How to Cite a Play in MLA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 07/01/2025

In MLA citation format, writers are supposed to provide enough information to help readers locate the source. Quoting a play is achieved by deciding whether the play has been read in written format (i.e., such as a published script or anthology) or observed as a live production. Either would require a distinct citation format.

Citing a Play Performance in MLA

In the case of a live performance of a play, the citation should be to include the playwright, play title (italicized), the director, the company name, the date of performance in full, the name of the venue, and the city where it took place.

Citation	Wilson, August. Fences. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, National Theatre, 3 Mar. 2024, Lyttelton Theatre, London.
Structure	Surname, First Name. Title of Play. Directed by Director’s Full Name, Name of the Performing Company, Day Month Year, Venue Name, City.

Citing a Play from a Printed Book

If citing a play from a published book, e.g., an individual play or a compilation, the citation style is different. It consists of the author’s name, title of play, editor or translator (if there is one), publisher, year, and page numbers if quoting.

Citation	Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2020, pp. 33–102.
Structure	Surname, First Name. Title of Play. Edited by Name of Editor or Translator, Publisher, Year, pp. Page Range.

Citing a Play in an Anthology

If a play is part of an anthology, list the title and playwright of the play, followed by information about the anthology editor, anthology title, publisher, year, and page range of the play.

Citation	Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. The Norton Anthology of Drama, edited by J. Ellen Gainor, W. W. Norton, 2018, pp. 1995–2042.
Structure	Surname, First Name. Title of Play. Title of Anthology, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year, pp. Page Range.

Citing a Play Viewed Online (Streaming or Recording)

Plays viewed using an official streaming website or video record also require special citation. Give the playwright, title, director (if available), performing company name, year performed (if relevant), name of platform, and URL.

Citation	Mojgani, Anis. Come Alive. Directed by Whitney Tymas, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 2023, OSF Digital Stage, https://www.osf.org/digitalstage/come-alive.
Structure	Surname, First Name. Title of Play. Directed by Director’s Full Name, Performing Company, Year, Website/Platform Name, URL.

In-Text Citations for Plays

In MLA, when quoting or citing directly lines of a play, the in-text citation includes the surname of the author and act, scene, and line numbers (when available). For unnumbered plays, use page numbers.

For Shakespeare or other plays structured in acts and scenes:

Example	(Shakespeare 1.3.45–48)
Structure	(Author Surname Act.Scene.Line)

For modern plays with page numbers:

Example	(Wilson 78)
Structure	(Author Surname Page Number)

When citing a lengthy quotation (more than four lines of dialogue), use block quote format. Begin each line of dialogue with the name of the character in capital letters followed by a period, then the line. Indent the quotation and do not use quotation marks.

Translated Plays

When a play has been translated, list the translator’s name after the title.

Citation	Ionesco, Eugène. The Chairs. Translated by Donald Watson, Grove Press, 2021.
Structure	Surname, First Name. Title of Play. Translated by Translator’s Full Name, Publisher, Year.

Plays Without a Known Author

When there is no known author, start the citation with the play’s title.

Citation	The Two-Character Play. Directed by Linda Stein, Fringe Theater Collective, 14 Aug. 2022, The Rose Studio, Manchester.
Structure	Title of Play. Directed by Director’s Full Name, Name of the Performing Company, Day Month Year, Venue Name, City.

Always Italicise the Title of the Play: In MLA style, full-length plays have to be italicised, not enclosed in quotation marks. Use Title Case for Play Titles: Capitalise the first and last words and all principal words in the play title. Do Mention the Director in Citations for Live Performance: The director’s name is an essential part of the citation for performances, giving respect to their creative direction. Use Precise Dates and Locations: For live performances, always include the exact date and the full name of the venue and city to provide complete reference details. Only Use URLs for Online Versions: Include URLs only when citing an online recording or streamed version of a play. Avoid using links in citations for physical performances or printed scripts. Use Line Numbers for Classic Plays: Where possible, act, scene, and line numbers should be used instead of page numbers for classics such as Shakespeare. Provide Editors for Anthologies: When a play belongs to a collection or anthology, the editor should be able to be provided because this guides the reader in finding the play in the book. Use Stable URLs: If citing an online play, use a stable direct link instead of a generic search result.