How to Cite a Play in an Essay
Understanding the correct way to cite references in essays is a necessary skill for college. A group of scholars and teachers founded the Modern Language Association (MLA) in 1883 to create a uniform system for citation of different sources in academic and professional reports. A play is a tricky source to cite, and there are different methods of citation according to MLA format depending upon whether you are citing a live play or a reference to a play in an anthology.
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Instructions
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Determine whether you are citing a live play or a reference to a play in an anthology. If you saw the play live or obtained play information from a flyer, use the citation style for a live play. If you found the information about the play in a book containing information about other plays aside from the one you are referencing, use the citation style for a play in an anthology.
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Collect the information that you need to cite the play. Note the title of the performance, the author of the play's script, and the director(s) for use in both formats. To cite a live performance, gather information about the theater, its location and the date of performance. To cite a play in an anthology, note the name of the book, page numbers on which the play appears and editor name(s).
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Use the following citation format for a live play citation in your paper:
<i>Hamlet</i>. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Kenneth Branagh,
Derek Jacoby, and Julia Christie. The Globe Theatre, London. 27 Dec. 1991. Performance.
Use the following citation style format for a play citation from an anthology in your paper:
Chekhov, Anton. The Cherry Orchard. Trans. Avraham Yarmolinsky. <u>Norton Anthology of
World Masterpieces</u>. Ed. Maynard Mack. 4th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 1979.
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List the name of the play in parentheses when you are citing a live play in-text. Make sure to underline the name of the play. List the last name of the playwright followed by the first page number that the play appears on in the anthology in parentheses when you are citing a play from an anthology in-text.
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References
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