About SIP
The focus of this database
The Shakespeare in Performance (SIP) database focuses on productions that are not
extensively cataloged elsewhere: what might be considered "non-canonical" performances.
Most of our contributors are in North America, though we have some from Australia,
Great Britain, Germany, and elsewhere. At this stage, we do not include any from the
Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK, because it already has a searchable database
available from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Use of materials in the database
All materials in the database are the copyright of the company that provided them. They are available for educational uses only, unless permission is granted by the copyright holder. To contact a company, visit the Acknowledgements page and go to the company's website.
Some statistics
The Shakespeare in Performance database contains information on:
Principles of inclusion
Both professional and student productions will be included in the database. Professional companies will be selected according to these priorities:
- The database will include a wide range of countries and regions.
- There will be a representative range of company size, from small to large.
- Both indoor and outdoor performance will be represented.
- The Internet Shakespeare Editions reserves the right not to include a company.
Productions by some student and non-professional companies will also be included, according to these priorities:
- The production must be of sufficient interest or originality.
- The database will include a wide range of countries and regions.
Criteria for selection of materials
- All materials must be of sufficient interest to actors, directors, or scholars.
- The materials must be of good quality, sufficient to permit effective digitization.
Guidelines for submission of materials
A separate page lists the guidelines for the submission of materials to the ISE for inclusion or evaluation. These guidelines are also available in French.
Technical information about the database
SIP uses a PostgreSQL database to store performance materials. All software used in
the development and presentation of the database is open source.
The creators and programmers of the database
Wendy Huot designed the original architecture of this database; overall page design
was under the direction of Roberta Livingstone, in consultation with Chris Chong.
Janelle Jenstad has revised the documentation and added new metadata fields. Our current
principal programmer is Maxwell Terpstra.
Contact information
For questions or comments about the technical design and contents of the database, or to inquire about submission of materials, send email to sipadmin@uvic.ca.