Dramatis personæ (Latin: "persons or characters of the drama") is a phrase used to refer collectively, in the form of a list, to the main characters in a dramatic work. Such lists are commonly employed in various forms of theater, and also on screen. Typically, off-stage characters are not considered part of the dramatis personæ. It is said to have been recorded in English since 1730, and is also evident in international use. However, the term is closely associated with the works of William Shakespeare and appears in the original publication of the First Folio, published in 1623.

It is customary to give a cast list, which also has next to each character name the name of the actor or actress playing the part; an alternate type lists the names of the actors who played the parts originally. In order not to give away vital parts of the plot some names may be altered, for example mixed up with another name. Some minor characters may be listed just as the actors who perform the parts.