The Bleviss Family Library
The National Theatre School library: an invaluable resource!
The Bleviss Family Library is the largest documentation centre for theatre and its related art forms in Canada. It offers a wide range of services and documents pertaining to the training and practice of the various theatre crafts (acting, set and costume design, playwriting, directing, etc.) and the performing arts (dance, circus arts, etc.). It enables professionals, students and teachers from various institutions, as well as the general public, to find the documents needed for in-depth research on all aspects of a theatrical production (history, iconography, social context, geography, etc.). It is open to the public on a subscription basis.
The library’s collections are listed in an electronic catalogue (Thalia).
Collections
The library contains over 50,000 titles in French and in English (monographs, dramatic texts, reference books, etc.).
Collections in circulation
Monographs
The following areas are covered: architecture, design and decoration, graphic arts, performing arts, scenography, masks, costumes, costume accessories, furniture (by era and by country), photography, tapestry, textiles, fashion design, dance, mime and pantomime, circus and marionettes.
Dramatic Texts
The library contains not only published dramatic texts, but also a very precious collection of unpublished texts (manuscripts), submitted by their authors, adapters, and translators. These texts are available in French and/or in English only.
The central catalogue (soon available on the Internet) is based on an analytical description of the dramatic works. This will allow users to access information from various useful angles within the context of a production: number of roles, division of female and male roles, type, subject, era, etc.
Theatre for children and adolescents
The library has a large number of plays for children and adolescents. It also features books on drama projects, which could be organized in schools or as extra-curricular activities.
Collections to be consulted in-house
There are 10,000 files on plays, individuals (playwrights, directors, actors, etc.), festivals and theatre companies in Montreal, Canada, and abroad which can be consulted in-house.
Rare books
This collection contains first editions, books dedicated by the author, documents whose illustrations are of an exceptional quality, and books of which some date back to 1770.
Specialized magazines
The library keeps and makes accessible a large number of national and international magazines specialized in theatre. This collection is made up of complete series of magazines no longer being published as well as magazines to which the library is currently subscribed.
Index and reference works used for general or in-depth research in theatre or the performing arts.
Theatre posters
Theatre programs from across Canada, the United-States, and Europe.
An iconographic collection of postcards from around the world; pictures of fashion and accessories from around the world, and various or rare objects.
A repertory of audition scenes classified according to type
Major Montreal and national newspapers
A list of plays frequently performed in summer theatre
Production photos from the Montreal Repertory Theatre
Vocal recordings of accents for actors (English version)
A video collection on theatre and the performing arts as well as feature films from the classical and contemporary international repertoire can be viewed in the Library.