Nov 5, 2025 10:00 EST
Stage & Screen featuring The Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
34
A presentation copy of Endgame, inscribed by Beckett to his American director
Collection of American Theater Director Alan Schneider (1917-1984)
SAMUEL BECKETT
Endgame. London: Faber and Faber, [1958]. First English edition, inscribed by Beckett to the director Alan Schneider, "For Alan / with love / from Sam." Publisher's terracota cloth with pictorial dust-jacket, 5½ x 8 inches. Dust-jacket with small tears to the tips of the spine and the fold of the upper flap. The binding has a slight lean and is just a trifle shelf-worn. Prior ownership inscription "Sonnabend / London / Sept 58" to front free endpaper.
Provenance: Collection of Alan Schneider (1917-1984); Following the death of Alan Schneider in 1984, these materials, many of which are inscribed by Beckett to “Alan and Jean,” were retained by Schneider’s widow, Eugenie Schneider, who died in the summer of 2025 at 101 years old.
A presentation copy of the uncommon first English edition of Endgame, inscribed by Samuel Beckett to Alan Schneider, "the primary American director of Samuel Beckett's plays." Samuel Beckett wrote Endgame in French before Waiting for Godot, but it was published and performed later. Beckett often cited Endgame as a favorite among his own works and his masterpiece.
Alan Schneider's initial staging of Waiting for Godot was disastrous: after a poorly-conceived two-week run at Miami's Coconut Grove Theater, Schneider was replaced as a director and a very different vision of Godot premiered on Broadway a few months later. Memories of the "Miami fiasco" haunted Schneider for two years. He was especially troubled by the idea that he had disappointed Beckett or done a disservice to the text. With Endgame, Schneider hit his stride with Beckett. The production was favorably received, earning an Obie and Village Voice Award for Best Foreign Play, and, most importantly, Schneider and Beckett both felt that the staging did justice to the words. Endgame, says Schneider, "was the beginning of the rest of my life with Sam."
Sold for $2,880
Estimated at $2,000 - $3,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
Collection of American Theater Director Alan Schneider (1917-1984)
SAMUEL BECKETT
Endgame. London: Faber and Faber, [1958]. First English edition, inscribed by Beckett to the director Alan Schneider, "For Alan / with love / from Sam." Publisher's terracota cloth with pictorial dust-jacket, 5½ x 8 inches. Dust-jacket with small tears to the tips of the spine and the fold of the upper flap. The binding has a slight lean and is just a trifle shelf-worn. Prior ownership inscription "Sonnabend / London / Sept 58" to front free endpaper.
Provenance: Collection of Alan Schneider (1917-1984); Following the death of Alan Schneider in 1984, these materials, many of which are inscribed by Beckett to “Alan and Jean,” were retained by Schneider’s widow, Eugenie Schneider, who died in the summer of 2025 at 101 years old.
A presentation copy of the uncommon first English edition of Endgame, inscribed by Samuel Beckett to Alan Schneider, "the primary American director of Samuel Beckett's plays." Samuel Beckett wrote Endgame in French before Waiting for Godot, but it was published and performed later. Beckett often cited Endgame as a favorite among his own works and his masterpiece.
Alan Schneider's initial staging of Waiting for Godot was disastrous: after a poorly-conceived two-week run at Miami's Coconut Grove Theater, Schneider was replaced as a director and a very different vision of Godot premiered on Broadway a few months later. Memories of the "Miami fiasco" haunted Schneider for two years. He was especially troubled by the idea that he had disappointed Beckett or done a disservice to the text. With Endgame, Schneider hit his stride with Beckett. The production was favorably received, earning an Obie and Village Voice Award for Best Foreign Play, and, most importantly, Schneider and Beckett both felt that the staging did justice to the words. Endgame, says Schneider, "was the beginning of the rest of my life with Sam."
Auction: Stage & Screen featuring The Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Nov 5, 2025
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Popular Stage & Screen Auction on November 5, 2025 Attracted Global Audience
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Memorabilia, Autographs, Artwork & Photographs Celebrating Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance
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Archive of Samuel Beckett Material from the Estate of His American Director Alan Schneider Topped $75,000
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Sale Featured a Special Section Devoted to the Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's popular Stage & Screen auction on November 5, 2025 attracted fans and collectors around the world vying for an exciting range of offerings celebrating the performing arts of Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance.
The Estate of Alan Schneider
Featured in the sale was fascinating collection of early Waiting for Godot material from the Estate of Alan Schneider that topped $75,000 amid trans-Atlantic competition. “The primary American director of Samuel Beckett plays” and a close friend of the playwright, Alan Schneider died in 1984, and his widow died at 101 this past summer. This remarkable archive offered an extraordinary glimpse into the creative partnership between Schneider and Beckett, spanning decades of groundbreaking theatrical work. Highlights included Schneider’s annotated working copy of Waiting for Godot used in the landmark American production, an inscribed typescript of Eh Joe, and first editions and presentation copies of Endgame and Happy Days, many personally inscribed to Schneider by Beckett. Other treasures included manuscripts, letters, awards, recordings and posters that document a pivotal collaboration in modern theater history. Read more
The Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Doyle was honored to offer a sequel to the successful 2011 auction of property from the estate of the legendary actor. Featured in the sale were artwork, furniture, photographs and memorabilia. Read More.
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