My Heart's in the Highlands

My Heart's in the Highlands (1939), a play by William Saroyan. [Guild Theatre, 44 perf.] Ben Alexander (Philip Loeb), a failed poet, lives from hand‐to‐mouth with his son Johnny (Sidney Lumet) and his mother‐in‐law (Hester Sondergaard), who speaks no English. Although they are liked by many of their neighbors and are visited by Jasper MacGregor (Art Smith), an old tragedian who plays music on a golden bugle, they are eventually forced to abandon their humble shack and move on. Originally slated for only five performances, the Group Theatre production managed a longer run, although most critics were baffled by it.