Buddy Thomas Joins Samuel French in New Foreign Stage Rights Partnership with ICM

Samuel French, the world's leading theatrical publishing and licensing company and ICM Partners, one of the world's largest talent and literary agencies, announced the formation of a new strategic partnership to co-represent ICM's foreign stage rights in all languages worldwide, including the complete works by Arthur Miller, Eugene O'Neill, Sam Shepard, Kaufman and Hart, and many others.

Moving from ICM Partners, Buddy Thomas assumes the new position of Director of International Licensing at Samuel French. Thomas served as a theatrical agent at ICM Partners for 19 years where he represented ICM's international catalogue of writers, artists, and premiere estates.

Thomas is also a widely produced playwright, and is the author of The Crumple Zone, which was an off-Broadway hit starring Mario Cantone as well as Devil Boys from Beyond, which won the award for Outstanding Play at FringeNYC and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Best Play. Both titles are published by Samuel French.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the Samuel French family," says Buddy Thomas. "I look forward to continuing in this new relationship with ICM Partners and the many writers I have had the pleasure of representing through the years."

"ICM Partners is excited to enter this partnership with Samuel French," says Patrick Herold, the Head of Theater at ICM Partners. "Samuel French has a long and illustrious history, a vast library and perhaps unparalleled reach. With Buddy Thomas in his new position overseeing International Licensing at Samuel French, our two companies will jointly represent a growing catalog of some of the most important and celebrated works in dramatic literature worldwide, led by an experienced and expert hand. It is a remarkable opportunity for us to offer our clients both a broader marketplace and an expanded team, which I believe will result in new licenses and larger audiences."

"We are beyond excited to welcome Buddy to our team," says Samuel French's President Nate Collins. "He brings tremendous experience and more importantly, the conscientiousness and positive attitude that we look for in our teammates and partners. Working with ICM on foreign licensing representation will provide greater exposure worldwide for our clients and create a more efficient process for international producers."

Samuel French is the world's leading publisher and licensor of plays and musicals. The company's catalog features some of the most acclaimed work ever written for the stage and titles by writers at the forefront of contemporary drama. Samuel French is proud to have served as a leader in theatrical publishing and licensing for over 180 years and is committed to the future by championing for playwrights, innovating the industry, and celebrating all those who make theatre around the world. For more information about Samuel French visit www.SamuelFrench.com.

ICM Partners is one of the world's largest talent and literary agencies with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and London. The agency represents creative and technical talent in the fields of motion picture, television, books, music, live performance, branded entertainment, and new media. ICM was formed in 1975 through the merger of Creative Management Associates and International Famous Agency. In 2005, the company raised equity financing from Rizvi Traverse and institutional investors to fund strategic growth, and in 2006, ICM acquired the literary agency Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann. In 2012, the agency completed a management buyout and formed a partnership with the new name, ICM Partners.