Synopsis: When a book collector is murdered in a public library, private detective Sam Spade is hired to find the killer. He encounters a host of unsavory characters hunting for a valuable autographed edition of Hammett’s masterpiece that was mistakenly donated to the Friends of the Library book sale. The Maltese Murder is a humorous variation on Dashiell Hammett’s classic detective novel The Maltese Falcon. Using characters and a plot line similar to the original story, The Maltese Murder embraces Hammett’s sharp dialog while at the same time spoofing the film noir genre. The goal of the play is to support the source material in a way that will ease new readers into the book as well as entertain those who are already fans.
Production History: The Maltese Murder was commissioned in 2008 by the Johnson County Public Library in Overland Park, Kansas, as part of the National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read program.
Requirements: The play is ideally suited for a performance in a library environment or traditional theatre. The cast requires five males and two females and the running time is one hour. Performance royalties are negotiable and dependent on the size of the performance venue and ticket prices. The royalty rate for free public performances would be approximately $50 per performance.
Contact: For questions or to read a copy of the script, please contact Bryan Colley at jupiterkansas@gmail.com.
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