General Help

Which Collection Should I Search?



Here is a brief description of what is stored in each collection.

• Object Collection: physical items such as props, costumes and set pieces.

• Archives Collection: informational material such as photographs, designs, recordings and stage management materials.

• Production/Event Register: listings of productions and events hosted or created by the Festival with accompanying cast and crew lists.

• Person/Institution Register: professional biographical information on individuals or companies who have worked with the Festival.



Simple Search Help



With the left mouse button, click the Simple Search button in the Action column on the left, or click the Simple Search button on the Introduction page.

Select the collection you would like to search by checking or unchecking the boxes next to the collection names. For information on what is stored in each collection, see Which Collection Should I Search?

Once you have selected the collections that interest you, type the word or name you want to search in the search box. You can search by using a partial word, a full word, or multiple words. If you search for multiple words, all entered words must be found in order for a result to be returned.

When searching, all words must be separated by a space.

For best results, DO NOT USE PLURALS. For example, search for photograph instead of photographs, or hat instead of hats.

Click the Search button to start the search.

For more advanced information, download the Simple Search Guide.

Advanced Search Help



With the left mouse button, click the Advanced Search button in the Action column on the left, or select the Advanced Search button from the Introduction page.

Select a collection that interests you from the Search In drop-down menu at the top of the page. You can open the drop-down menu by clicking on the downwards-pointing chevron on the far right of the box. You must select a collection to search in before entering further text into the search page.

If you would like to search in the Archives and Object Database at the same time, select Object and Archives Collection from the dropdown list. Otherwise, select the collection that best suits your search needs.

For information on what is stored in each collection, see Which Collection Should I Search?

The available search fields change depending on which collection is selected. Type the word(s) or name(s) you want to search in the relevant search boxes. For more help on what to type in a particular search box, click the blue help symbol next to it.

Submitted words will only be searched in their associated field. For example, if you type “Hamlet” in the Object Title search box, results will only be returned that have “Hamlet” in the object title: items with “Hamlet” written in the description or production title will not be returned. If you want to search in multiple areas at the same time for one word or term, use the Simple Search Help option.

You can type partial words, multiple words separated by spaces or single words in search fields. As long as at least one value is filled in, you can start your search.

You may sort results by Title, Date or Archival Reference Number, and in Ascending or Descending order, by toggling the switches at the bottom of the search form.

Sorting results by Archival Reference Number will order items based on collection first, year of production second and then in alphabetical order.

Click the Search button to start the search.

Use the Clear button to erase all entry fields.

To search within your results, consult Searching Within Results.

For more advanced information, download the Advanced Search Guide.

Searching Within Results



On the left menu bar, there is a menu titled Actions with several options for refining, altering and deleting a previously conducted search. This menu only appears after you have conducted a search.

Select Search In Results from this menu. Doing so allows one to conduct a new search exclusively within the results obtained from a previous search. This can be repeated multiple times in order to narrow down search results.