# Is "American Blues: Five Short Plays" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of American Blues: Five Short Plays by Tennessee Williams (Dramatists Play Service, 1948) is identified by: Acting-edition format in dark blue stapled wrappers, Dramatists Play Service, 1948. DPS acting-edition first; no hardcover was issued, so this wrappered acting edition is the true first of the collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Acting-edition format in dark blue stapled wrappers, Dramatists Play Service, 1948
- Notable first-issue point: the author's first name is misspelled Tennesse (missing the final e) on the front wrapper
- Collects five short plays: The Dark Room, Ten Blocks on the Camino Real, The Case of the Crushed Petunias, The Unsatisfactory Supper, and Moony's Kid Don't Cry
- Crandell A6.I.a
- Publisher imprint reads Dramatists Play Service
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | Dramatists Play Service |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Acting-edition format in dark blue stapled wrappers, Dramatists Play Service, 1948 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Acting-edition format in dark blue stapled wrappers, Dramatists Play Service, 1948. Notable first-issue point: the author's first name is misspelled Tennesse (missing the final e) on the front wrapper. Collects five short plays: The Dark Room, Ten Blocks on the Camino Real, The Case of the Crushed Petunias, The Unsatisfactory Supper, and Moony's Kid Don't Cry. Crandell A6.I.a.

## Is this the true first?
DPS acting-edition first; no hardcover was issued, so this wrappered acting edition is the true first of the collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club. Later DPS printings are noted on the copyright page and lack the Tennesse cover misspelling of the first issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *American Blues: Five Short Plays* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/american-blues-five-short-plays
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.