In his new play, "The Rat Race," Garson Kanin has made use of some of the ingredients that have made his "Born Yesterday" the huge success it continues to be. And his central character shares many of the same cultural attitudes of Miss Billie ("Drop dead") Dawn. Unfortunately, however, this new play lacks the swift elip of humor of "Born Yesterday," and the story it tells is as sentimental and implausible as that of "Anna Lucasta."

The setting is a cheap tenement in New York. Helen Brown (of Columbus, Ohio, and Miss Rhumba Queen of 1947) is being thrown out of her room because hse has no money. Her landlady hints that her reputation is not without stain. As she is packing to leave, the new tenant moves in. It is a young saxophone player from Minneapolis, a clean-cut young man. He tells her she can share the room with him. She thinks he's an innocent rube, he thinks she's a super-cynic.

As the weeks go by, Helen drops her unsavory friends under the influence of her unadmitted love for the musician. Then, just as his big chance comes, his instruments are stolen. Will Helen save the day? How will she get money fro new instruments? Will the young man realize her Sacrifice and forgive her thus compromising his Minneapolis mores?

Mr. Kanin has been very fortunate in the actors he has obtained for the roles of Helen Brown and Gus Hammer, the saxophone player. Betty Field has the part of the embittered young "model," as she calls herself, and she is wonderful in the part. Miss Field is unexcelled in the business of naturalistic acting and no matter how tough she talks she is still the substance of feminity. Barry Nelson as Gus Hammer, is also very good, with his half-articulate gestures, his rocking stance, and his fresh enthusiasm.

"The Rat Race" has some very humorous parts in it, mostly because Garson Kanin can get a little more vulgar than anyone else and still be funny. But the vulgarity of his people isn't genuine and consequently they aren't either.

The single set for "The Rat Race" is by Donald Oenslager. It looks just like every other set for a New York tenement, but then maybe all tenements look alike. However, Mr. Oenslager has given his set four walls, one of which raises and lowers many times during the evening with all the unobtrusiveness and grace of a freight elevator. Like three or four of the characters, the fourth wall should be done away with. Give the audience a little credit, M. Kanin, Mr. Oenslager.