Reference resources are ideal for a broad overview of a topic. They provide a good starting place if you're investigating a playwright, type of theatre, historical time period, or place that's brand new to you.
Why? To explore a premier virtual reference collection including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and atlases in a wide expanse of subject areas
What? Encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, images, audio files, and video
We also have print reference books pertaining to Drama on the second floor.
Search the catalog for print and electronic resources pertaining to acting. On the third floor you can browse books about the craft of acting, including books of scenes and monologues, under the call numbers PN2055 to PN2080. Scripts for plays in English can be found roughly from the call number ranges PR6000 through PS, but be aware that they are intermingled with other kinds of literature in English. We also have an easily browsable collection of scripts published since 2010 on the second floor!
You can find more information about locating scripts and monologues in the Drama Subject Guide.
Here are just a few examples of books we have about voice, accents, and dialects:
Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen by 
Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd Edition by 
Voice: Onstage and Off by 
Voice Made Visible: Multi-Octave Voice Training and Techniques for Performers by Articles from magazines and scholarly journals can provide a deeper dive into focused topics. Some databases where you can find articles of interest include:
Why? To explore a full-text archive of scholarly journals, particularly strong in the arts and humanities
What? Journal articles
When? 1665 - present
Why? To find resources to support literary response and analysis from a diverse range of critics and viewpoints
What? Topic guides, literary works, reviews, and criticism
Why? To discover potential sources by exploring 1M+ records from international periodicals covering the performing arts industry, from musical theater and opera, to magic and pantomime, to television and film
What? Abstract and indexes, with some full-text availability
When? 1864 - present
You can find all of our databases in our A-Z List, but here is a list of some databases of particular interest:
Why? To explore full-text plays from Aeschylus to the present day as well as information on historical context, playwrights, analysis, and production images
What? Play scripts, contextual information, analysis, and production images
When? 500 BCE - present
Why? To listen to 1,700 recordings of authentic English-language dialects and accents spoken by people from 135 different countries
What? Recordings of spoken language
When? 1998 - present
Why? To find word-for-word International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and translations of 15,000+ songs and arias in Latin, Italian, German, and French
What? Translations and transcriptions of songs in PDF format
Why? To research topics in the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics
What? Journal articles
Why? To explore Victorian cultural selections from the British Library including playbills, scripts, and scores
What? Primary sources
When? 19th century
Why? To browse a select collection of eBooks covering the history and critical reception of theatre
What? Playbills, eBooks, posters, photographs, and related ephemera
Electronic script collections can be found on the Drama Subject Guide here.
You can use open access resources from any computer, anywhere, whether or not you have a UNCSA affiliation--they are free to all!
If we don't have access to a title you are looking for, please consider making an interlibrary loan request or purchase request. Interlibrary loan means we will look for another library that owns the title that might be willing to loan it out to us for a limited period of time. A purchase request means that the UNCSA library will purchase a copy to add to our collection.