play
- a story acted in a theatre
1 kinds of play
2 the action and people in a play
3 producing a play
4 seeing a play
see also FILM, TELEVISION/RADIO
1 kinds of play
- a story which is written to be performed by actors in the theatre, on television, or on radio: play
to see a play ◎ to go to a play ◎ a radio play
- plays in general (as a form of writing and performance): drama (noun U); connected with plays or the theatre: dramatic
20th century drama ◎ a drama student ◎ an amateur dramatic society
- a play which is serious, with a sad ending: tragedy; serious plays in general: tragedy (noun U); something that has a sad ending in the style of tragedy is tragic
Shakespeare's tragedies ◎ Greek tragedy
- a play which is amusing, with a happy ending: comedy; amusing plays in general: comedy (noun U); sth that makes you laugh is comic
He's just written a new comedy. ◎ a comic character
- a play which is funny and full of ridiculous situations: farce; such plays in general: farce (noun U)
- a play which is short and funny, often as part of comedy television programme: sketch
a television programme with some amusing sketches
- a play which has singing and dancing: musical
- a play which is based on traditional stories, with singing, dancing and jokes, and is usually performed around Christmas: pantomime, (informal) panto (plural pantos)
2 the action and people in a play
- the events of a story in a play, film, etc: plot
Could you understand the plot?
- the words and actions of an actor in a play, film, etc: part, role
Who played the part of the old man? ◎ a difficult role for an inexperienced actor
- a person who is part of the story of a play: character
the two main characters in this play
- to perform a part (= pretend to be a different person) in a play or film: act; noun (U): acting
- a man/woman who acts in a play or film: actor; a female actor can also be called an actress
※ more on actors and acting ACT
- one of the main parts a play is divided into: act
- one part of an act in a play: scene
Act 1, Scene 2 of 'Macbeth' ◎ the ghost scene in 'Hamlet'
- a place represented on the stage of a theatre: scene
a street scene ◎ a scene change
- the furniture, painted cloth, etc that are used on the stage: scenery (noun U)
- objects that are on the stage and are used by the actors in a play: props (noun plural)
3 producing a play
- to do sth in front of an audience: perform (sth)
to perform a play
- an occasion when sth is performed: performance
We saw a performance of 'Macbeth' at the National Theatre. ◎ There are two performances, at 2 pm and 8 pm.
- to practise for a play or film: rehearse (sth); the time when this happens: rehearsal (noun C/U); the last rehearsal, when all the actors wear their costumes: dress rehearsal
We need to rehearse that scene again. ◎ We'll have to have another rehearsal tomorrow. ◎ It went very well in rehearsal.
- to arrange the performance of a play: produce sth, put* sth on
He's producing Twelfth Night' in Stratford. ◎ The National Theatre is putting on a new season of Ibsen plays.
- the complete preparation and performance of a play, opera, etc: production
a new production of 'Pygmalion'
- to tell the actors what to do in a play: direct (sb/sth); the person who does this: director
- a person who organizes the business side of presenting a play in the theatre: producer
- to choose the people who will act in a play: cast* a play, cast* sb (as sb/sth); all the actors and actresses in a particular play: cast (with singular or plural verb)
He always seems to be cast as a villain. ◎ an all-star cast
- writing and performing plays as art and entertainment: theatre (AmE theater)(noun U)
a study of 20th century theatre
- a person who writes plays: playwright, dramatist
- a person whose job is to give an opinion about plays, films, etc: critic
a drama/theatre critic
4 seeing a play
- a building where you go to see plays, shows, etc: theatre (AmE theater)
- if you go to see a play, you go* to the theatre
We usually go to the theatre once a month.
- the group of people who go to see a particular performance of a play: audience (with singular or plural verb)
※ more on theatres and audiences THEATRE, AUDIENCE
※ MORE ...
- a successful play that the public likes: a success, a hit
- a play, film, book, etc that is a total failure: a flop; verb: flop
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