# Is "Theatre" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham (Doubleday Doran, 1937) is identified by: Contrary to the original record, the US Doubleday Doran edition is the true first: per the Stott bibliography and dealer descriptions, the American edition preceded the UK Heinemann edition by about three weeks. US Doubleday Doran is the true first; UK Heinemann (1937) followed about three weeks later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Contrary to the original record, the US Doubleday Doran edition is the true first: per the Stott bibliography and dealer descriptions, the American edition preceded the UK Heinemann edition by about three weeks
- Both appeared in 1937
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | Doubleday Doran |
| Year | 1937 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Contrary to the original record, the US Doubleday Doran edition is the true first: per the Stott bibliography and dealer descriptions, the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Novel. Contrary to the original record, the US Doubleday Doran edition is the true first: per the Stott bibliography and dealer descriptions, the American edition preceded the UK Heinemann edition by about three weeks. Both appeared in 1937.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday Doran is the true first; UK Heinemann (1937) followed about three weeks later.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Theatre* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/theatre
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.