The Peter J. Shields Library, with more than 2.6 million volumes,
is ranked among the top research libraries in the country. The
special collections in the performing arts—especially in
experimental theatre—are impressive, comprising more than 650
linear feet of materials. Holdings range from the Ballantine
papers, chronicling the development of the Provincetown Players,
to the archives of the Living Theatre, which from the
mid-twentieth century advocated anarchy and radical social
change.
Shields Library also holds the archives of the Bread and Puppet
Theatre, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, the Joint Stock Theatre
Group, and the Squat Theatre, as well as many other
performance-related holdings, including ephemera, theatrical and
booking agents’ archives, set designs, playscripts, and more. The
Performing Arts collection has no geographical or language
limits, although the bulk of the materials are in English and
originate from Great Britain or the U.S.
Students are also encouraged to take full advantage of the
outstanding resources available in other UC Davis Arts Programs
and in the Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies departments of
the University of California, Davis. Doctoral students may wish
to pursue compatible studies in Critical Theory, Feminist Theory
and Research, African and African American Studies, American
Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies,
Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, English, or foreign
languages.
