The Wren (play)

The Wren is a 1921 play by Booth Tarkington. It is a three-act comedy with one setting and seven characters. The action of the play takes place within 24 hours. The story concerns a seaside boarding house owned by an old salt but run by his young daughter, and their guests: a Canadian artist and a New York married couple. The play was intended as a vehicle for Helen Hayes, to give her something besides a flapper role.

The play was produced by George C. Tyler and Abe Erlanger. It was staged by Howard Lindsay, and starred Helen Hayes with Leslie Howard. It had tryouts in Springfield, Massachusetts and Boston starting in September 1921, before premiering on Broadway during October. It ran for only three weeks on Broadway then was withdrawn by the producers in favor of Golden Days, another Helen Hayes-led production.