Samuel French, Inc. is an American company, founded by

Samuel French Samuel French (1821–1898) was an American entrepreneur who, together with British actor, playwright and theatrical manager Thomas Hailes Lacy, pioneered in the field of theatrical publishing and the licensing of plays. Biography French foun ...

and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their existing interests in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. It publishes

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

, represents

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

s, and sells scripts from their Los Angeles, UK, and online bookstores. The firm has offices in New York City; London; and Hollywood,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. An office in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, closed in 2007. The company's London subsidiary, Samuel French Ltd., publishes stage plays for the UK market, mostly acting editions, serves as licensing agent for performance rights, and runs a theatrical bookshop on its premises at

Fitzrovia Fitzrovia () is a district of central London, England, near the West End. The eastern part of area is in the London Borough of Camden, and the western in the City of Westminster. It has its roots in the Manor of Tottenham Court, and was urban ...

in central London, England. In December 2018,

Concord Music Concord Music Group was an American independent music company based in Beverly Hills, California, with worldwide (including the U.S.) distribution through Universal Music Group. The company specialized in recordings ( Fearless Records, Concord ...

acquired Samuel French to form Concord Theatricals.

History

was born in Massachusetts shortly after the turn of the 19th century and began publishing ''French’s American Drama'' in the mid-1800s in New York. It soon became the most widely distributed catalogue of dramatic prose in the US. French soon acquired a London dramatic publishing company founded by Thomas Hailes Lacy, and continued to expand his business on both sides of the Atlantic – Samuel French managing the London business while his son, Thomas Henry, took control of the New York operations. In the late 1800s, Samuel French began publishing contemporary American dramas, and helped the amateur theatre movement by making more plays available to Little Theatres – a rewarding concept that had never before been done in the industry. By the turn of the century, amateur interest in acting had increased enormously. As the quality and quantity of available plays improved, so the number of amateur groups increased. The seeds of the Little Theatre movement were sown. By the time of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, such groups along with the high school societies were the firm’s best customers. Although father and son had long since died, the New York and London entities continued under the capable hands of their managing partners. From the mid-1940s to the early 1990s, the company witnessed significant growth in its catalogue and business. During this time, stock companies, including the

League of Resident Theatres The League of Resident Theatres (LORT) is the largest professional theater association of its kind in the United States, with 75 member theaters located in every major market in the U.S., including 29 states and the District of Columbia. LORT me ...

, were flourishing; so too were the Little Theatres, and the development of the

dinner theater Dinner theater (sometimes called dinner and a show) is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. "Dinner and a show" can also refer to a restaurant meal in combination with live concert music, where pat ...

, which was proving increasingly popular. Since the mid-1990s, the Samuel French catalogue has grown substantially with a focus on emerging playwrights carefully balanced by additional acquisitions of the most prominent American and British playwrights such as

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

, Edward Albee,

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

and

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

''Breaking Character''

Samuel French publishes an online magazine entitled ''Breaking Character''. On the site, staff members and guest authors contribute to writing various articles related to the world of theatre. Topics include new publications, title spotlights, musical moments, staff picks, and playwright profiles. The magazine allows for interaction with the public.

Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival

Samuel French's annual Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival (commonly referred to as OOB) takes place every summer in New York City. Thousands of playwrights from around the world submit their short plays for consideration, and 30 are chosen to participate. The festival takes place over a week, with four–eight plays being presented per night. Finalists are narrowed down and eventually six are chosen as the winners. Winners are presented with publication and licensing rights and have their show published in a collection of winners from that year. The festival has resulted in the publishing of nearly 200 plays since its inception in 1975 and has launched the careers of many playwrights, including Sheila Callaghan,

Theresa Rebeck Theresa Rebeck (born February 19, 1958) is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's ...

, and Saviana Stanescu. As of 2019 the festival is in its 44th year.

Samuel French Limited

Samuel French Ltd is the UK sister company of Samuel French Inc. The company publishes stage plays for the UK market, mostly acting editions, serves as licensing agent for performance rights. The theatrical bookshop at Fitzroy Street, London, England, closed in 2017, however it was announced that they would be opening a bookshop inside the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

in March 2018. The company was founded when Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy formed a partnership in 1859, combining their existing interests in London and New York City.

References

External links

Samuel French Limited LondonSamuel French, Inc.''Breaking Character'' online magazineOff-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival
{{Authority control Book publishing companies based in New York (state) Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom Bookshops in London Publishing companies based in New York City Publishing companies established in 1830 Service companies of the United Kingdom Theatre in the United Kingdom 1830 establishments in New York (state) Licensing organizations