A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Full-Length Play  /  6w, 14m

Edward Albee, Carson McCullers

Amelia, the proprietor of the Sad Cafe, throws her new husband out of …

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 14m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature)

Details

Summary
Amelia, the proprietor of the Sad Cafe, throws her new husband out of their bedroom on their wedding night. Torn between anger and desire the husband finally leaves town only to return some years later to find Amelia showering all her affection on a dwarf cousin who has come to live with her. At their first meeting the dwarf is hopelessly attracted to the husband. In turn, the husband moves back into the Sad Cafe, threatening to run away with the dwarf if Amelia objects. The day of reckoning soon arrives and the husband and wife meet to settle their differences with their bare hands.

Media

Produced on Broadway. "It is beautiful, absorbing, exciting, touching and absolutely enthralling—a notable addition to the literature of our contemporary stage." —NY Daily News. "It is an engrossing evening, a salutary success for all concerned." —NY Journal-American. "It is both beautiful and grotesque, a small masterpiece exquisitely written in a mysterious and strange style." —Women's Wear Daily.

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $130 per performance
    Licensing available for professional groups only. Some restrictions apply.

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Authors

Edward Albee

Edward Albee (1928-2016) was born on March 12, 1928, and began writing plays 30 years later. His plays include The Zoo Story (1958), The American Dream (1960), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62, Tony Award), Tiny Alice (1964), A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize a ...

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Author

Carson McCullers

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