All the World’s A Stage

Plays, Operas, Musicals & Other Theatrical Diversions

Some of these are played straight. Some of them are played for fun. And few too many of them simply used the clothes of the P.I. genre to dress up something else entirely–and not always successfully.

Okay, this is, obviously all pretty new to me. If you know of any other dramatic presentations that feature private eyes, please drop me a line. Oh, and when known, I’ve listed the cities where these were first performed, and the original lead, if known.

• QUINCY CHARLES SAWYER
  (1902, New York)
  Based on characters created by Charles Felton Pidgin
  Written by Frederick Justin Adams
  Staged by John Stapleton
  Starring Charles Dickson as QUINCY ADAMS SAWYER
  Not really a private eye play, although lawyer/sleuth Quincy had a son, Quincy, who did become one.
• THE ARGYLE CASE
  (1912, New York)
  Written by Harvey J. O’Higgins and Harriet Ford
  Starring Robert Hilliard as Detective Kayton
• THE DUMMY
  (1914, New York)
  Written by Harvey J. O’Higgins and Harriet Ford
  Starring Ernest Truex as Detective Barney
• COME SEVEN
  (1920, New York)
  Written by Octavus Roy Cohen
  Starring Earle Fox as Florian Slappey
• THE GORILLA: A MUSICAL COMEDY
  (1925, Broadway)
  Written by Ralph Spence
  Featuring private eyes Mulligan and Garrity.
• MURDER IS MY BUSINEESS
  (1958)
  Based on the novel by Brett Halliday
  Written by James Reach
  Featuring private eye Michael Shayne
  
• THE BAND WAGON
  (1953)
  Not actually a play, but this scene from Vincent Minelli’s show-within-a-show film musical  definitely ranks a spot on this page. The film, about a down-on-his luck hoofer, Fred Astaire, angling for a Broadway comeback, is chockfull of musical numbers, including a singin’ dancin’ features a jazz ballet entitled ‘‘The Girl Hunt,’’ that pokes ample fun at Mickey Spillane‘s Mike Hammer.
  
• MURDER OVER MIAMI
  (1958?)
  Based on the novel by Brett Halliday
  Written by James Reach
  Featuring private eye Michael Shayne
• FLY PAPER
  (1970, Long Island, NY)
  Based on the short story by Dashiell Hammett
  Adapted by Kenneth Cavender
  Presented at The John Drew Theater
  Presented by The Yale Repertory Summer Theater
  Starring Louis Plante as The Continental Op
• THE LITTLE SISTER
  (1978, Organic Theatre, Chicago)
  Based on the novel by Raymond Chandler
  Written by Stuart Gordon and Carolyn Purdy Gordon
  Starring Mike Genovese as Philip Marlowe
• PRIVATE DICK
  (1982, London)
  Based on the character created by Raymond Chandler
  Written by Richard Maher and Roger Michell
  Starring Robert Powell as Philip Marlowe
• CITY OF ANGELS
  (1989, New York City)
  Written by Larry Gelbart
  Music by Cy Coleman
  Lyrics by David Zippel
  Starring James Naughton as Stone
  and Gregg Edelman as Stine
• NICK AND NORA
  (1991, Broadway)
  Based on characters created by Dashiell Hammett
  Music by Charles Strouse
  Lyrics by Richard Maltby
  Book by Arthur Laurents
  Original cast: Barry Bostwick and Joanna Gleason as Nick & Nora Charles
• A RED DEATH
  (1997, Chicago Theatre Company)
  Based on the novel by Walter Mosley
  Written by David Barr
  Starring David Barr as Easy Rawlins
• SAMANTHA PANTHER: TOUGH GIRLS DON’T SING
  (1998, Montreal)
  Written by Angus Kohm
  Starring Stepfanie Wiens as Samantha Panther
• RED HARVEST: THE OPERA
  (2000, New York City)
  Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
  Music and libretto by Sean Carson
  Featuring The Continental Op
• MARRY ME YOU DICK
  (2004, Los Angeles)
  Written by Larry McCarthy
  Starring Jessica Schroeder as Rosalind Riley
• RED NOIR
  (2009, The Living Theatre, New York City)
  Written by Anne Waldman
  Starring Sheila Dabney as Ruby
  
• DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY | Buy the play
  (2016)
  Based on the novel by Douglas Adams
  Written by James Goss and Arvind Ethan
  So far apparently unproduced, but available to read and perform worldwide.
• MIKE HAMMER: ENCORE FOR MURDER!
  (2018, Clearwater, Florida)
  January 18-February 3, 2018
  Murray Theatre, Clearwater, Florida
  Based on notes left by late Mickey Spillane
  Written by Max Allan Collins
  Directed by Richard Rice
  Starring Gary Sandy as MIKE HAMMER
  Based on notes found in the files of the late Mickey Spillane, Collins originally wrote this as an audio drama, and was released in 2011, starring Stacy Keach and a full cast. When it became a stage play it starred Gary (WKRP) Sandy as Hammer. A planned sequel, The Little Death, scheduled for September 2018, also starring Sandy as Hammer, was subsequently cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. Not sure if it was ever produced.

Respectfully compiled by Kevin Burton Smith.