Old Acquaintance (play)

Old Acquaintance
Written byJohn Van Druten
Directed byAuriol Lee
Date premieredDecember 23, 1940 (1940-12-23)
Place premieredMorosco Theatre
Original languageEnglish
SubjectLong friendship between two women is tested
GenreComedy
SettingKatherine's apartment in Washington Square; Park Avenue drawing-room; November-December 1940

Old Acquaintance is a 1940 play by the British writer John Van Druten.[1] It is a three-act comedy, with a small cast and two settings. The story is a conflict between two women, childhood friends from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and now both successful writers. It is all conversation, with exits and entrances the only action.[2] It was considered a "woman's play" by contemporary reviewers.[3][4]

Old Acquaintance was first produced on Broadway by Dwight Deere Wiman, staged by Auriol Lee, with set design by Richard Whorf, and starred Peggy Wood and Jane Cowl.[5] It ran from December 1940 thru May 1941 on Broadway. The film version was released in early November 1943.[6] It had a Broadway revival during 2007.[7]

  1. ^ Price, Edgar (December 24, 1940). "The Premiere". Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, New York. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "The Stage: Plymouth Theatre". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. December 10, 1940. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Mantle, Burns (December 24, 1940). "Jane Cowl and Peggy Wood Make Something of 'Old Acquaintance'". Daily News. New York, New York. p. 99 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Pollock, Arthur (December 24, 1940). "'Old Acquaintance' Brings Back Several Old Friends". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Atkinson, Brooks (December 24, 1940). "The Play". New York Times. New York, New York – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ Corby, Jane (November 3, 1943). "The Screen". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Broadway In Preview". Newsday. New York, New York. June 1, 2007. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.