# Is "The Play About the Baby" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Play About the Baby by Edward Albee (Dramatists Play Service / Overlook Press, 2003) is identified by: The Dramatists Play Service acting edition in wrappers (ISBN 0-8222-1814-3) appeared circa 2001; the Overlook Press cloth-in-jacket hardcover (ISBN 1-58567-353-6) was published in 2003 and represents the first hardcover trade edition. First in print was the Dramatists Play Service acting edition (circa 2001); the Overlook Press hardcover followed in 2003.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Dramatists Play Service acting edition in wrappers (ISBN 0-8222-1814-3) appeared circa 2001; the Overlook Press cloth-in-jacket hardcover (ISBN 1-58567-353-6) was published in 2003 and represents the first hardcover trade edition
- Publisher imprint reads Dramatists Play Service / Overlook Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Dramatists Play Service / Overlook Press |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Dramatists Play Service acting edition in wrappers (ISBN 0-8222-1814-3) appeared… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Dramatists Play Service acting edition in wrappers (ISBN 0-8222-1814-3) appeared circa 2001; the Overlook Press cloth-in-jacket hardcover (ISBN 1-58567-353-6) was published in 2003 and represents the first hardcover trade edition.

## Is this the true first?
First in print was the Dramatists Play Service acting edition (circa 2001); the Overlook Press hardcover followed in 2003. No UK Faber 1998 edition could be verified.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Play About the Baby* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-play-about-the-baby
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.