Tot before a play (5)
I believe the answer is:
drama
'play' is the definition.
('drama' can be a synonym of 'play')
'tot before a' is the wordplay.
'tot' becomes 'dram' (I've seen this before).
'before' says to put letters next to each other.
'dram'+'a'='DRAMA'
(Other definitions for drama that I've seen before include "Tragic situation" , "Series of events involving conflicting forces" , "Turbulent emotional episode" , "Theatrical entertainment" , "Theatrical performance" .)