The Old Maid (play)

The Old Maid
Written byZoë Akins
Based onThe Old Maid
by Edith Wharton
Directed byGuthrie McClintic
Date premieredJanuary 7, 1935 (1935-01-07)
Place premieredEmpire Theatre
Original languageEnglish
SubjectStrife between cousins
GenreDrama
SettingDelia Lovell's room, 1833;
A day-nursery, 1839;
The Ralston drawing room, 1839,1853,1854
For other uses, see The Old Maid (disambiguation).

The Old Maid is a 1934 play by American playwright Zoë Akins, adapted from Edith Wharton's 1924 novella of the same name.[1] The play as published has six "episodes",[fn 1] covering twenty-one years of time.[2] It has a large cast, and three settings; one is used for the last four episodes (scenes).[2] The story concerns two women, cousins, who allow rancor over a lost love to become a struggle for the illegitimate daughter of one.[3]

The original production was produced by Harry Moses, staged by Guthrie McClintic, had sets and costumes by Stewart Chaney, and starred Judith Anderson and Helen Menken.[4] It played on Broadway from January through September 1935, then went on tour for seven months.[5] Despite reviews that ranged from mild praise[3][6] to negative[7][8] at its inception, the play was awarded the 1935 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a decision marked by controversy over the snubbing of Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour.[9] It has never had a revival on Broadway. It was adapted for a motion picture under the same name in 1939.[10]

  1. ^ Kirkley, Donald (January 1, 1935). "'The Old Maid', A New Play, Presented Here". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Zoë Akins (1951). The Old Maid. Samuel French, Inc. pp. 2, 4, 5. ISBN 978-0-573-61336-4.
  3. ^ a b I. G. Q. (January 8, 1935). "Judith Anderson and Helen Menken in 'The Old Maid'". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Pollock, Arthur (January 8, 1935). "'The Old Maid'". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "News of the Stage". New York Times. New York, New York. April 23, 1936. p. 26 – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ Mantle, Burns (January 8, 1935). "'The Old Maid'". Daily News. New York, New York. p. 510 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Kanour, Gilbert (January 1, 1935). "For Theatre Goers". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Atkinson, Brooks (January 8, 1935). "'The Old Maid'". New York Times. New York, New York. p. 26 – via NYTimes.com.
  9. ^ "'The Old Maid' Steals Pulitzer Play Prize". Daily News. New York, New York. May 7, 1935. p. 177 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Nugent, Frank S. (August 9, 1939). "The Screen". New York Times. New York, New York. p. 19 – via NYTimes.com.


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