Theresa Helburn

Helburn, Theresa (1887–1959), producer. Born in New York, she became interested in professional theatre while studying at Bryn Mawr. After continuing her studies at Radcliffe, the Sorbonne, and with Professor George Pierce Baker, she tried her hand briefly at acting and also served as drama critic for The Nation. Helburn then joined the Theatre Guild and soon became its executive director, a post she held for the rest of her career. Her associate, Lawrence Langner, described her as “a wild‐looking. . .woman with a high forehead,” but added, “she possessed the faculty of conscientiously carrying out the decisions of the Board, yet at the same time holding to her own opinions. . .her nerves were like whipcord and her power like steel.” Autobiography: A Wayward Quest, 1960.