A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Once in a Lifetime

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  13w, 2m

Once in a Lifetime
by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart

"Ideal summer theatre with comic climaxes that distinguish the humor of the 30s...Grand chains of lunacy." - The New York Times

"A lovely play...Gracefully insane." - New York Post

Once in a Lifetime

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    13w, 2m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period

Details

Summary
This is a knockabout satiric tale of three on-the-skids vaudeville troupers - Jerry, Mae, and George - who decide to head for Hollywood and try their luck at the newest craze: "talkies." After a hilarious series of consistent blunders, the unassuming George is carried to fame and fortune becoming (for a short time, at least) a captain of The Industry. This fast-paced, wild romp offers marvelous character opportunities, while spoofing the absurdities of Tinsel Town.

Much doubling possible

  • Time Period 1920s
  • Setting A living-room, an hotel room, a reception room, a film set, a Pullman car

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Moss Hart

Moss Hart (1904-1961) began his career as a playwright, director and producer in 1930 when, with George S. Kaufman, he wrote Once in a Lifetime. Subsequent Kaufman and Hart successes include Merrily We Roll Along, You Can't Take It With You and The Man Who Came To Dinner, amo ...

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George S. Kaufman

George S. Kaufman was born in Pittsburgh in 1889. During his early career as a reporter and drama critic , he began to write for the theatre. For 40 years, beginning in 1921 with the production of Dulcy, there was rarely a year without a Kaufman play — usually written in coll ...

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