An Encyclopedic Dictionary focusing on people and places; it lists entries about dramatists, actors, directors and critics as well as well-known theatres around the world.
My particular copy was given to me as a graduation gift from my parents and is signed by the major professors in my theatre department. ( )

When the fourth edition of the highly acclaimed Oxford Companion to the Theatre appeared, The Philadelphia Inquirer recommended it as their 1983 book for theater-lovers, calling it "the scorecard you need to keep the players straight--and the plays." Backstage hailed it as "an invaluable reference work of encyclopedic proportions." In fact, since the publication of the first edition of the Companion, this classic reference has become the standard source of information for theatregoers of all kinds. Now completely revised and up to date, this concise version of The Oxford Companion to the Theatre (Fourth Edition) covers all aspects of theatre worldwide and throughout the ages. Readers will find entries on a vast range of theatrical styles, dramatists, performers, and directors, as well as information on theatres, festivals, and such technical topics as lighting, sound, and method acting. The Concise Oxford Companion also provides current entries on people such as Athol Fugard, Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Trevor Nunn, Peter O'Toole, Willy Russell, and Stephen Sondheim, as well as up-to-date information on places and companies. Some of the new entries not found in the full Companion include the Barbican Theatre, the English Shakespeare Company, Michael Gambon, and The Swan at Stratford. With over 2,500 entries, ranging from Laurence Olivier, to the Shubert theatre in New York, to a new entry on Harvey Fierstein, The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre is an indispensable handbook for all enthusiasts of the theatre.