Romeo and Juliet by Ford Madox Brown.

A play or stageplay, written by a playwright, is a form of literature, almost always consisting of dialogue between characters, intended for performance rather than reading. The term is often used in contrast to "musical", which refers to a play with singing. Play can refer to more than one thing: Play is a common literary form generally designed for performance in a theatre. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Romeo and Juliet in the famous balcony scene by Ford Madox Brown For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation). ... The Last of England, 1855 Ford Madox Brown (April 16, 1821 – October 6, 1893) was an English painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... Buskers perform in San Francisco A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers) behave in a particular way for another group of people (the audience). ... Reading is a process of retrieving and comprehending some form of stored information or ideas. ... The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical[1] Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ...

Many people (and especially scholars) simply read and study plays in an academic manner. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed or read. So, the term play refers both to the written works of playwrights and to their complete theatrical performance. George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856–2 November 1950) was an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and socialist. ...

See also

• Closet drama
• Drama
• Playwright
• Theatre
• Screenplay

A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage, but read by a solitary reader or, sometimes, out loud in a small group. ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ...

References

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