# Is "The Two-Character Play" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Two-Character Play by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1969) is identified by: First edition, New Directions, New York, 1969, issued only as a signed limited edition of 350 numbered copies signed by Williams (Crandell A35.I). The 1969 New Directions signed limited of 350 copies is the true first book appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, New Directions, New York, 1969, issued only as a signed limited edition of 350 numbered copies signed by Williams (Crandell A35.I)
- Printed at the Spiral Press; publisher's cloth in a matching slipcase
- No ordinary trade issue preceded it; the work was later reworked and reissued
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, New Directions, New York, 1969, issued only as a signed limited edition of… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, New Directions, New York, 1969, issued only as a signed limited edition of 350 numbered copies signed by Williams (Crandell A35.I). Printed at the Spiral Press; publisher's cloth in a matching slipcase. No ordinary trade issue preceded it; the work was later reworked and reissued.

## Is this the true first?
The 1969 New Directions signed limited of 350 copies is the true first book appearance. Williams later revised the text as Out Cry (1973), and a trade New Directions edition of The Two-Character Play appeared afterward, so those are later.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Two-Character Play* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-two-character-play
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.