While much information is freely available online, some questions can't be reliably answered with a Google search. Thus, print and electronic content available through libraries still play an important part in a dramaturg's research. The guide suggests resources available to MTSU users that are relevant for researching a play.
"In the context of what dramaturgs do, dramaturgy is a comprehensive exploration of the contexts in which the play resides. The dramaturg is the resident expert on the physical, social, political and economic milieus in which the action takes place, the psychological underpinnings of the characters, the various metaphorical expressions in the play of thematic concerns; as well as on technical consideration of the play as a piece of writing: structure, rhythm, flow, even individual word choices." Terry McCabe, Mis-Directing the Play, 2001, p. 64.
Drama Online is a collection of over 1,200 playtexts and scholarly works (context & criticism and theatre craft) from across the history of the theater, along with selected video content: