Authentic spoken exchange between characters that reveals personality and advances the plot [14].

The heart of the narrative, often structured around a "big idea" with emotional conflict [14, 16].

The written form of a theatrical work is broadly called a [10]. However, there are distinctions depending on the format:

Platforms like Concord Theatricals and Dramatic Publishing are primary sources for professional scripts of famous plays and musicals like Chicago or The Phantom of the Opera [27, 28, 31].

In musical theater, the "book" refers to the non-musical story elements—narrative structure, character arcs, and spoken dialogue [11]. The term libretto covers both the spoken and sung text (lyrics) [6, 8]. 2. Core Elements of a Script

The written text of a non-musical play, including dialogue and stage directions [23, 25].