Books published by Samuel French Ltd

Nate Martin is hopelessly single. When his most recent breakup - another in a lifelong string of ill-fated matches - casts him into a funk, he turns to the only source of wisdom he trusts: the stars. Pouring over astrological charts, he obsessively questions his past and place in the cosmos. But in Adam Bock's disarming new play, the answer he receives, when it comes, is shockingly obvious - and totally unpredictable.

"On a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan. It's the end of the fishing season, and two old friends are out on the ice, angling for something big; something down there that is pure need. Something that might just swallow them whole. In 'Nice fish,' celebrated actor Mark Rylance draws on his own teenage years in the American Midwest in a unique collaboration with critically-acclaimed Minnesotan contemporary prose poet Louise Jenkins"--Page [4] of cove

"From Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson comes a one-man show that chronicles his life as a Black artist in the Hill District in Pittsburgh. From stories about his first jobs to his first loves and his experiences with racism, Wilson recounts his life from his roots to the completion of The American Century Cycle. How I Learned What I Learned gives an inside look into one of the most celebrated playwriting voices of the twentieth century."--

"Hannah And The Dread Gazebo had its world premiere on March 29, 2017, produced by Oregon Shaespeare Festival ... This production was directed by Chay Yew, ..."--Page [4].

Publisher location from publisher's website.

It's winter in Minnesota, and a Zimbabwean family is preparing for the wedding of their eldest daughter, a first-generation American. But when the bride insists on observing a traditional African custom, it opens a deep rift in the household. Rowdy and affectionate, Familiar pitches tradition against assimilation, drawing a loving portrait of a family: the customs they keep, and the secrets they bury.

The turbulent life of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, is told, viewed through the outrageous comic lens of master parodist Charles Busch. Evoking both 1930's Hollywood epics and the grand 19th Century romantic theatre of Sarah Bernhardt, this version of the life of the ill-fated Egyptian Queen takes her from her teenage seduction of the Roman leader Julius Caesar through her volatile tragic romance with Mark Antony and to her ultimate death. Charles Busch's Cleopatra has echoes of the man

Betty is rich; Betty is lonely; Betty's busy working on her truck; Betty wants to talk about love, but Betty needs to hit something. And Betty keeps using a small hand mirror to stare into parts of herself she's never examined. Five different women named Betty collide at the intersection of anger, sex, and the "thea-tah."

From the nationally recognized Educational Theatre Association's Thespian Playworks competition come four short scripts - all created by high school-aged playwrights! Included in this volume are: Escalator by Tanner HeathAtlas's Equal by Austin HughesThe Okay Kids by Hunter McKenzieIt's Gonna Rain by Matthew Waterman

In this vivid new adaptation of Jane Austen's first published novel, we meet the Dashwood sisters, whose happy lives are dramatically changed in the wake of their father's death. Their home is taken by their half-brother and his overbearing wife and they must learn to live on much less far away from all they're accustomed to. Amid their misfortune, love alights: the very sensible Elinor falls for the equally cautious Edward Ferrars, while the flighty sensibilities of Mariann

In the backyard of a recession-stricken Ohio town, the beer is on ice and the citronellas are ready to be lit. Dean, a disillusioned journalist, and his freeloading best friend unwittingly prepare for the most explosive barbecue of their lives. Tensions mount when Dean's girlfriend inadvertently invites a mysterious woman from his past to the party. Burgers are flipped and scores are settled in this new drama about remembering who you were and confronting who you've become.

A challenging examination of race relations in post-apartheid South Africa from an iconic playwright.

"With extracts from Athol Fugard's unpublished notebooks"--Page 1 of cover.

A man and woman awaken from an apparent drugged-out night to find their baby missing. The pair relive their history in order to remember their way back to their child and to try to set things right. This haunted, poetic journey moves through time from past to present to future, and from darkness and doubt to the glimmer of miraculous light.

Evan is what you would call "accident-prone." Having suffered from various injuries his entire life, he's now been randomly stabbed. In his apartment, his twin sister and his fiancée are trying to help him recover while fending off a steady stream of visitors and a bitter neighbor with a thing for stuffed cats. Something isn't quite adding up though. As the morning descends into a buzz of secrets and lies, this dark farce quickly becomes a brutally funny commentary on how, under the right circu

A musical triple-feature inspired by three monstrously true, behind-the-scenes tales of the most famous monster movies in cinema history! In 1920s Germany, director F.W. Murnau fears he may lose a lawsuit brought by the estate of Bram Stoker over his silent vampire film Nosferatu, which is suspiciously similar to Dracula. Will all of the prints be destroyed? In 1930s Hollywood, make-up man Jack Pierce works carefully to create the defining look for Frankenstein's monster while trying to meet the

Newlyweds Jack and Avery Perch want to enjoy their kitschy Niagara Falls honeymoon, but doubts about their speedy nuptials, the unfortunate history of their room, and the opera-singing concierge aren't helping. Meanwhile down on the boardwalk, a woman who might have been Avery is living something that might have been Avery's unmarried life against the backdrop of rickety carnival rides and fortune tellers. When they collide, both women see their lives flash before their eyes in this magical roma

In her book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs describes with brutal honesty the hardships she endures under slavery, including the extraordinary choices she makes to be near her children. To survive, she escapes into her imagination and through writing, discovers hope for a better life. Accompanied by the rich musical traditions of slave spirituals, Harriet Jacobs is an inspiring look at a young woman's fascinating journey from slavery to freedom.

Issues for 2011-2013, 2015- cataloged as a serial in LC.

Mark Morton and his reluctant sixteen year old son, Danny, share a Palm Springs motel for several days. They are there for family week at a rehab center where Gwen, Mark's wife and Danny's mother is trying to recover from severe alcoholism. While Mark has great hopes for Gwen's recovery, Danny has none. An emotional and poignant journey with some laughs along the way as father and son discover how little they actually know about one another.

Though she has no intention of buying anything, Mrs. Eva Baskin, continuously sets up appointments with sales people solely to have lunch and conversation with them in her home.

Diana Colvin, 21, rich and "the finest girl in the world," is engaged to marry Roger Osterman, 27, very rich and "the finest young fellow in the world." With the help of a mystified waiter, Diana's uncle (her lawyer and guardian) sets up a play within a play to make sure Diana knows what she is getting into: marriage to a supreme tightwad who can give away millions to charity, but can't leave a tip. The action--full of high-jinks as well as a serious message--takes place in a fancy New York City hotel.

In this play, which represents "Sloth" in Wilder's projected cycle on The Seven Deadly Sins, Herb Hawkins, a jovial New Jersey - New York City commuter with iron-bound habits, has called to say he is coming home late. This news sets his wife and daughter on edge, a condition heightened when a neighbor informs them that an unidentified man is hiding in the shadows of their front lawn, staring in at them. The police arrive to arrest the supposed prowler, only to find Herb, quietly observing his family through the windows of his own home. It seems that earlier that day, he received word of a surprise inheritance, left to him by a kind, lonely elderly woman. This sudden gift of a large sum of money prompts Herb to question the meaning and purpose of his own life. He returns to his place in the family with touches of humor, irony and despair.

Winner! The American Conservatory Theatre New American Play Prize, 2010Winner! The LA Drama Critics Circle Award for the World Premiere of an Outstanding New PlayOvation Award Nominee. Best Production (Geffen Playhouse) and PlaywritingWhen Carter, an American telecom executive, brings his wife Mara on a business trip to Cambodia, he never imagines that the ghosts of this beautiful country will find a way to haunt their lives. As business deals unravel and personal negotiations br

From David Adjmi, the virtuosic playwright dubbed one of the "best and most original theatre artists of a generation" by Vogue, come a wholly original one-woman show. Elective Affinities takes the audience into the apartment of Alice, a witty octogenarian offering a funny and savage portrait of cultured life, promising to initiate a vital discourse about what it means to be civilized.

The unmistakable playwright of Stunning, David Adjmi, offers a new fierce and furious play about intimate human relationships. Carol and Jerry celebrate their anniversary with friends Martin and Judy. But an evening of haute cuisine and expensive wine is cut short when Martin, no longer able to repress years of frustration, lashes out at the people he loves. Soon, the facade of their pristine American lives shatters. With ferocious humor and violent turns, David Adjmi's searing drama lays

In Hollywood, film star Mary Dale discovers her husband has succumbed to the power of the local Communist party by way of a method acting class. She further discovers a left-wing plot to abolish the star system. Mary wages a private war not only to save her husband, but to hopefully save her country, turning the McCarthy era on its head.

This drama by the author of Mass Appeal explores the heart of a young man in crisis, inflamed by the people who claim to care for him: his mother, his football coach and his tutor. James Bernard is a star college quarterback whose innocence renders him devastatingly vulnerable. His mother and coach are pushing him to go "professional"; his tutor is concerned over the inherent corruption of organized athletics, believing that football is just another metaphor for war.

This new play by the reigning king (or queen) of Off Broadway comedy, Charles Busch, is about an out-of-work female impersonator who, when his elderly landlady dies in her sleep, takes on her identity in order to hang on to her valuable Greenwich Village townhouse. This "perfect" scheme goes awry and leads to a wild path of twists and reversals plotted by an eccentric rogues gallery of outrageous schemers. Expect Busch's signature blend of quick-witted banter and gender-bending hijinks in this n

A father's love of music and a daughter's passion for basketball are at odds, thankfully they have modernist composer Charles Ives playing referee. Dissonance, defense, and devotion are explored in the poignant and comedic story of Charles Ives, Take Me Home.