| The Tunnel of Love | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Joseph Fields and Peter De Vries |
| Based on | The Tunnel of Love by Peter De Vries |
| Directed by | Joseph Fields |
| Date premiered | February 13, 1957 |
| Place premiered | Royale Theatre, New York City |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Marital infidelity |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | The home studio of cartoonist Augie Poole, a converted barn in Westport, Connecticut. |
The Tunnel of Love is a three-act play with five scenes and a prologue, written by Joseph Fields and Peter De Vries, adapted from the latter's 1954 novel.[1] It is a comedy with a simple plot, small cast, and only one setting. The action is concerned with the efforts of a married couple to conceive a child and the complications that set in when they decide to try adoption. The staging by Fields features many entrances and exits from the single set with moderate pacing.
The Theatre Guild produced the play, which was a hit on Broadway, running for 417 performances. Although a box office success, largely due to the star Tom Ewell, it failed to garner any award nominations. When Ewell left after a full year playing the lead, the role was taken over by Johnny Carson for six weeks, in his only Broadway stage appearance. The play also ran for more than a year in London. Popular with regional and community theaters during 1957 through 1959, its thin plot seems to have precluded much interest in revivals during subsequent years.
- ^ Atkinson, Brooks (February 14, 1957). "Theatre: Tunnel of Love". New York Times. New York, New York. p. 34 – via nytimes.com.