number of performances
  • information may also be provided on director, designers, and stage manager
  • character description
  • photo from the production
  • identify sound effects and may include information on sound effect recordings available
  • property list (or plot) - may give furniture and hand props by act and scene as well as list on which side of the stage to place hand props
  • provide notes on royalties due for any music used during the performance

 

Biographical and Critical Works on Playwright

Biographical works and critical works on a playwright may contain a chronology of major productions as well as detailed analyses of major plays.  

Stage Histories

Contains information on the stage history of either a particular play or of a particular playwright's work.  You can search in the library catalog for the playwright's name plus stage history to see if there is anything available. 

Stage histories usually have subject headings in the following format:  Playwright Name -- Stage History; for example, Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stage History.

Print Reference Resources

  • American theatre companies  Identifies theatres in the US and the plays they performed from 1931-1986.  PN2237. A43 1989 v.3 1931-1986 Drama Reference
  • International Dictionary of Theatre v.1 Plays  Entries include first publication and production information and provides a summary and critical overview.  Some entries have extensive lists of editions, translations, and published criticism.  PN2035.I49 1992 v.1 Drama Reference

  • New York Theatre Critics' Reviews  Has text of theatre reviews from New York and surrounding areas. Not current; the Drama Library has 1943- 1994 (when it ceased publication).  PN2000 .N76 Drama Reference
  • Theatre profiles  Provides information on professional theatre companies in the US; published every two years since 1973  PN2266 .T48 Drama Reference & Drama General Stacks

 

See also Production Histories in the Drama Research Guide for more titles

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Newspaper Reveiws and Journal/Magazine Articles

Reviews are useful in gaining information about a particular performance of a play, such as the acting, directing, and design elements.   

Magazine and journal articles may be either primary resources (contemporary reviews) or secondary resources (historical overviews of information available about a particular play). 

Newspaper Websites

Some newspaper reviews can be found online by searching google or bing, etc.  A number of newspapers have online review blogs that aren't indexed in standard databases.   

For example, this review of Treefall, "Theater review:  'Treefall' at Theatre Theater" appeared on an LA Times blog but was not indexed in an article database. 

Theatre and Theatrical Websites

In addition to information about when a play was produced, some theatre websites also include links to reviews or include reviews on the website for PR purposes.  Some theatres now include archival materials on their website such as program images, production photographs, or video. 

Using the internet to find play productions is particularly useful for international productions and small productions, including college productions, which may be difficult to find in article databases. 


The following online resources may also be useful in constructing production histories: