Dream Girl

Dream Girl is a 1945 two-act comedy by Elmer Rice, with a large cast, multiple sets, and quick pacing. It depicts a day in the life of a daydreaming bookstore manager, whose vivid fantasies form much of the play's action. The work makes great demands on the actress playing this part, as she is on stage constantly, must make costume and mood changes while jumping between sets, and delivers long soliloquies and a Shakespearean speech. According to some reviewers, her spoken lines were the longest female part known up to that time, nearly as long as Hamlet. The dream fantasies prompted comparison to the short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, but critics at the time more often suggested the play Lady in the Dark as an influence. Dream Girl was first produced by the Playwrights' Company, of which Rice was a member, with the author directing his then wife Betty Field in the starring role. The complex scenic and lighting designs were devised by Jo Mielziner, and the ladies' gowns by Mainbocher. The play predated the Tony Awards, but Betty Field won the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Performance by an Actress. The original Broadway run lasted for one year, though the production was on hiatus during the summer months. It was a critical and popular success, was nominated for the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play of 1946, and within a few months of opening had made back its original investment. The original production spun off separate companies in London and Chicago during 1946, and a national tour. It had a brief Broadway revival in 1951, and has been since adapted for film and television. Characters For clarity, only principal "real" characters are listed; featured and dream scene characters are omitted.