A quick and authoritative source for beginning information on a play or playwright is the Encyclopedia Britannica Online . It is a good place to check if you're having trouble finding biographical information in other sources.
Entries are scholarly.
For black history in the U.S., consult Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History . Books Trexler Library's online catalog points to books on biography of famous persons and histories of the theater, as well as more general commentary on history and culture. Stage history for general cultural and historical commentary. Journal databases These databases, most of them online and many full-text, are for the Muhlenberg community only. They can be accessed on campus without a password, or from your home with your name and social security number as login and password.