Plays are published in several different forms. A play may appear as a separate publication, as a part of a set of the author's "Works," in an anthology or collection along with works by other authors, or in a periodical publication. Each of these formats may require a different approach to finding the play.

1. The play as individual book. These may be found in the online catalog, either under author or under title.

2. The play as part of collection or in a periodical. In some cases, the online catalog may list the individual plays in a collection or anthology and you will be able to find the play under its title and/or author.

If you do not find a copy of the play published individually or in an anthology, try looking in the online catalog under the author's name for "Works" (complete or selected) or "Plays."

3. If you still have not found the play, look in one of the following sources:

a. Online indexes to plays.

Inter-Play: an On-line Index to Plays in Collections, Anthologies, And Periodicals. This online database, created by the PSU Humanities Librarians, contains more than 44,000 entries for plays. It is easily searchable by author and/or title and it cites the PSU Library of Congress call numbers of sources for the texts of plays. Inter-Play is regularly updated and is available from the Library's homepage (library.pdx.edu/) Databases menu or, directly, at the following URL:
http://www.lib.pdx.edu/systems/interplay/

b. Published indexes to plays in collections and periodicals. These are located on the 2nd floor in the Reference Area. Many overlap in their coverage, but each has certain unique features. The date of publication of the index and the period covered is important to note, especially when you know when the play was first performed or published.

(1) Index to Plays, 1800-1926. 1927 (Z5781 .A1 F5 and Supplement, 1935) Good for locating lesser-known 19th and early 20th century plays. Lists individual books and titles in collections and periodicals. Indexed by . author, followed by a title/subject index.

(2) Index to Plays in Periodicals. 1979 (Z5781 .K43 1979 and Supplement, 1990) This has author and title indexes. Good cross-references for translations, editors, etc.

(3) Plays in Periodicals. 1970 (Z5781 .P3) An index to English-language plays in 20th-century journals. Title and author indexes followed by a cast analysis, noting the number of males, females and children required to cast each play.

(4) Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections. 7th ed., 1988. (Z5781 .O8 1988) The author index is keyed by symbol to a list of collections of plays. There is a title index as well.

(5) Play Index. 1949-1997. The latest volume available is for 1988-92. (Z5781 .P53) Indexes by author, title, and subject in one alphabet plays published as individual books or in collections. Includes the number of acts/scenes, gives a cast analysis and level of performers/audience. Indexes titles published by French, Baker, and Dramatists Play Service. There is also an online version available under databases on the PSU Library website and here.

If you don't find the play you are looking for, consult the person at the Reference desk for help in locating a copy. It may be that a nearby library has a copy just waiting for you, or it may be that you will need to request the collection, anthology, or periodical volume in which the play appears through Interlibrary Loan.