Performing by the Book:

Abstract

The influential role of library resources in the formulation of theatrical performance is not part of the popular imagination about the ways theatre artists create their work Libraries are acknowledged as important repositories of performance documentation, but less attention is given to the myriad types of information that libraries attribute to the conception and preparation of productions for the them. This paper discusses performance situations where theatre artists use libraries: to study various and variant editions of a playscript, for example, to examine past productions, or to research biographical and historical information relevant to the playwright or content of the script. The particular sources and methods employed by actors, designers and directors will be examined, employing case-study examples of how library resources contribute to performance. The position of dramaturg in the contemporary theatre serves as a useful locus. Dramaturgs are seen as the academics of the theatre profession, co...