# Is "True West" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of True West by Sam Shepard (Samuel French, 1981) is identified by: The play premiered in 1980. The true first book text is contained in the 1981 editions rather than a separate trade hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The play premiered in 1980
- The first book-form text appears in 1981 in the Bantam collection 'Seven Plays' (trade paperback), the Samuel French acting edition, and the Faber UK edition
- There is no prominent standalone US trade-hardcover first edition; collect the play within the 1981 collected or acting-edition texts
- Publisher imprint reads Samuel French
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | Samuel French |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The play premiered in 1980 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The play premiered in 1980. The first book-form text appears in 1981 in the Bantam collection 'Seven Plays' (trade paperback), the Samuel French acting edition, and the Faber UK edition. There is no prominent standalone US trade-hardcover first edition; collect the play within the 1981 collected or acting-edition texts.

## Is this the true first?
The true first book text is contained in the 1981 editions rather than a separate trade hardcover. The Faber UK edition and the Bantam 'Seven Plays' collection are the principal collectible texts. Scrutinize any standalone 'first edition' claim carefully.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Acting editions and later anthology reprints, including the Vintage 'Seven Plays', are not the first. No book-club hardcover is recorded.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *True West* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/true-west
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.