Stage play - Definition and Overview

A stage play is a dramatic work intended for performance before a live audience, or a performance of such a work. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In other parts of the English-speaking world it is usually simply called a play.

By implication a stage play usually takes place on a stage in a theatre. However, live performances in other venues can be called stage plays. The term does not generally include musicals, dance, opera, and other forms of dramatic presentation not based on dialogue.

See also: drama, playwright