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 A license (American Englis ...

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

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It publishes plays, represents

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

s, and sells scripts from its Los Angeles, UK, and online bookstores. The company's London subsidiary, Samuel French Ltd., publishes

stage play A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright. Plays are staged at various levels, ranging ...

s for the UK market and serves as a 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. Its eastern part 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 urbanised in ...

in central London. The firm has offices in New York City, London, and

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The office in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada, was closed in 2007. 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 and music publishing. On Apri ...

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. French soon acquired a London dramatic publishing company founded by Thomas Hailes Lacy. French managed 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 making more plays available to Little Theatres. After the father and son died, the New York and London entities continued under their managing partners.

''Breaking Character''

Samuel French publishes an online magazine entitled ''Breaking Character''. On the site, staff members and guest authors write articles on 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. 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 to eight plays being presented per night. Six are chosen as the winners, which are presented with publication and licensing rights. The festival has resulted in the publication of nearly 200 plays since its inception in 1975, including those by

Sheila Callaghan Sheila Callaghan (born 1973) is a playwright and screenwriter who emerged from the RAT ( Regional Alternative Theatre) movement of the 1990s. She has been profiled by ''American Theater Magazine'', "The Brooklyn Rail", ''Theatermania'', and ''Th ...

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

s for the UK market and serves as a licensing agent for performance rights. The theatrical bookshop at Fitzroy Street in London, closed in 2017. 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 West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

in March 2018. The bookshop at the Royal Court Theatre closed permanently in July 2024, with Concord Theatricals donating the bookshop stock for the theatre to open a free reference library in its place. 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 FestivalSamuel French Company Theater Collection
at the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections {{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 of the United Kingdom 1830 establishments in New York (state) Licensing organizations