First Lady (play)

First Lady is a 1935 play written by Katharine Dayton and George S. Kaufman. It is a three-act comedy, with three settings and a large cast. There are four scenes, which occur at monthly intervals starting with the December prior to a presidential election year. The story concerns a Washington, D.C. socialite who almost lets her rivalry with another social maven impede her husband's political future. The title is a play on the usual term accorded to a president's wife, suggesting it really belongs to the leading society hostess in the capitol.

It was first produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by George S. Kaufman, with sets by Donald Oenslager, costumes by John Hambleton, and starred Jane Cowl. It ran on Broadway from November 1935 through June 1936. It was third on the Best Plays of the Season list by Burns Mantle of the New York Daily News. The play was adapted for a film of the same name in 1937, and was revived for a limited engagement on Broadway during 1952.