U.S. theatrical society.
Founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner (18901962) and others, the group proposed to produce high-quality, noncommercial plays. Its board of directors shared responsibility for choice of plays, management, and production. After the premiere of George Bernard Shaw 's Heartbreak House in 1920, the Guild became his U.S. agent and staged 15 of his plays. It also produced successful plays by Eugene O'Neill , Maxwell Anderson , and Robert Sherwood and featured actors such as the Lunt s and Helen Hayes . It helped develop the American musical by staging Porgy and Bess (1935), Oklahoma! (1943), and Carousel (1945); it also produced the radio series Theatre Guild on the Air (194553) and presented plays on television.