Finding Plays
Because the Library of Congress classifies drama as literature, drama is, for the most part, scattered throughout the literature section on the Fourth Floor of Campbell Library, depending on where and in what language it was originally written, and many unbound scripts are located in the Scripts Library in the Performing Arts Collection on the Second Floor of Campbell Library.
Luckily, if you know what you are looking for, you can search by the title and the author in the search box below:
Caution!
Many of the plays in the collection are in anthologies, which may or may not have descriptions of their complete contents in our record. This is the case for many older plays, and unfortunately, some plays in many of the theatre appreciation courses. Your play may also be available in one of our online collections, which Library Search may not search.
If you are having trouble finding a play, please contact the Ask a Librarian service for help. You can also request that the play be sent via Interlibrary Loan.
These databases contain the full text to many plays. Most of them are not searchable via Library Search.
- Black Drama: Third Edition This link opens in a new windowFulll text of more than 1,700 plays written from the mid-1800s to the present by more than 200 playwrights from North America, English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, and other African diaspora countries.
- Primary Sources Collection (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowThis database has many subcollections, including several with access to full-text to plays. The following collections can be found under the Literature Tab:
Asian American Drama
Black Drama
Contemporary World Drama
North American Indian Drama
North American Women’s Drama
Twentieth Century North American Drama - American Drama 1714-1915 This link opens in a new windowCovers three centuries of rare and modern dramatic works that have formed American theater. Includes over 1,500 plays from over 500 playwrights.
- English Drama This link opens in a new windowOver 3,900 plays in verse and prose from the late thirteenth century to the early twentieth.
- Latin American Drama This link opens in a new windowContains plays written by Latin American playwrights in the 19th-21st centuries.
- Nineteenth Century Collections Online (Gale Primary Sources) This link opens in a new windowOver 600 plays in English from the nineteenth century are available in this collection. Search under the Document Type "play" in the Advanced Search.
- Primary Sources Collection (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowAnother collection is Early English Books Online, which has over 400 plays published before 1700. Find it under the History tab.
- AM Explorer This link opens in a new windowThe collection Eighteenth Century Drama is a unique archive of almost every play submitted for licence in London between 1737 and 1824, and hundreds of documents that provide social context for the plays.
Plays are usually given the subject heading "Drama" or some variation of it (examples below), which you can search for in the advanced search in Library Search. You can also search for the material type "Books" to filter out journal articles. Unfortunately "Drama" also describes books that are about theater, so not all search results will be plays.
- Drama
- American Drama
- English Drama
- English Drama--19th century [can be added to any nationality]
- English Drama--20th century
- Russian Drama
- Spanish Drama
- Dramatic monologues
Plays are scattered throughout the literature section on the fourth floor of Campbell Library, and are available in the Script Library in the Performing Arts Collection, where they are organized alphabetically by author. Many are also available online in Library Search or in online collections.
Here are some guideposts if you want to browse plays (usually ordered by author or editor's last name) by the country or region of origin:
PA3000-3049 Classical literature
PA3050-4505 Greek literature
PA6000-6971 Roman literature
PA8001-8595 Medieval and modern Latin literature
PQ1211-1241 Collections of French Drama
PQ4227-4245 Collections of Italian Drama
PQ6217-6241 Collections of Spanish Drama
PR621-744 English Drama
PR1241-1273 Collections of English Drama
PS330-353 American Drama
PS623-(635) Collections of American Drama
PT605-709 German Drama
PT1251-1299 Collections of Drama
Finding Monologues
Finding the right monologue for you can be a daunting challenge. Fortunately, there are many resources through the library and on the internet that can help you find the perfect one.
You can browse our print collection of monologue books at PN2080 in the Performing Arts Collection on the second floor of Campbell Library.
You can also search our online and print collection in Library Search. Go to the advanced search, and do a subject search for "Monologues."
LGBTQ Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny by
(Applause Acting Series). The first and only book of its kind, this cutting-edge and incredibly hysterical monologue book is specifically for actors auditioning for LGBTQ roles. LGBTQ Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny features works by LGBT writers and comics (and their allies) who have written and/or performed for Comedy Central, Backstage magazine, NBC, the Huffington Post , the Onion , Second City, E!, and many more. This collection is the go-to source for the comedic monologue needs of actors seeking LGBT material, as well as a paean to LGBT characters and artists.
Call Number: PAC PN2080 .L525 2016ISBN: 9781495025150Publication Date: 2016-08-01
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women by
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors- Monologues for Women aims to provide new and exciting audition and showcase material for actresses of black, African American, South Asian and Middle Eastern heritage. Featuring the work of international contemporary playwrights who have written powerful and diverse roles for a range of actors, the collection is edited by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway. Categorized by age-range, the monologues are collected in groups of characters playable by actresses in their teens, twenties, thirties and forties+, and include work from over 25 top-class dramatists including Sudha Bhuchar, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Marcus Gardley, Mona Mansour and Naomi Wallace. Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors- Monologues for Women is the go-to resource for contemporary monologues and speeches for auditions. Ideal for aspiring and professional actresses, it allows performers to enhance their particular strengths and prepare for roles featuring characters of specific ethnic backgrounds.
Call Number: PAC PN2080 .A935 2016ISBN: 9781474229241Publication Date: 2016-06-30
Hear Me Now: Audition Monologues for Actors of Color by
A brand-new collection of original audition pieces written by and for actors of colour, commissioned by Tamasha Theatre Company and edited by Titi Dawudu, with a foreword by Noma Dumezmeni. Hear Me Now is a unique collection of over eighty original audition monologues, expressly created by a range of award-winning writers brought together by producer Titilola Dawudu and Tamasha Theatre Company. They're ideal for actors of colour searching for speeches for auditions or training, writers, teachers, and theatre-makers who are passionate about improving diversity. The book provides varied, nuanced stories that expand beyond the range of existing material available - from a cross-dressing imam, the first black Prime Minister, the British Indian girl moving to Nashville with dreams of becoming a country star, or the young black boy who loves baking as much as football -Hear Me Now is an essential tool for actors of colour to showcase their range, and seeks to inspire, empower, and create a legacy for generations to come.
Call Number: PAC PN2080 .H43 2018ISBN: 9781786824615Publication Date: 2019-02-19
Contemporary Monologues for Twentysomethings by
(Applause Acting Series). The theater of the 21st century, in many ways, is expanding to require new muscles of its actors, and so should their monologue choices. Contemporary Monologues for Twentysomethings is a compilation of monologues for actors ages 15 to 30, incorporating characters from a variety of backgrounds with different stories to tell, giving you the chance to explore those who are close to you and those who may come from someplace else. These monologues are compiled in order of length, with the shortest coming in a little under a minute and the longer pieces running closer to four minutes. All from plays written between 2000 and 2016, the monologues in this book are useful both for exploration in a classroom setting as well as for auditions. Jessica Bashline, adjunct professor of acting at New York University, has assembled a comprehensive collection, featuring work written by Neil LaBute, Sarah Ruhl, Zach Braff, Naomi Iizuka, and many more. Every playwright in this book is currently writing. Some of these plays have been produced on Broadway and some in tiny theaters in New York, Minneapolis, San Diego, or other cities around the country. This book offers a chance for emerging actors to explore work by playwrights, both emerging and established, that is truly contemporary.
Call Number: PAC PN2080 .C64815 2018ISBN: 9781495064852Publication Date: 2018-02-01
You can also use these online resources to find suitable monologues for any situation:
- Actorama - MonologuesHere you can search monologues from movies, plays, television and books according to gender, source material, type (dramatic, comic, serio-comic), main action/emotions explored, period, genre or specific keywords (e.g. title or author).
- Backstage - The MonologuerThe Monologuer contains an assortment of classical and contemporary monologues from plays, including Shakespeare, for males, females, kids, and adults. Use the filters to find the monologues perfect for you: search by author, gender, and theme.