Scornful actors in charge after Russian emperor misses opening (9)
I believe the answer is:
sarcastic
'scornful' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'actors in charge after russian emperor misses opening' is the wordplay.
'actors' becomes 'cast' (group of actors).
'in charge' becomes 'ic' (abbreviation for 'in charge').
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'russian emperor' becomes 'tsar' (I've seen this in another clue).
'misses opening' means to remove the first letter (I've seen 'missing opening' mean this).
'tsar' with its initial letter removed is 'sar'.
'cast'+'ic'='castic'
'castic' put after 'sar' is 'SARCASTIC'.
(Other definitions for sarcastic that I've seen before include "Using mocking irony" , "Cruelly ironical" , "Using biting irony" , "Expressing ridicule, contempt, maybe irony" , "Derisive" .)