The Fair Co-Ed was published by Samuel French in 1908. The musical comedy returned to the collegiate setting that had made The College Widow so successful, this time centering on Cynthia Bright, a wealthy young woman whose enrollment at a midwestern college disrupts established social hierarchies. The show combined romance with gentle satire of the ongoing debate about coeducation — whether women belonged in the same institutions as men, and what their presence did to the traditional college experience.
The show was a commercial success, though not on the scale of The College Widow, and was later adapted into a 1927 silent film starring Marion Davies.
Collecting The Fair Co-Ed
First edition (Samuel French, New York, 1908): Paper wrappers (acting edition).
Market values:
- Acting edition: $20–$50
- Later reprints: $5–$15
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation.
Women and Education
The Fair Co-Ed (1908) is a musical comedy about a wealthy young woman who enrolls at a midwestern college and disrupts the established social order through beauty, money, and determination. The play addresses the coeducation debate that was still live in early-twentieth-century America: whether women belonged in universities, whether they would distract male students, and whether higher education would “unsex” them. Ade’s answer — that women are perfectly capable of managing both education and romance — was delivered with enough charm to make the medicine go down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find Ade’s plays today? Most of Ade’s plays are out of print but available through used-book dealers and in library collections. Samuel French acting editions of the major plays are occasionally found. The plays are also documented in Jean Shepherd’s and Lee Coyle’s studies of Ade’s theatrical career.