Merrily We Roll Along
(1934)
By George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
Cast size: The original production has nine scenes and a cast of 91: a huge show, but open to doubling and creative casting.
An epic story of three friends, their artistic ambitions, the price of fame, and the changes in American society from World War I to the Depression—all told in a reverse chronological structure. The play was also turned into a cult favorite musical with the same title by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth in 1981, which, in its current revival, has become one of the biggest hits of the 2023-24 season.
For performance rights to the play, contact: Concord Theatricals
For performance rights to the musical, contact: MTI Shows
Table of Contents
The Plot
A story of three friends, their artistic ambitions, the price of fame, and the changes in American society from World War I to the Depression—all told in a reverse chronological structure.
The plot concerns Richard Niles, who is revealed on the opening night of his latest play to be a pretentious playwright of successful but forgettable light comedies. As the play moves backwards from 1934 to 1916, we see how Niles drove his novelist friend Julia Glenn to drink; how he alienated his best friend, painter Jonathan Crale; and how he hitched his star to — and eventually betrayed — his wife, glamorous actress Althea Royce, all for the material comforts of success. The last scene finds Niles at his college graduation, quoting with all the fervor of idealistic youth the words of Polonius:
“This above all, to thine own self be true”.
The play ends with the celebration of the armistice and high hopes from the young trio for their friendship, their careers, and their values—almost all of which we have already seen destroyed during the course of the play.
About the Play
It was Hart’s notion to tell the story of the entertainment and art world from World War I to the Depression by creating a tale of three friends and telling it backwards. Besides being a fabulous time capsule of the period, the play features a thinly-velied portrait of the authors’ colleague Dorothy Parker as Julia Glenn, the central female character. (A supporting character based on George Gershwin is also depicted.) The play was also turned into a cult favorite musical by the same title by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth in 1981, which, although it had only a brief tenure on Broadway (it opened on November 16th—Kaufman’s birthday—and ran two weeks) has been frequently and successfully revived Off-Broadway and in London and Washington, DC. Still, the original packs a tremendous punch—and is Kaufman and Hart’s most ambitious play.
Stage history
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. A film sale to MGM did not yield a screen version.
Other Plays in the Catalogue
In the heady days of the New Deal, the government was dispensing a check to thousands of worthy organizations around the country. Two unscrupulous bankers decide to bilk Washington, DC by starting a phony railroad, farm, and bank securities system—all based out of their New York apartment.
Kaufman had always been a Gilbert and Sullivan fan and when a fellow card-player once murmured a bit of doggerel to a bit of HMS Pinafore—"He nodded his head and never said no,/And now he's the head of the studio"—Kaufman was inspired. He used the tunes of Sir Arthur Sullivan and, for the first time in his career, wrote the lyrics as well as the libretto to a new musical.
Silk Stockings' producers, Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin, had a success with Guys and Dolls in 1950. Attempting to work again with Kaufman, who directed that production, they ultimately balked at the romantic aspect of Kaufman's adaptation of the film, which he wrote with his second wife, Leueen MacGrath.
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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, Broadway Dramatic Licensing, 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
