Opening 25 January1929 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, Elmer Rice's expressionist drama in nine scenes ran for 35 performances. A naïve 18-year-old filing clerk named Sophie (perhaps in homage to Sophie Treadwell, whose earlier play Machinal bears some similarities) yearns for beauty while her daily grind involves insensitive parents and the hysteria-inducing daily subway ride. She succumbs to a young man who is inspired to write an apocalyptic piece called "The Subway." Guilt-ridden over her possible pregnancy, she throws herself in front of an oncoming subway train.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.