What is "closet drama"

n. A play that is intended to be read, rather than performed on stage.

n. drama more suitable for reading that for performing

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. A related form is the closet screenplay, developed during the twentieth century. The dichotomy between private 'closet' drama (designed for reading) and public 'stage' drama (designed for performance in a commercial theater setting) dates from the late eighteenth century. The practice of circulating plays in written form (printed or handwritten) for literary audiences predates this period, however.