How to Reference a Play

What You Need to Reference a Play

Referencing a play depends on where and how you accessed it. Gather the following information to build an accurate citation:

• Playwright’s name: The author of the play.
• Title of the play: Use italics or quotation marks depending on the citation style.
• Editor or translator (if applicable): For translated or edited versions.
• Publication details: Publisher, year, and edition if citing a printed script.
• Page, act, and scene numbers: Especially important for in-text citations.
• Performance details: If citing a live play, include the theatre company, venue, director, and date.
• Access details: For plays read online, include the URL and access date if required.

For example, referencing Macbeth from a Penguin Classics edition will look different from referencing a live performance you attended in 2023.

Back to Top

How to Reference a Play in APA Style (7th Edition)

APA treats plays like books. Cite the playwright as the author, and include the publication year, italicised title, and publisher. For in-text citations, use the author–date format and, if quoting, include act, scene, and line numbers.

📌 Format:

Playwright, A. A. (Year). Title of play (Editor/Translator, Ed./Trans., if applicable). Publisher.

📖 Example (Published Script):

In-text citation: (Williams, 1947)
Reference list:
Williams, T. (1947). A streetcar named desire . New Directions.

🎭 Example (Live Performance):

In-text citation: (Shakespeare’s Globe, 2023)
Reference list:
Shakespeare’s Globe. (2023, August 12). Macbeth [Stage performance]. Directed by Michelle Terry. Globe Theatre, London, UK.

Italicise the title of the play. Include full performance details if citing a live production. For older plays, the publication date of the edition used is what matters — not the original writing date.

Back to Top

How to Reference a Play in MLA Style (9th Edition)

MLA style cites plays like books, with the playwright as the author and publication details of the version used. For live performances, MLA includes the theatre, director, and date. In-text citations refer to act, scene, and line numbers — not page numbers.

📌 Format (Printed Play):

Playwright Last Name, First Name. Title of Play . Publisher, Year.

📖 Example (Published Edition):

In-text citation: (Shakespeare 1.5.23)
Works Cited:
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . Penguin Classics, 2005.

🎭 Example (Live Performance):

In-text citation: (National Theatre)
Works Cited:
Hamlet . Directed by Rufus Norris, performance by Paapa Essiedu, National Theatre, 22 Sept. 2023, London.

For in-text citations, MLA uses (Author Act.Scene.Line) when quoting from plays. Use the edition's line numbers if available.

Back to Top

How to Reference a Play in Harvard Style

Harvard style treats plays like books or performances depending on the source. Reference the playwright for published texts, and the theatre company for live shows. Include act and scene numbers in in-text citations if available.

📌 Format (Published Play):

Playwright Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title of play . Edition (if not first). Place of publication: Publisher.

📖 Example (Published Script):

In-text citation: (Miller, 2000)
Reference list:
Miller, A. (2000) The crucible . Rev. edn. London: Penguin Classics.

🎭 Example (Live Performance):

In-text citation: (Royal Court Theatre, 2023)
Reference list:
Royal Court Theatre (2023) Top Girls [Live stage performance]. Directed by Lyndsey Turner. London: Royal Court Theatre, 15 October.

For plays accessed online or in anthologies, include access details or full editor/anthology citation as needed. Use italics for titles and full performance credit for live citations.

Back to Top

How to Reference a Play in Chicago Style

Chicago style uses two systems: Notes and Bibliography and Author–Date . Plays are cited like books, while live performances include performance details. Use act, scene, and line numbers in citations for classical plays.

📘 Notes and Bibliography

Footnote format:

1. Author First Last, Title of Play (Place: Publisher, Year), Act.Scene.Line.

Bibliography entry:

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . London: Penguin Books, 2005.

📗 Author–Date System

In-text citation: (Shakespeare 2005, 2.1.15)

Reference list:
Shakespeare, William. 2005. Macbeth . London: Penguin Books.

🎭 Example (Live Performance – Notes & Bibliography):

Footnote: 1. National Theatre, Hamlet , directed by Rufus Norris, London, September 22, 2023.
Bibliography:
National Theatre. Hamlet . Directed by Rufus Norris. London, September 22, 2023.

For plays with line numbers, cite act, scene, and line in the body. Always italicise the play title, and include director and venue for performance references.

Back to Top

Quoting from Plays: Acts, Scenes, and Line Numbers

When citing directly from a play — especially classical works like Shakespeare — it’s common to reference act, scene, and line numbers rather than page numbers. This keeps citations consistent across editions.

📘 In-text citation format (by style):

• APA: (Shakespeare, 2005, 1.2.33)
• MLA: (Shakespeare 1.2.33)
• Harvard: (Shakespeare, 2005, 1.2.33)
• Chicago (Author–Date): (Shakespeare 2005, 1.2.33)
• Chicago (Notes): Footnote includes act.scene.line after publication details

📝 Quoting dialogue (block quote example):

Macbeth:
    Is this a dagger which I see before me,
    The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. (2.1.33–34)

Use block formatting for dialogue longer than four lines (MLA/Chicago) or 40 words (APA). Include character names in all-caps if following a script format.

Back to Top

Quick Reference Table: Citing Plays by Style

Back to Top

FAQs About Referencing Plays