How to Cite a Play: MLA, APA & Chicago Guide

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How to Cite a Play: MLA, APA & Chicago (With Examples) 📖

how to cite a play
how to cite a play
✓ Expert Reviewed by Dr. Irfan Mansuri
Last Updated: July 2026
English / Academic Writing
By Dr. Irfan Mansuri · 10 min read · Grade 9–College
How to cite a play in MLA, APA, and Chicago citation formats — a complete student guide by Dr. Irfan Mansuri

If I could teach you one thing about academic writing, it would be this: citation confidence changes everything. I have watched students lose marks not because their analysis was weak, but because they formatted a play citation wrong — or skipped it entirely out of confusion. That stops today.

Citing a play is slightly different from citing a novel or a journal article, and most guides gloss over the tricky parts: what to do with act and scene numbers, how to handle Shakespeare specifically, and what changes when you saw the play performed live rather than read it on the page. I will walk you through all of it.

To cite a play in MLA 9th edition, write: Playwright Last, First. Play Title. Edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year. For in-text citations, use (Playwright Act.Scene.Line). In APA 7th edition, treat the play like a book: Playwright, A. A. (Year). Title of play. Publisher. Chicago uses a footnote/bibliography system with the same core elements.
🎯 What you will learn:

  • Exact MLA, APA, and Chicago citation formats for plays
  • How to cite Shakespeare and other classic dramatists
  • How to cite a play from an anthology or a live performance
  • The most common mistakes students make — and how to fix them
  • Ready-to-copy worked examples for each format

📋 Table of Contents

  1. Why Citing a Play Is Different
  2. How to Cite a Play in MLA Format
  3. How to Cite a Play in APA Format
  4. How to Cite a Play in Chicago Style
  5. How to Cite Shakespeare Specifically
  6. Anthology & Live Performance Citations
  7. Common Mistakes (Wrong vs. Right)
  8. 💡 Unique Insight: The Act/Scene Shortcut Most Guides Miss
  9. Quick Quiz
  10. Practice Problems
  11. FAQ
  12. Sources & References

⚡ TL;DR – Quick Summary

  • 📌 MLA: Playwright Last, First. Title. Editor (if any), Publisher, Year.
  • 📌 APA: Playwright, A. A. (Year). Title of play. Publisher.
  • 📌 Chicago: Playwright First Last, Title of Play (Publisher, Year).
  • 📌 Always italicize play titles — even one-act plays.
  • 📌 For in-text, use act.scene.line numbers (not page numbers) when quoting lines.
  • 📌 Live performances and anthology plays have their own citation rules — see below.
Format Edition Used Play Title Style In-Text Uses Act/Scene/Line?
MLA 9th (2021) Italics Author + Act.Scene.Line ✅ Yes
APA 7th (2020) Italics Author + Year Recommended for quotes
Chicago 17th (2017) Italics Footnote number ✅ Yes (in footnote)

🎭 Why Citing a Play Is Different From Citing a Book

Plays have a structural feature that novels do not: acts, scenes, and line numbers. These replace page numbers in academic citations because different editions of the same play paginate differently. A reader using a Penguin edition of Hamlet will find Act 3, Scene 1 on a different page than someone using the Arden edition — but the line numbers stay consistent across scholarly editions.

This is why your professor asks for act.scene.line citations rather than page numbers. It is not arbitrary — it is the only way to make your citations reproducible across editions.

In my experience teaching academic writing at the undergraduate level, the single biggest confusion I see is students treating a play like a short story and putting the title in quotation marks. A play is a standalone published work — it gets italics, full stop. Even a ten-minute one-act play gets italicized. I have corrected this mistake hundreds of times, and once students understand the logic (standalone work = italics, part of a larger work = quotes), they never get it wrong again.

📝 How to Cite a Play in MLA Format (9th Edition)

MLA 9th edition is the most commonly required format for literature and humanities courses. The Works Cited entry for a play follows the standard book format, with one key addition: if you are quoting lines, your in-text citation uses act, scene, and line numbers instead of page numbers.

MLA Works Cited Entry — Template

Playwright Last, First. Title of Play. Edited by Editor First Last,
Publisher, Year of Publication.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ELEMENTS IN ORDER:
  1. Playwright's last name, first name.
  2. Title of play (italicized).
  3. "Edited by" + editor's name (only if edition has an editor).
  4. Publisher name.
  5. Year.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✅ MLA Worked Example — Hamlet:

Related Posts

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Harold Jenkins, Methuen, 1982.

In-text citation (quoting lines):
“To be, or not to be, that is the question” (Shakespeare 3.1.56).

In-text citation (general reference, no specific lines):
Shakespeare explores the theme of indecision throughout the play (Shakespeare).

✅ MLA Worked Example — A modern play (no editor):

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books, 1998.

In-text: Willy Loman’s delusions drive the central conflict (Miller 45). (Page number used here because this edition does not use act/scene/line numbering in the standard way.)

  1. Write the playwright’s last name, comma, first name, period.
  2. Italicize the full play title, followed by a period.
  3. If the edition has an editor, write: Edited by First Last, (with a comma after the name).
  4. Write the publisher name, comma, year, period.
  5. For in-text quotes, use (Last Name Act.Scene.Line) — e.g. (Shakespeare 3.1.56).
💡 Pro Tip: When a play has no act/scene divisions (some modern plays), use page numbers for in-text citations just as you would for a novel. MLA is flexible here — use whatever locator helps the reader find the passage.

📝 How to Cite a Play in APA Format (7th Edition)

APA 7th edition treats a play exactly like a book. The reference list entry uses the author-date format, and the in-text citation uses the author’s last name and publication year. APA does not have a dedicated “play” citation type — you apply the book template.

APA Reference List Entry — Template

Playwright, A. A. (Year). Title of play: Subtitle if any. Publisher.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ELEMENTS IN ORDER:
  1. Playwright's last name, initials. (Year).
  2. Title of play in italics (sentence case — only first word
     and proper nouns capitalised).
  3. Publisher.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✅ APA Worked Example — A Streetcar Named Desire:

Williams, T. (1947). A streetcar named desire. New Directions.

In-text (general reference):
Blanche’s psychological fragility is central to the narrative (Williams, 1947).

In-text (quoting specific lines):
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” (Williams, 1947, Act 11, Scene 1).

⚠️ APA Sentence Case Alert: In APA, the play title in the reference list uses sentence case — only the first word and proper nouns are capitalised. So it is A streetcar named desire, not A Streetcar Named Desire. This trips up almost every student I have worked with.
APA’s treatment of plays as plain books is honestly a bit blunt. The format was designed for psychology and social sciences, where plays rarely appear. In my experience, when you are writing a literature paper and your instructor says “use APA,” they usually still expect act/scene/line numbers in your in-text citations when you quote dialogue — even though the APA manual does not explicitly require it. I always recommend adding them. It shows scholarly precision, and no instructor has ever penalised a student for being more specific.

📝 How to Cite a Play in Chicago Style (17th Edition)

Chicago style is used in history, fine arts, and many humanities disciplines. It has two systems: Notes-Bibliography (NB) — used most often in literature and arts — and Author-Date. For plays, Notes-Bibliography is standard. You place a footnote number in your text and a full citation in the footnote, then a shortened version in the bibliography.

Chicago Notes-Bibliography — Templates

FOOTNOTE (first citation):
  ¹ Playwright First Last, Title of Play (Publisher, Year), Act.Scene.Line.

FOOTNOTE (subsequent citations — shortened):
  ² Last, Title Short Form, Act.Scene.Line.

BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY:
  Last, First. Title of Play. Publisher, Year.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
EXAMPLE — Macbeth:
  Footnote:  ¹ William Shakespeare, Macbeth (Arden Shakespeare, 1997), 1.3.48.
  Bibliography: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Arden Shakespeare, 1997.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✅ Chicago Worked Example — Waiting for Godot:

Footnote: ¹ Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot (Grove Press, 1954), Act 1.

Bibliography: Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Grove Press, 1954.

🖊️ How to Cite Shakespeare Specifically

Shakespeare citations deserve their own section because they come up so often and have a few quirks. The core rule is simple: always cite the edition you actually used. Different scholarly editions (Arden, Folger, Oxford, Penguin) have different editorial notes and sometimes different line numbering, so your reader needs to know which one you worked from.

Format Works Cited / Reference / Bibliography Entry In-Text Example
MLA Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Harold Jenkins, Methuen, 1982. (Shakespeare 3.1.56)
APA Shakespeare, W. (1982). Hamlet. (H. Jenkins, Ed.). Methuen. (Original work published 1603) (Shakespeare, 1603/1982, Act 3, Scene 1, Line 56)
Chicago NB Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Harold Jenkins. Methuen, 1982. Footnote: ¹ Shakespeare, Hamlet, 3.1.56.
💡 APA + Shakespeare: For classic works with a modern edition, APA 7th edition recommends including both the original publication date and the edition date, separated by a slash: (Shakespeare, 1603/1982). This tells the reader the work is historical while pointing to the specific edition you used.

📚 Citing a Play from an Anthology or a Live Performance

Play from an Anthology (MLA)

When a play appears inside a larger anthology or collection, you cite it like a chapter in an edited book. The play title goes in italics (it is still a standalone work), and the anthology title also goes in italics.

✅ MLA — Play in an Anthology:

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. The Norton Anthology of Drama, edited by J. Ellen Gainor et al., W. W. Norton, 2009, pp. 340–395.

⚠️ Note: Some style guides put the play title in quotation marks when it appears inside an anthology, treating it like a chapter title. MLA 9th edition, however, keeps the italics because a play is a standalone creative work regardless of where it is published. When in doubt, check your instructor’s preference.

Live Performance Citation (MLA)

If you attended a live theatre performance and want to cite it, the format shifts significantly. You lead with the play title (not the playwright), then list the playwright, director, performers, venue, and date.

✅ MLA — Live Performance:

Hamilton. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Thomas Kail, performances by Leslie Odom Jr. and Phillipa Soo, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, 6 Aug. 2015.

📘 Also Read: Subject-Verb Agreement Rules — Complete Guide

❌ Common Mistakes When Citing a Play (Wrong vs. Right)

These are the errors I see most often when reviewing student papers. Each one is easy to fix once you know what to look for.

❌ Wrong
“Hamlet” (quotation marks for the title)
✅ Right
Hamlet (italics — plays are standalone works)
❌ Wrong
(Shakespeare p. 45) — using page numbers for line citations
✅ Right
(Shakespeare 3.1.56) — act.scene.line format
❌ Wrong (APA)
Williams, T. (1947). A Streetcar Named Desire. — title case in APA reference list
✅ Right (APA)
Williams, T. (1947). A streetcar named desire. — sentence case
❌ Wrong
Omitting the editor’s name for a scholarly edition of Shakespeare
✅ Right
Always include “Edited by [Name]” for scholarly editions — it identifies which version you used
❌ Wrong (APA + Shakespeare)
(Shakespeare, 1982) — only the edition year
✅ Right (APA + Shakespeare)
(Shakespeare, 1603/1982) — original year / edition year

💡 Unique Insight: The Act/Scene Shortcut Most Citation Guides Get Wrong

Almost every citation guide tells you to use act.scene.line numbers — but very few explain what to do when your edition does not number lines. Many popular student editions of modern plays (Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett) do not print line numbers at all. In that case, MLA recommends using page numbers from your specific edition, not act/scene labels, because those labels are not standardised in modern drama the way they are in Renaissance plays.

Here is the non-obvious part: for modern plays, act and scene labels in in-text citations are actually less precise than page numbers, because a “scene” in a modern play can run 30 pages. A page number pins the reader to an exact location. I have seen students use (Miller, Act 2, Scene 1) thinking it is more scholarly — it is actually less useful than (Miller 67). Use page numbers for modern plays without line numbering. Reserve act.scene.line for Renaissance and classical drama where line numbers are printed.

🧠 Quick Quiz: Can You Cite a Play Correctly?

Test Your Citation Knowledge

1. In MLA format, how should you format the title of a play in your Works Cited entry?




See Answer
✅ B — In italics. Play titles are always italicized in MLA, APA, and Chicago because plays are standalone published works. Quotation marks are for shorter pieces that appear within a larger work (like a poem in an anthology or a chapter in a book).

2. You are writing an APA paper and quoting from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (1947). Which in-text citation is correct?




See Answer
✅ C — (Williams, 1947, Act 3, Scene 2). APA uses author + year as the base. When quoting specific lines from a play, APA recommends adding the act and scene (and line if available) as a locator, similar to how you would add a page number for a book.

3. In MLA format, when citing Shakespeare’s Hamlet and quoting from Act 2, Scene 2, Line 250, what is the correct in-text citation?




See Answer
✅ B — (Shakespeare 2.2.250). MLA in-text citations use the author’s last name followed by act.scene.line in that exact dot-separated format. Never use “p.” with line numbers — they are not the same thing. Use the playwright’s name, not the play title, in the parenthetical.

✏️ Practice Problems — Reveal the Answer

Practice 1: Format this MLA Works Cited entry for Othello — Playwright: William Shakespeare, Editor: E. A. J. Honigmann, Publisher: Arden Shakespeare, Year: 1997.
Answer:
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by E. A. J. Honigmann, Arden Shakespeare, 1997.

Key points: Last name first, play title italicized, “Edited by” (not “Ed.”), publisher, year. No location needed in MLA 9th edition.

Practice 2: Write the APA 7th edition reference for Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, published by Penguin Books in 2003.
Answer:
Miller, A. (2003). The crucible. Penguin Books.

Key points: Initials only for first name in APA. Title in sentence case (only “The” capitalised as the first word; “crucible” is lowercase). No editor needed since this is a standard edition.

Practice 3: You saw a live performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Emma Rice at the Globe Theatre, London, on 15 July 2024. Write the MLA citation.
Answer:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Emma Rice, Globe Theatre, London, 15 July 2024.

Key points: For a live performance, lead with the play title (not the playwright). Include playwright, director, venue, city, and date. No publisher or page numbers — this is a performance, not a text.

Practice 4: Write a Chicago Notes-Bibliography footnote for quoting from Act 1, Scene 3, Line 10 of Macbeth — Edition: Arden Shakespeare, Editor: Kenneth Muir, Publisher: Methuen, Year: 1984.
Answer:
¹ William Shakespeare, Macbeth, ed. Kenneth Muir (Methuen, 1984), 1.3.10.

Bibliography entry: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by Kenneth Muir. Methuen, 1984.

Key points: Chicago footnotes use first name first (unlike bibliography which uses last name first). “ed.” is the abbreviation for “edited by” in footnotes. Act.scene.line goes at the end after the closing parenthesis.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cite a play in MLA format?
In MLA 9th edition, write: Playwright Last, First. Title of Play. Edited by Editor Name (if applicable), Publisher, Year. For in-text citations when quoting lines, use (Playwright Last Act.Scene.Line) — for example, (Shakespeare 3.1.56). If the play has no line numbers, use page numbers instead.
How do you cite a play in APA format?
APA 7th edition treats a play like a book. Reference list entry: Playwright, A. A. (Year). Title of play in sentence case. Publisher. In-text, use (Author, Year). When quoting specific lines, add the act and scene: (Williams, 1947, Act 3, Scene 2). For classic works, include both original and edition year: (Shakespeare, 1603/1982).
How do you cite Shakespeare in MLA?
Cite the specific edition you used. Example: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Harold Jenkins, Methuen, 1982. In-text, use (Shakespeare Act.Scene.Line) — e.g. (Shakespeare 3.1.56). Always include the editor’s name because different scholarly editions can have different line numbering and textual notes.
Do you italicize a play title?
Yes, always. Play titles are italicized in MLA, APA, and Chicago because plays are standalone published works — just like novels. The rule is: standalone works (books, plays, films, albums) get italics; works that are part of a larger whole (chapters, poems in a collection, songs on an album) get quotation marks. Even a short one-act play gets italics.
How do you cite a play you saw performed live?
For a live performance in MLA, lead with the play title, then list the playwright, director, key performers, venue, city, and date. Example: Hamilton. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Thomas Kail, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, 6 Aug. 2015. In APA, treat it similarly to a film, with the director as the primary contributor.
How do you cite a play from an anthology?
In MLA, treat it like a chapter in an edited book: Playwright Last, First. Play Title. Anthology Title, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. The play title stays italicized because it is a standalone creative work. Include page numbers for the play’s range within the anthology.
What is the difference between citing a play and citing a novel in MLA?
The main difference is in the in-text citation. For novels, you use page numbers: (Fitzgerald 47). For plays with numbered lines, you use act.scene.line: (Shakespeare 3.1.56). The Works Cited entry format is nearly identical — both follow the standard book template. The key distinction is that plays with scholarly editions often have an editor, which you must include.
Do I need to include the act and scene in APA in-text citations for plays?
APA does not explicitly require act/scene/line for plays, but it is strongly recommended when quoting specific dialogue. APA’s principle is to include enough information for the reader to locate the passage. Since page numbers vary by edition, act and scene numbers are more reliable locators. Most literature instructors expect them even in APA-formatted papers.

✅ Key Takeaways

  • 🎭 Always italicize play titles — in MLA, APA, and Chicago, without exception.
  • 📍 Use act.scene.line for in-text citations of Renaissance/classical plays; use page numbers for modern plays without line numbering.
  • 📖 MLA: Playwright Last, First. Title. Edited by Name, Publisher, Year.
  • 📖 APA: Playwright, A. A. (Year). Title in sentence case. Publisher.
  • 📖 Chicago NB: Footnote with first name first; bibliography with last name first.
  • 🏛️ For Shakespeare in APA, include both original and edition year: (Shakespeare, 1603/1982).
  • 🎪 Live performances lead with the play title, not the playwright.
  • 📚 Anthology plays follow the edited book chapter format, with page range included.

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