Books published by Samuel French Inc

Dramtic Comedy / 1-2m, 3f / Simple SetAnima's sphere of desperation and self-destruction is invaded by the arrival of her perky new roommate, Christa. Moved by a particularly malevolent statue of the Virgin Mary and a houseplant named Susan, Anima and Christa soon enter into a profound and intimate friendship that incurs traumatic results."Brilliantly and poetically rendered...[Callaghan's] playful sense of language and her attunement to her characters are enthralling." - Time Out Chicago

Drama / 3m, 3f (w/doubling) / Unit set Newly revised edition! From the author of the best-selling novel, The House of God, this critically acclaimed version which played Off-Broadway in 2007, tells the amazing story of the two men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous, and of their wives, who founded Al Anon. During the roaring '20s, New York stockbroker Bill Wilson rides high on money, fame, and booze. In '29, both he and the market crash and he becomes a hopeless drunk. Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon

Musical An Entertainment based on the words and music of Cole Porter. Characters: 5 male, 5 female Devised by Benny Green and Alan Strachan. Here's a fresh musical about the King of Musicals, Cole Porter. Green and Strachan have cleverly put together most of Cole's hit tunes with a narration which tells the story of his life, from Yale to Paris to Manhattan to Broadway to Hollywood-- and, ultimately, back once again to Broadway. Includes such Porter standards as "I Love P

Full Length, ComedyCharacters: 2 male, 4 female Interior Set Arrogant, self centered and sharp tongued Jason Carmichael, successful co-author of Broadway romantic comedies, is facing two momentous events: he is about to marry a society belle and his collaborator is retiring. Enter Phoebe Craddock, Vermont schoolteacher and budding playwright. Quicker than a flash, Jason acquires a talented and adoring collaborator in the mousy Phoebe. Fame and success are theirs for ten years an

Mystery Comedy / 3m., 3f. / Int. When this zany spoof of British mysteries opened in Sydney, Australia, reviewers spouted phrases like "a great vehicle for three ladies," "a plethora of hilarious situations," and "this is a romp!" "Really a minor gem ... witty and sophisticated." - Newcastle Morning Herald "Murder has never been this funny. A spoof of all crime thrillers ... it is good clean mirth all the way. The quick, smart, extremely well timed dialogue of Jack Sharkey comes through l

George Orwell's biting satire, adapted by Nelson Bond Characters: 5 male, 2 female Bare Stage. Animal Farm is a fable with a sting. Much has been written about the threat of Communism, but it remained to the late George Orwell, farsighted British author of the brilliant and frightening 1984, to expose the Russian experiment for what it really is; an idealist's dream, converted by realists into a nightmare. In staged dramatic reading version of this timely allegory y

Three kids - Kenny, his sister Edith, and their friend Benji - are all but abandoned on a farm in remotest Middle America. With little adult supervision, they feed and care for each other, making up the rules as they go. But when Kenny's and Benji's relationship becomes more than friendship, and Edith shoots something she really shouldn't shoot, the formerly indifferent outside world comes barging in whether they want it to or not.

From the nationally recognized Educational Theatre Association's Thespian Playworks competition come four short scripts with unforgettable heroes - all created by high school-aged playwrights! Included in this volume are:The Goatman Cometh by I.B. HopkinsEisegesis by Nicholas MecikalskiSee You Soon by Morgan RichardsonClipped by Sam Van Wetter

This second collection of short plays from Steve Yockey mixes comedic absurdity with raw heartbreak to unearth worlds populated by desperate people, mythical characters, faceless corporate masters, and at least one Slasher flick heroine. The second half of the collection is comprised of the work very still & hard to see. This short play cycle recounts the history of a cursed hotel and the unfortunate guests who stay there. From riding in an erratic elevator and dealing with possessive ghosts to

The MOM crew is at it again! MOMologues2: Off to School offers a frank and funny look at the true tales of motherhood, from homework hell to multitasking mania. Four separate characters tell their individual stories, either directly to the audience in monologues, or in scenes with each other. Moms everywhere will laugh in recognition at the playdates gone wrong, the crazy way to get a Mom day off, how to stalk a potential babysitter, and much more.

Set in England during the Blitz, a number of struggling individuals and families come to terms with war and the horrors and tragedies it provides. This includes Judith, a proud matriarch, who works in a factory that makes bomb detonators, her missing husband, Frank, and their two children, Sheila and John, who are forced to grow up much too quickly. A number of other war-torn individuals are also profiled, each butting heads with the raging war. A poignant account of female perseverance, Fr

Characters: 3 male, 2 female Unit Set Olive Fisher is an elderly character actress whose claim to fame were the iconic "Gimme the Sausage" commercials of the 1980's. She's a classic New York curmudgeon, at war with the world and in particular her next door neighbors. Her closed-off life is shaken by the appearance of a spectral male figure viewed through her living room mirror. A series of strange and outrageous coincidences reveals that the man in the mirror has intimate links to every

Characters: 8 male, 8 femaleFrom critically-acclaimed playwright EM Lewis, comes Infinite Black Suitcase, the story of one day in a small Oregon town and three families who are trying, in the most loving and human ways, to deal with death and dying. "EM Lewis offers an endearing and insightful perusal into the lives of 16 rural Oregonians, dealing with the trauma of recent or impending death, during the course of a single day...Lewis gives evidence of being a significant t

Characters: 7 female (5 African-American, 1 Caucasian, 1 Native-American), 2 girls (9 yrs & 5 yrs, doubling possible)A unique story of seven ordinary non-enslaved women accused of murder, who escaped, kidnapped and fought to ultimately give their lives for the future of...a little girl.Three African-American women arrive at Bullet's cabin with a white woman in tow and a dead white man in their wake. Bullet used to help slaves cross to the North and the three are seeking her help, but ever since her brother was hung Bullet has sworn off guiding. Her brother's widow, a Native-American woman named Rain, and their little girl live with her. At first Bullet and Rain don't want to help, but then they decide it would be for the best. It becomes clear that the white woman (who might have "black blood" in her veins) was complicit in the killing of her husband and eventually joins with them to fight against a posse that comes after the women. Throughout the play, the women reveal their personal histories as they grow to trust one another.

Characters: 2 male, 2 female Interior Adam Bock's meticulously crafted A Small Fire follows John and Emily Bridges, a long-married couple whose happy, middle-class lives are upended when Emily falls victim to a mysterious disease. As her senses are slowly stripped away - smell, taste, sight - Emily resolves to remain engaged with her community, relying on John to help her run her company and experience her daughter Jenny's wedding. But her stoic outlook reaches a breaking point

Genre: Comedy Characters: 9 males, 2 females (plus extras) Scenery: Interior Described as "a true and accurate account of the 1599 zombie invasion at the Globe Theatre", William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead explores the Elizabethan era of Shakespeare, Francis Bacon and Queen Elizabeth, all of whom are struggling to survive a zombie attack! In the midst of an argument in which Will Kemp is thrown out of the theater for refusing to acknowledge Falstaff's death in H

Characters: 2 male, 2 femaleInteriorYoung wife Melody has never been to a funeral - until her husband dies in a plane crash. Expected to instantly assume proper widowhood, Melody is left to wonder, what's the right way to grieve? Fortunately, her mother-in-law is a professional. Widow, that is. Under her guidance, Melody must try her best to be a good little widow. A sad comedy about loss and longing. "Delicately satisfying...[Ms. Brunstetter] writes fresh, unfussy dialogue and ch

Dramatic ComedyCHaracters: 5 male (1 non-speaking)Single SetFinalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for DramaWinner! 2011 Obie Award for Best New American PlayWinner! 2011 New York Times Outstanding Playwright AwardsWinner! 2008 National Latino Playwriting AwardMace is a professional wrestler. He''s a really good professional wrestler. He''s not the champion though - that''s the impossibly charismatic Chad Deity. When Mace discovers a young India

A possibly rogue G-man stalks a stalled-out artist with a suspicious affinity for accident victims. Traps are set, traps are sprung, and everyone gets caught.

Genre: Melodrama Characters: 12m, 2f An ingenious idea is employed to accommodate the sweep of this classic story on the stage. A Shakespearean company puts down their rehearsal sides of Lear and curiously take up those of a new play entitled Moby Dick. On the rehearsal stage of platforms, the teasers overhead suddenly become yardarms with sails and a tall ladder becomes a mast. The platforms become the decks of the ship on which the cast sails through the storms and tribulat

"Full length, drama / 9 m / interior"--P. [4] of cover.

Characters: 3 male, 2 femaleSingle Set Winner! 2010 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards for Overall Production of a MusicalBunked!: The Musical is a touching coming of age comedy about five summer camp counselors during that pivotal summer before the beginning of college. With easily relatable characters experiencing their first tastes of independence and a catchy pop score, BUNKED! taps into the uncertainty of trying to find oneself while forging first adult relationships. Exploring themes of first loves, growing up, and identity, the show asks the questions "who am I?" "where do I belong?" and "how do I make a name for myself?" with both humor and poignancy. "Alaina Kunin and Bradford Proctor have written a funny, hip musical about hormone-addled counselors at Camp Timberlake...Bunked! remains a frothy, giggly delight for its duration." -Backstage"The arrival of Bunked! at this year's Fringe Festival is the kind of event theatre aficionados generally only get to dream of: a new musical with music, book, lyrics, direction and performances...that bursts upon the scene as a full-fledged smash production...The book and lyrics and the music are creative, witty and memorable." - TheatreIsEasy.com"The engaging musical Bunked!...is like Wet Hot American Summer with as much heart as high jinks."-The Advocate

Book & Lyrics by David Landau, Music by Killer TracksInteractive MysteryCharacters: 3 male, 3 femaleA sequel to The Altos, Tony & Toffee Alto are back, by popular demand. This time, Toffee wants to be a Broadway star and Tony needs to "clean" some money. So he hires two producers to mount a hit musical - "The Mafia Queen" - starring Toffee. The only catch - the show must be sold out opening night and get

A play written by brothers Frank and Malachy McCourt about growing up in Limerick, Ireland, and their journey to Brooklyn, New York, where they learn to incorporate the lessons learned from their hard Irish past.

Genre: Musical Characters: 7 males, 8 females, and chorus of 8 males and 5 females In the honky tonk world of marathon dancing in Atlantic City in 1933, a captivating assortment of depression era souls eager to dance their way into fame and prizes gather on the Steel Pier. The spectacle is presided over by an oily tongued emcee who is secretly married to Rita Racine, the champion dancer. Her usual partner doesn't show up, so she is paired with a handsome pilot on leave. As the hours o

Characters: 8 male, 5 femaleMultiple SetsUsing a college on New York's Upper East Side as their surrogate home and sanctuary, four siblings struggle to banish the ghost of their dead father and create some semblance of harmony as adults. Suggested by Chekhov's Three Sisters, this unflinchingly honest drama with comedy explores and explodes the myths about family and friendship. But in contrast to Chekhov's family, who yearn to leave the staid provinces for the excitement of Mo