First Lady
(1935)
By Katharine Dayton and George S. Kaufman
Cast size: 14 men, 11 women (doubling possible); 2 interiors
First Lady opened November 26, 1935 at the Music Box Theatre and ran 246 performances. It was filmed by Warner Bros in 1937. Aside from a 1996 revival at the Yale Repertory Theatre, it has not had a recent first-class production.
For performance rights, contact: Dramatists
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The Plot
Set among the elegant townhouses of Georgetown, this political comedy focuses on the intrigues that go on among the elite “power” hostesses of Washington DC and their ambitions. A feud has existed for years between the manipulative Irene Hibbard and her rival, Lucy Chase Wayne, one of the capital’s most elegant and quick-witted hostesses and wife of a Cabinet official. When both women try to put forward the men in their lives as a possible presidential candidate, the feud becomes all-out war. Irene wants to back a handsome bachelor Senator (and divorce her husband after the election), while Lucy hopes to become First Lady by supporting her own husband; complicated negotiations and false rumors erupt into an all-out scandal that consumes the social life of Washington and changes the fate of the nation.
About the Play
For this play, Kaufman entered into his first and only collaboration with Katharine Dayton, a Washington columnist. Ever since the early teens, when Kaufman served as a reporter in Washington, the nation’s political shenanigans had always fascinated him. This drawing-room comedy tinged with political satire was a decent-sized hit when it opened, and was subsequently filmed with Kay Francis as the clever Lucy Chase Wayne. Time has proven that “behind closed doors” intrigues of Washington are more pertinent than ever, and this play—which provides two fantastic roles for leading character actresses—is worth a revival.
Stage history
First Lady opened November 26, 1935 at the Music Box Theatre and ran 246 performances. It was filmed by Warner Bros in 1937. Aside from a 1996 revival at the Yale Repertory Theatre, it has not had a recent first-class production.
Other Plays in the Catalogue
The Late George Apley opened at the Lyceum Theatre on November 21, 1944; it ran 357 performances. It was made into a 1947 film starring Ronald Colman as Apley.
Throughout his career, Kaufman made a fine art out of the revue sketch, the most popular theatrical form on Broadway in the 1920s and early 1930s. Several of his sketches are absolute classics and they can be singly or as part of a larger evening.
The play opened at the Music Box Theater on September 29, 1934; it was largest non-musical play to run there (155 performances). With its nine separate scenes and cast of 91 actors, it was impractical to tour the play, either before or after its Broadway opening.
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Contact Us Today
Interested in bringing George S. Kaufman’s timeless plays to your stage?
Please refer to the contact information for each specific play on the various collection pages for direct amateur and professional licensing information.
Plays are represented by Concord Theatricals and Music Theatre International respectively.
If you are interested in first-class performance or film/television rights:
In the US, George S. Kaufman’s plays are represented by:
CPK Artists, LLC
In the UK, George S. Kaufman’s plays are represented by:
Alan Brodie Representation
For more information about George S. Kaufman or this website, contact:
Laurence Maslon
Literary Trustee, George S. Kaufman Estate
