Shakespeare (and more) Online

The UW Libraries recently subscribed to a new online resource, Theatre in Video, which features streaming video of more than 250 definitive performances of the world’s leading plays, together with over 100 film documentaries.

In addition to the plays of Shakespeare, many produced by the BBC, the database also features works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Molière, Racine, Ibsen, and a number of 20th century American playwrights. The collected documentaries include critical guides to featured plays and also video biographies of artists from Aristophanes to Anaïs Nin. With interviews of actors, authors, and directors, a number of documentaries explore the technical aspects of creating a character and/or mounting a production.

The database is searchable by playwright, actor, director, genre and more. When complete, the collection will offer more than 500 hours of online streaming video and feature productions from the 1930s through the end of the 20th century. Unlike Hollywood adaptations, these videos are the actual original productions, captured and recorded while performed in front of a live theatre audience.

To access this unique collection, see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.web/theatre-in-video
or from the library’s Web site, click on the “Databases” tab, type “Theatre in Video” in the search box, and follow the link to this valuable resource.