The Dark Tower
(1933)
By Alexander Woollcott and George S. Kaufman
Cast size: 9 men, 5 women; two sets
In a rare collaboration with his Algonquin Round Table comrade, Alexander Woollcott, Kaufman wrote his only murder mystery.
Manuscript only; contact: laurence.maslon@nyu.edu
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The Plot
In a rare collaboration with his Algonquin Round Table comrade, Alexander Woollcott, Kaufman wrote his only murder mystery. Woollcott, who was obsessed with murder and mayhem, instigated this drawing-room mystery, about a devious killer whose penchant for disguise allows him to commit what seems to be the perfect crime; a well-crafted thriller that anticipates Sleuth.
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.
Strike Up the Band opened on January 14, 1930 at the Times Square Theater and ran 191 performances. In 1990, the 1927 book was restored, in collaboration with a Nonesuch/Roxbury recording of all the variants of both versions. The 1927 version was staged by ENCORES! at City Center in 2000 and that version is available for performance.
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





