# Is "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? by Edward Albee (Overlook Press, 2003) is identified by: First US hardcover edition, Overlook Press, New York, 2003 (full title 'The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?. The Overlook Press US hardcover of 2003 is the true first trade edition; a Dramatists Play Service acting edition also exists.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US hardcover edition, Overlook Press, New York, 2003 (full title 'The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (Notes Toward a Definition of Tragedy)'), so stated as First Edition with a full number line present on the copyright page
- Bound in charcoal boards with gilt spine lettering; the dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price unclipped
- Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play
- Publisher imprint reads Overlook Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Overlook Press |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US hardcover edition, Overlook Press, New York, 2003 (full title 'The Goat, or Who… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US hardcover edition, Overlook Press, New York, 2003 (full title 'The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (Notes Toward a Definition of Tragedy)'), so stated as First Edition with a full number line present on the copyright page. Bound in charcoal boards with gilt spine lettering; the dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price unclipped. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play (2002).

## Is this the true first?
The Overlook Press US hardcover of 2003 is the true first trade edition; a Dramatists Play Service acting edition also exists.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-goat-or-who-is-sylvia
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.