EXCLUSIVE: The American Play Company, most recently led by Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas and his business partner, Mark Shankman, is being acquired by the theatrical division of International Literary Partners.
With roots dating to the 1880s, APC was once an agency representing clients like George Bernard Shaw, Jerome Kern and J.M. Barrie. It went on to control the estates of Damon Runyon, whose writing formed the basis of Broadway musical Guys & Dolls; and Cornell Woolrich, whose story “It Had to Be Murder” was the source of Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear Window. APC also has a stake in the estates of authors including Maurine Dallas Watkins, who wrote the 1926 play which inspired the Broadway musical Chicago.
“Mark and I are so excited for this next great chapter for APC and its catalog of iconic literary legacies,” Douglas said. “We look forward to working with Michael and the entire team at ILP as they continue and expand upon the company’s storytelling legacy.”
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ILP Theatrical CEO Michael Barra described the works in APC’s catalog as “integral to the fabric of the American theater.” Alluding to ILP Chairman Thomas B. McGrath, he continued, “We are thrilled to not only be stepping into the role of steward for such literary luminaries, but also to be working with Michael Douglas and Mark Shankman on this collection of classics going forward.”
ILP invests in, acquires, manages, and enhances literary and theatrical estates. Its theatrical division was founded and led by Barra and McGrath. With offices in New York, London, Los Angeles and Austin, ILP works closely with book authors, playwrights, lyricists and composers, along with their representatives, heirs and estate managers.
Since its founding in 2020, ILP has built a diverse portfolio of iconic creators, including Somerset Maugham, Langston Hughes, Alfred Uhry, Ann Rule, Georges Simenon, James M. Cain, Joseph Kesselring, Georgette Heyer, Ngaio Marsh, Mary Wesley, and Arto Paasilinna. ILP partners with leading creatives and media producers to develop new adaptations across publishing, television, film, theatre, and digital platforms.
American Play Company was founded by Elisabeth Marbury in 1914. After years of success as agent to many literary luminaries such as Shaw, Barrie, Edmond Rostand, Rachel Crothers, G.M. Cohan, Jerome Kern, and P.G. Wodehouse, she merged her company with Selwyn & Co. By 1930, the APC was an amalgam of such legacy companies as Selwyn & Co, Elisabeth Marbury, Inc., The John Rumsey Play Company, and The De Mille Company.
In the early 1960s, the company was purchased and led by legendary producer Sheldon Abend until 1999, when it was acquired by Douglas to develop properties for film and television. Abend was known as an intellectual property rights pioneer. He argued in a Supreme Court case that widows and heirs of deceased authors should have the exclusive right to permit the creation and exploitation of derivative works, regardless of potentially conflicting agreements by prior copyright holders.
In 2019, Mark Shankman became Douglas’ partner and has overseen the catalog’s role in such projects as Chicago, the longest-running American musical on Broadway and the recent hit revival of Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre in London. The company also has been involved in the recently announced film remake of Guys & Dolls from Sony’s TriStar Pictures, with Rob Marshall attached to direct.
The post Michael Douglas’ American Play Company, Storied Firm That Once Repped George Bernard Shaw, Is Acquired By International Literary Properties appeared first on Deadline.
