The First Year is a 1920 American comedic play written by Frank Craven, and produced by John Golden and directed by Winchell Smith on Broadway.[1] It was a hit on Broadway, running for 729 performances.
The three-act play, which centers on the first year of married life, ran on Broadway at the Little Theatre for 729 performances from Wednesday, October 20, 1920 through June 17, 1922.[2][3][4][5][6] (Prior to opening on Broadway, a warm-up performance was put on at the Apollo Theater in Atlantic City, New Jersey on October 7, 1920.[7][8][9])
It was the biggest Broadway show of the season, and when it finally closed, it was the third-longest run in Broadway history to that time.[10] It received positive reviews upon its release.[11][12][13][14][15][16] Critic Alexander Woollcott even called it "one of the best, if not the best [comedy], ever written by an American."[15]
After closing in New York, the company went on tour.[5][17]
A London production was mounted in 1926-27, which opened at the Apollo Theatre on November 26, 1926, and moved to the Prince of Wales Theatre on March 27, 1927, with a total run of 180 performances.[18]
^(11 October 1920). The Stage Door, p. 6, col. 3 (the prior day's Tribune said no New York debut date had yet been set; today, an October 20 opening at the Little Theatre is reported)
