Primary sources in theatre and dance include many categories:
See our Primary Source Timeline to browse a selection of primary source databases organized by coverage dates and locations.
JumpStart contains many primary sources that have been published or digitized. For everything beyond the scope of the catalog, we offer many databases of primary sources. Several useful examples for theatre and dance are listed below.
Access primary sources related to arts and popular culture in the Victorian era. Documents range from playbills, scripts to operas and complete scores to archival documents, such as personal letters, annotated programs, meeting minutes, and financial records. This collection is part of Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO). Coverage: 1726-1968, but varies by collection. Contains primary sources. Full text.
Access documents related to the life and work of Renaissance writer Ben Jonson. This collection includes major works, letters, diaries, music scores, and contextual documents. Full text.
Access play scripts and scholarly works on theory, criticism, and practice, from Ancient Greece to the present. Use the "Advanced Play Search" to search by cast size (including monologues for auditions) or play length. Bloomsbury. Coverage: antiquity to present, contains primary sources. Full text.
Access articles and images from historical issues of the New York Times. Coverage: 1851-2020, contains primary sources. Full text.
Access an archive of almost every play submitted to the Lord Chamberlain for license between 1737 and 1824, along with documents that provide social context for the plays. Coverage: 1737-1824, contains primary sources. Full text.