# Is "The Zoo Story, The Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Zoo Story, The Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox by Edward Albee (Coward-McCann, 1960) is identified by: First American edition in book form of these three early one-acts (Coward-McCann, New York, 1960), Albee's first book, with a short introduction by the author. This Coward-McCann 1960 volume is the standard first edition in book form; it is preceded only by a softcover acting edition, and The Zoo Story itself premiered in Berlin in 1959.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition in book form of these three early one-acts (Coward-McCann, New York, 1960), Albee's first book, with a short introduction by the author
- Light blue cloth lettered to the spine, in dust jacket with the printed price at the foot of the front flap
- The first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Coward-McCann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Coward-McCann |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition in book form of these three early one-acts (Coward-McCann, New York, 1960), Albee's first book, with a short… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition in book form of these three early one-acts (Coward-McCann, New York, 1960), Albee's first book, with a short introduction by the author. Light blue cloth lettered to the spine, in dust jacket with the printed price at the foot of the front flap. The first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
This Coward-McCann 1960 volume is the standard first edition in book form; it is preceded only by a softcover acting edition, and The Zoo Story itself premiered in Berlin in 1959. Treat it as the first edition in book form / first thus for the collected plays.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are stated on the copyright page ('Tenth Printing,' and so on). No prominent book-club edition; the first printing has no printing line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Zoo Story, The Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-zoo-story-the-death-of-bessie-smith-the-sandbox
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.