Before she authored the novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," Betty Smith wrote a play about the same character, Francie Nolan. Smith's novel, which follows Francie from young girlhood to the cusp of 17, was published in 1943 to great acclaim and lasting success.  "Becomes A Woman," which Smith wrote in 1931 and dramatizes Francie's life...
SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:11PM on February 27, 2023