A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Once in a Lifetime

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  14w, 24m

Moss Hart, George S. Kaufman

"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

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    14w, 24m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Parody/Spoof, Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences

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.

History

Once in a Lifetime opened at the Music Box Theatre on 24 September, 1930 and ran for 305 performances. It was produced by Sam H. Harris.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

20 men, 19 women, plus extras. Please request a reduced casting scheme. Doubling essential. Wide range of eccentric comic types.

  • Time Period 1920s
  • Setting

    A living-room, an hotel room, a reception room, a film set, a Pullman car, and Hollywood.

  • Features Elaborate/High-Volume Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

"Nobody knows anything," was William Goldman's acerbic comment on the movie industry. And that was the conclusion reached by Moss Hart and George S Kaufman in this 1930 satire on Hollywood: a play which, still has a certain period charm and a vindictive wit. – London Guardian


"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

 

Licensing & Materials

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

Scripts

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Authors

Moss Hart

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

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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