[1] A history professor, frustrated to be working at a university near the border of England and Wales, discovers a love letter written by one of his students to a girl.

The play's title comes from "Druid", British academic slang denoting a erudite scholar who has lost his sense of humanity, with "Circle" indicating a group of the same.

Tom and Megan first seek advice from Maddox and his wife Brenda, who are sympathetic but can only suggest waiting until White reveals his purpose in concealing the letter.

In the final scenes White feels remorse over his callousness, and resigns at the stern suggestion of the Dean, while Megan returns on her own to be reunited with Tom, and Maddox decides to leave this stultifying institution.

[7] Alfred de Liagre Jr and Van Druten had worked before on the long-running hit The Voice of the Turtle, and the 1945 play The Mermaids Singing.

[12] He also praised Van Druten's writing, but noticed some weakness with the play's structure: "The plot is difficult to handle, for it depends in every act on telling about things which have happened off-stage and then going on from there.

[16] Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times thought the first act "trifling", but once over, "John van Druten goes straight to the heart of one of his best dramas".

[fn 1][17] Atkinson's most generous praise was for the acting of Leo G. Carroll, in a role that precluded his usual charm and geniality, and thought Ethel Griffies "another treasure".

[17] Arthur Pollock of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle thought The Druid Circle "more of a study than a play", a character sketch of Professor White.