Secondary sources are important for helping to give context to primary sources. They allow a researcher to look back and reflect to identify trends, provide prospective, and make connections between events that may have seemed unrelated when they happened.
When researching theatre, secondary sources will help understand how certain directors are influenced by each other, how the same play is interpreted and staged differently over time, and learn more about the backstage activities of set design, costuming, and lighting.
Secondary sources can also be very helpful when you are trying to research the issues that you want to make your piece of theatre about. You may find inspiration in reading about historical events or the challenges that underrepresented groups face in the world.
Below are some suggestions for where you can find secondary information about theatre but please don't hesitate to make an appointment with a librarian for help searching your specific idea.
See Databases A-Z to search for databases. Most databases are paid for by the library, but some are freely available to all.
Specific databases to try include:
