The Small Hours
(1951)
By George S. Kaufman and Leueen MacGrath
Cast size: 7 men, 6 women
A psychological portrait of an inequitable marriage.
For performance rights, contact: Dramatists
For performance rights/manuscripts for all other plays, contact: laurence.maslon@nyu.edu
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The Plot
A psychological portrait of an inequitable marriage, this collaboration between Kaufman and his second wife, actress Leueen MacGrath is the story of a well-heeled Park Avenue publisher and his meek wife, who lives in the shadow of his success. As their marriage progresses, and we see the high life of New York sophisticates, the wife comes into her own and blossoms into her full potential.
Other Plays in the Catalogue
By George S. Kaufman And Morrie Ryskind. Cast size: 10 men, 5 women (some doubling possible). One set. The Royal Family opened at the Selwyn Theater on December 28, 1927 and went on to run 343 performances.
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.
An unusual and sophisticated show, written by some of the finest talents of the musical theater, with material far ahead of its time. Park Avenue is a small-scale farce involving the dangers of apparent serial monogamy among New York's upper classes.
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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
