The Theater: Not So Dim

Laid out cold the year before, Broadway jumped nimbly to its feet this past season. With playwrights less paralyzed by the war, and the public less panicky, quality rose and box office soared. Offering the fewest new productions of any modern season, 1942-43 achieved the highest percentage of successes (22 out of 57) in Broadway history.

Of the 22, only one—The Eve of St. Mark—dealt seriously with the war; only three others—The Patriots, Harriet and Tomorrow the World—dealt seriously with anything. Entertainment held the field. Thornton Wilder's cockeyed The Skin of Our Teeth started...