Theatre/Drama from Quercus Rare Books

London: Constable and Company Limited, 1909. Shaw's pro-feminist comedy was initially banned by the Censor, causing the first performace to be private; a public performance was given two month's later. This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition. Rebound in purple cloth with gilt titling on the spine. Clean text; 39 pages, with a four-page catalog in the… Read more about this item

Boston/Toranto: The Gorham Press, 1914. O'Neill is considered among the great "realistic" modernists such as Chekhov and Strindberg. This is a Very Good copy of the author's first printed book, an anthology containing five one-act plays with a small run of 1000 copies. There was no subsequent edition. The plays are "Thirst," "The Web," "Warnings," "Fog," and "Recklessness." Gray paper-covered… Read more about this item

New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1930. This is a Very Good (Minus) copy of a Later Printing, likely from the same year as the First Edition. Bright yellow cloth binding with titling in white within a purple triangle. Clean text; 205 pages. Frontis illustration of the author, with 32 others within. Light soiling, but with an abrasion along… Read more about this item

Boston & Toronto: Little, Brown and Company, 1956. In his Preface Vidal says he was wary of theatrical writing because "the novelist has cut a ponderous, sad figure beneath the proscenium arch." Hapilly, he put aside his concerns and produced some of the best dramatic writing of the time, collected here with eight examples. This is a Near Fine copy… Read more about this item

New York: M. Evans and Company, Inc., 1968. Helen Hayes (MacArthur) began her eight-decade theatrical career in 1905; her first sound film (1931) earned her an Academy Award. Truly one of the greats of American theatre. This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition [stated]. Gray paper-covered boards; maroon cloth spine with titling in gilt. Clean text; 253… Read more about this item

New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1928. "Monmouth" was written in 1868 "in the style of Swinburne" and is the only survivor of Stevenson's collegiate efforts. This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition, which was LIMITED to 250 copies. Red patterned paper covers, with a black cloth spine titled in gilt. Clean text; 75 pages; with a four-page… Read more about this item

New York: Hartsdale House, 1935. A collection of eight plays by the Russian master. Red cloth binding, nicely decorated in light gray and black on the covers; titling in black on the spine. Clean text; 328 pages. Woodcuts by Howard Simon (1902-1979).. Very light wear; two faint spots on the front cover; spine faded but with no loss to titling..… Read more about this item

New York: Random House, 1946. This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition [stated]. Denim-blue cloth binding with O'Neill's signature in gilt on the front cover. Titling in gilt within a red label on the spine. Clean text; viii, 260 pages; top-edge is stained red. Some offset to the endpapers; small stamp on the rear paste-down. Else, a… Read more about this item

London: Faber & Faber Limited, 1934. This is a Near Fine copy of the First Edition, "Written for Performance at Sadler's Wells Theatre 28 May - 9 June 1934 on Behalf of the Forty-Five Churches Fund of the Diocese of London." Gray paper-covered boards with titling in blue on the spine. Clean text; 86 pages. Very bright and clear. Spine… Read more about this item

[New York]: New Directions, 1951. McCullers adapted this play from her novel of the same name [1946]. This is a Very Good copy of the First Edition. Indian red cloth binding with gilt titling on the spine. Clean text; 118 pages, with a frontis illustration of the set of the Broadway production. Lacking the dustjacket.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very… Read more about this item

London: George Allen & Unwin LTD, 1938. This modernist play by Capek received its first London production at the Savoy Theatre in April of 1938, staring Oscar Homolka. "A parable of dramatic force and satirical implications. Brilliantly satirical" and "One of the finest pieces ever produced" are two of the reviews quoted on the rear flap. This is a… Read more about this item

New York/London: The Macmillan Company, 1906. Stoker writes in his Preface that he knew the great actor/manager for three decades (having worked with him, starting in 1878). It is assumed that Irving served as the inspiration for Stoker's "Dracula" - perhaps an unwanted legacy. This memoir was published a year after Irving's death.. Very Good copies of the First American… Read more about this item

New York: Brentanos, 1907. Shaw wrote "Man of Destiny" for Ellen Terry and Richard Mansfield in 1897; "How He Lied (1904) was written to be its curtain-raiser in the 1905 London production. This is a Very Good (Plus) copy of a Latter Printing, although perhaps the first American appearance; the copyright date is 1907, but with WorldCat indicating the… Read more about this item

New York: Horace Liveright, Inc., 1931. O'Neill's trilogy is a modern version of "The Orestia," a difficult play that is nonetheless a high spot in American theatre. This is a Fine copy of the First Trade Edition [there was also a Limited edition published]. Green cloth binding with titling in gilt on the spine; the front cover has a reproduced… Read more about this item

Cincinnati: Stewart & Kidd Company, 1913. This is a Near Fine copy of the Second Impression [stated "Second Impression June 1913"] from six months after the initial printing. This is the "Authorized Edition" with translation from the Swedish by Velma Swanston Howard. Black cloth binding, ruled on the front cover; titling in gilt on the spine and front cover. Clean… Read more about this item

[Tokyo]: The Hokuseido Press, 1935. A collection of three dramatic works by the famed Japanese writer (1887-1974). Included are"Lord Dawa," "Chink Okichi," and "Crown of Life." Translation is by Glenn W. Shaw. This is a Very Good copy of the True First Edition. [It was reprinted in 1957] A rare book. Stunning wrap-around illustrated cloth binding in red, black, white,… Read more about this item

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1941. Brennan (1901-1962) was known primarilly as a screenwriter and director. This play, set in England at the beginning of World War II, ran on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre n 1941-42 and had good notices. This is a Very Good (Plus) copy of the First Edition (stated). Gray cloth binding with titling and decorations… Read more about this item

New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957. The last full-length play by O'Neill, published posthumously. This is a Fine copy of the First Edition (stated "First edition; first printing"). Green cloth binding, titled in gilt on the spines, with a shamrock on the front cover. Clean text; 182 pages. The dustjacket has been clipped; it shows edgewear and a closed tear,… Read more about this item

New York & London: The American-Scandinavian Foundation/Humphrey Milford, 1915. Strindberg wrote this 5-act historical drama when he was only twenty-three; evidently he re-wrote it several times. This is "From the Prose Version of 1872." First Edition Thus - the first translation into English, by Edwin Bjorkman, who also writes the Introduction. A scarce title. Very Good condition. Maroon cloth… Read more about this item

Philadelphia: Brown Brothers, 1912. Swedish modernist August Strindberg (1849-1912) wrote sixty plays and was an incredible influence on the modern drama of the Twentieth Century. Sibelious wrote its incidental music. First published in America in 1909; This is a Very Good (Plus) copy of the Second Edition [stated]. Translated by Francis J. Ziegler. Green ribbed cloth binding with titling… Read more about this item