She was one of the administrative directors of The Theatre Guild, one
of the most famous producing organization on Broadway. The Theatre
Guild was responsible for the original stage productions of "Porgy and
Bess", "Oklahoma!", and "Carousel".
It was Helburn who did the most to persuade Richard Rodgers and Oscar
Hammerstein II to write a musical adaptation of Ferenc Molnar's
"Liliom", which the Guild had produced successfully in 1921 and revived
in 1932. The play eventually became the musical classic "Carousel". The
Theatre Guild also produced Lynn Riggs's play "Green Grow the Lilacs"
and its musical version, the smash hit "Oklahoma!", also by Rodgers and
Hammerstein.