21 Years After

When Manhattan's Theatre Guild celebrated its 21st birthday fortnight ago, the occasion seemed less like a lusty coming-of-age than a triumph of longevity. Twenty-one years may not seem long compared to Paris' 250-year-old Comedie Franchise, but it is longer than any other serious theatre group has lasted in New York.

During the 1920s, The Theatre Guild was the most important single influence on the U. S. theatre. It may have fallen for artiness, but it also recognized art. An organization which, during its first ten years, produced Heartbreak House, Liliom, Back to Methuselah, R. U. R., The Adding Machine, Saint Joan, Processional, Ned McCobb's Daughter, Right You Are If You Think You Are and Strange Interlude could well be pleased with itself.

Most important act of the Guild's early days was its tie-up with Shaw. Tackling his difficult Heartbreak House when nobody else would touch it, the Guild produced it successfully, next season took on Shaw's triple-decker Back to Methuselah. Of that play, Shaw told the Guild that his name had been worth $10,000 to them--they had figured to lose $30,000, lost only $20,000.

During the '20s, the Guild:

> Built its own $1,000,000 theatre.

> Reached its New York subscription peak of 30,000 members.

> Started road tours and subscription audiences in big cities. Today, in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago and Pittsburgh the Guild has 30,000 subscribers.

> Once had eleven successes in a row.

> Acquired Eugene O'Neill (whom it neglected in his early days), produced his six-hour Strange Interlude as a gamble, grossed $5,000,000 from it.

The 1930s were a different story. The depression cut into its subscription list, but the Guild lost ground in Manhattan because so many of its productions lacked the old vitality. During the '30s the Guild often neglected good young talent for bad, produced Maxwell Anderson's inflated poetic dramas, second-rate O'Neill, third-rate Shaw.

The Guild, once very toplofty, knew it was slipping, abandoned its airs. Today it not only produces on its own, but works in association with other producers, accepts backing from Billy Rose, "sponsors" plays in which it has no producing interest. Today it is also under new management. For nearly 20 years six directors--Lawyer Lawrence Langner, Scene Designer Lee Simonson, Banker Maurice Wertheim, Actress Helen Westley, Director Philip Moeller, Theatre-Mind Theresa Helburn--ran the Guild, admitting but one newcomer: Alfred Lunt. Last year the board voted all power to Langner and Helburn. Judging by this season's results, two bosses are better than seven.

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