Searching for plays or play scripts?
If a play has been published as a single volume, script or book (e.g., August: Osage County), include the title of the play in quotes in the main search box. You may also want to include the playwright's last name if the title of the play is not uncommon. For example: Art Yasmina Reza.
To search for a play on a particular topic:
Play scripts may or may not not include the word “play” in their title or subject descriptions. Many plays (but not all!) do include the word “drama” in their subject descriptions.
Type a keyword that describes your topic or subject into the search box, like “families” or “sisters” or “Asian American”, and also include the word “drama." Your results will NOT be comprehensive, but should give you a place to start.
You can also use Play Index to help you find plays by topic, location or cast members. Play Index includes references to plays published between 1949 and the present. Once you find a title, you can check the library catalog to see if we own the play.
DePaul also subscribes to databases that provide access to the complete texts of older plays, such as Drama Online, American Drama 1714-1915 or English Drama.
Theatre in Video provides online streaming video of over 500 performances. Videos of the BBC Shakespeare productions can be found in the BBC Shakespeare Video database, and audio recordings of L.A. Theatreworks productions in Audio Drama.
Start your research with these featured resources, or use the tabs above for additional resources.