Books published by Samuel French Ltd

Her talent is legendary; her true story more electrifying than you'd ever imagine. She is Judy Garland. Adrienne Barbeau starred in this fictional backstage account of Judy's final concert appearance. With her wicked wit, Judy dishes the dirt on her MGM co-stars, her husbands, and more...taking us down the yellow brick road of her incredible life.

Amélie is an extraordinary young woman who lives quietly in the world but loudly in her mind. She covertly improvises small but surprising acts of kindness that bring joy and mayhem. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realizes that to find happiness she'll have to risk everything and say what's in her heart. Be inspired by this imaginative dreamer who finds her voice, discovers the power of connection, and sees possibility around every corner.

A hit Off Broadway and later a film starring Russell Crowe, this play by gifted Australian writer David Stevens explores the volatile relationship between an aging widower and his gay son. After meeting in a local pub, Jeff and a young gardener, Greg, hit it off and begin to date. When he meets Jeff 's stubborn, opinionated dad, however, Greg begins to back off. Meanwhile, Dad also has a new flame: a woman he met through a dating service. Put off by Jeff 's homosexuality, prosaic Joyce, too, pul

In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed young playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

A mild, young reporter comes to interview the current motion picture goddess as she lounges for a massage. He encounters a high-powered agent who, for successive ten percents of the reporter's soul, arranges for the goddess to fall madly in love with him, and even wins an Oscar for him. But, in the third act, with little percent of his soul left, the writer manages to wrench free from both Hollywood and the goddess. Orson Bean played the original Broadway role as the ineffectual reporter, and garnered many laughs as he dodged the actress' husky boyfriend and tumbled upstairs from one success to another.

The spectacular new musical about discovering who you are and defining who you're meant to be.From Tony winners Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, creators of such Broadway classics as Ragtime and Once On This Island, this dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.

Mrs Harrington learns that her daughter who was in Italy had given birth to a son before she died. She sends her other daughter and son to Italy to collect the baby.  | 6 women, 3 men

A husband and wife are caught in a complicated and perverse spiral of sexual fantasies that enable them to keep their marriage alive.

The retired Colonel, his niece Lesley, and his friend the Major - a retired army medical officer - are living, to all intents and purposes, a happy, quiet life together in the Colonel's country home. The play opens as they are having tea with a close friend of the Colonel's daughter, Diana, who died apparently from an overdose of drugs three years previously. The Colonel has not recovered from the shock and believes his daughter is away for a time. They are disturbed by the arrival of a stranger who is investigating Diana's death and the tranquillity begins to unravel.|3 women, 5 men

Here is a comedy of manners set in the first class smoking lounge of the Titanic on the night she took fifteen hundred people into the depths. It highlights the nobility of those who chose, for varying reasons, to remain on board. Ida Straus could not let her beloved husband of thirty-nine years die alone. To John Jacob Astor, the richest man in the world, the self-sacrifice was a matter of etiquette. Discrimination played a part for those like Thomas Kilgannon, an agricultural laborer from County Galway who was locked below in steerage with other immigrants until all of the lifeboats were full of first and second class passengers. Though some liberties are taken in bringing nine diverse personalities together on the night that most of them would perish, their individual stories are accurate and have long since become legends, if only to their own families.

Kiss breaks open cultural barriers as a group of Western actors interpreting a Syrian play slowly realize the limits of their own understanding, and the suffocating effect of an oppressive, omnipresent regime.

Janet hosts an intimate gathering of friends in her London home to celebrate her political ascension. After her acerbic best friend and others arrive, some with dramatic news to share, an announcement by Janet's husband provokes a series of revelations. As the sophisticated soirée starts to unravel, a night that began with champagne soon ends with arguments, shouting, and a pointed gun.

Silva Ring is a world-famous singer with a severe hang-up about her age. When a Swedish interviewer produces her true birth certificate, she resorts to increasingly desperate measures to prove him wrong. With help from her long-term housekeeper, Dolores, Silva pretends to be her own sister, Iris, a tough lady who can make tough decisions. Silva's lover, a footballer, her agent, and Dolores all suffer from the iron rule of Iris. Lola Wales, an old singer, is brought in to be an aunt, and a petty forger is persuaded to attempt to destroy Silva's files at the Family Record Center. After a wild climax during which Silva scores a goal at Wembley Stadium, she can no longer juggle all her lies and subterfuges, and she escapes by having a bogus nervous breakdown. A victim of fame and wealth, she wins in the end and emerges stronger than ever.

One of Manhattan's most established play festivals, the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival fosters the work of emerging writers, giving them the exposure of publication and representation.The festival resulting in this collection was held August 8-12, 2017 at the Classic Stage Company in New York City.From the initial pool of over 1000 submissions, the final thirty plays were chosen to be performed over a period of one week. A panel of judges comprised of celebrity playwrights, theatrical journalists, and artistic directors nominated one or more of each evening's plays as finalists. The final round was then held on the last day of the festival. Out of these plays, six winners (listed below) were chosen by Samuel French, Inc. to receive publication and licensing contracts: Sir. by Jahna Ferron-SmithWhat Happened at the Dolphin Show by Miranda Rose HallJack + Jill by Sarah Hammond and Emily Goldmanthis movie by Amanda KeatingBreakfast Scene by Eric MarlinSquare Footage by Jessica Moss

One of the most thrilling plays ever, this is a medley of mystery, farce and intrigue an especially fine example of the American mystery play and one of the outstanding dramatic successes of modern times. A writer goes to a mountain inn to plot. He gets more than he bargained for.