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Mint Theater Company
Mint Theater Company logo
Resident Company at Theatre Row
Address412 West 42nd Street
New York City
United States
TypeOff-Broadway
Website
minttheater.org

Mint Theater Company was founded in 1992 in New York City. Their mission is to find, produce, and advocate for "worthwhile plays from the past that have been lost or forgotten".[1][2] They have been instrumental in restoring the theatrical legacy of several playwrights notably; Teresa Deevy,[3][4] Rachel Crothers,[5] and Miles Malleson.[6] As well as producing less produced or forgotten works by noted playwrights such as A. A. Milne,[7] Lillian Hellman,[8] and J. M. Barrie.[9] They have also produced frequently ignored theatrical works by noted authors such as Ernest Hemingway,[10] D. H. Lawrence,[11] and Leo Tolstoy.[11]

New York Times critic Ben Brantley credited Mint Theater Company as a "resurrectionist extraordinaire of forgotten plays".[12] pointing to the company as a torchbearer "devoted to overlooked plays of other times."[13]

History

The Mint Theater Company was founded in 1992 by Kelly Morgan.[14] The mission was further solidified when Jonathan Bank took over as artistic director in 1995, deciding to focus on lost, neglected, or forgotten plays.[15][16] This focus came from his interest in narrative driven plays that audiences didn't already know. The company's full commitment to neglected works came as audience interest in seeing recovered plays increased, eventually prompting the company to re-establish their mission and change their slogan to "Lost Plays Found Here."[17]

They have done significant work to revive the works of several playwrights who had fallen into obscurity. Their on-going Teresa Deevy Project works to rediscover, produce, and publish works of Irish playwright Teresa Deevy,[18] who despite early success and several productions at the Dublin Abbey Theatre during her lifetime has been largely neglected and her work forgotten.[19][4][20] The Mint Theater has produced four plays and published two anthologies of Deevy’s work.[21]

The theater’s revival of Rachel Crothers’ Susan and God in 2006 was the first New York City revival since 1943.[22] Crothers' work had rarely been seen since her death in 1953.[5] The theater also revived her Pulitzer Prize nominated play, A Little Journey in 2011.[5]

They have also revived or sometimes premiered neglected works by famous authors.[11] In 2008 they produced Hemingway's The Fifth Column,[23] using the original text,[10] the first professional production to do so as the 1940 Broadway production used an adapted script by Benjamin Glazer which Hemingway ultimately did not approve.[24][25] They have produced both of D. H. Lawrence's plays, The Daughter-in-Law in 2003[26] and The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd in 2009.[27]

In addition to citations for individual productions, the company has received several awards. In 2001 they received an Obie Grant.[28][29] In 2002 they were awarded a Drama Desk Special Award for "unearthing, presenting and preserving forgotten plays of merit”.[30] In 2010 they were awarded The Theatre Museum's Theatre History Preservation Award.[31]

Notable Productions

Their 2018 production of Hindle Wakes was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play.[43][44]

Their 2010 production of So Help Me God! was nominated for four Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Play.[38]

Publications

Mint Theater Company has published six anthologies from the works of authors that they have produced.

References

  1. ^ "About | Mint Theater Company". minttheater.org.
  2. ^ Cohen, Alix (10 February 2016). "The Mint Theater: Visionary Resurrection of Forgotten Plays". Woman Around Town.
  3. ^ Zinoman, Jason (4 August 2010). "An Irishwoman Back From Obscurity". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b Blaney, Retta (1 October 2010). "Lost works return to stage". National Catholic Reporter.
  5. ^ a b c d e BWW News Desk. "Mint Theater's A Little Journey Closes 7/17". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b Teachout, Terry (8 April 2021). "Yours Unfaithfully Review: Three's Trouble". The Wall Street Journal.
  7. ^ Hampton, Wilborn (19 May 2004). "Theater Notebook; Two Comedies From Milne, Before He Dreamed of Pooh". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Teachout, Terry (7 January 2021). "Opinion | Days to Come Review: A Hellman Rarity of Uncommon Merit". The Wall Street Journal.
  9. ^ Gelder, Lawrence Van (8 May 1995). "In Performance; Theater". The New York Times.
  10. ^ a b c Kale, Verna (2008). "The Fifth Column: A Play by Ernest Hemingway (review)". The Hemingway Review. 27 (2): 131–134. doi:10.1353/hem.0.0010. ISSN 1548-4815. S2CID 161589660.
  11. ^ a b c d Simonson, Robert (16 September 2007). "Sifting the Dustbin of Literary History". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Brantley, Ben (19 August 2011). "Aug. 21 — 27". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Brantley, Ben (3 November 2020). "A 'Wicked' Challenge and Other Tough Questions for Ben Brantley". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Simonson, Robert (September 1, 2002). "Blowing Off the Dust, Breathing New Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Mint Theater Company (a Meet the Theatre Film)". vimeo.com. Theater Development Fund. 29 October 2014.
  16. ^ Kelly, Jim. "The Mint Theater Is Bringing Back Long-Forgotten Plays". Vanity Fair.
  17. ^ a b Halvorsen, Caitlyn (18 March 2019). "Have You Met Miss Baker? Mint Theater Would Like You To". AMERICAN THEATRE.
  18. ^ Zinoman, Jason (4 August 2010). "An Irishwoman Back From Obscurity". The New York Times.
  19. ^ McKeon, Belinda. "Irish Theatre Magazine | Features | Current | A voice from another Ireland". itmarchive.ie.
  20. ^ Garavel, Andrew J. (3 October 2011). "Hidden Treasures: The plays of Teresa Deevy". America Magazine.
  21. ^ Teachout, Terry (18 February 2021). "Katie Roche and The Book of Magdalene Reviews: A Pair of Saints". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  22. ^ Teachout, Terry (30 June 2006). "Susan and God: Forgotten but Fresh". The Wall Street Journal.
  23. ^ March 28, Joy Goodwin. "A Stylish Spy Thriller". The New York Sun.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ McGrath, Charles (10 February 2008). "Hemingway, Your Letter Has Arrived". The New York Times.
  25. ^ "Hemingway's 'The Fifth Column' produced for New York stage". The New York Times. 8 February 2008.
  26. ^ Scheck, Frank (2 March 2009). "D.H. Lawrence Play Is in Mint Condition". New York Post.
  27. ^ Zinoman, Jason (4 March 2009). "Matters of Class and Heart". The New York Times.
  28. ^ Portantiere, Michael. "Obie-Won | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com. Theater Mania.
  29. ^ "2001 - Obie Awards". Obie Awards.
  30. ^ Simonson, Robert (2002). "Millie, Success Lead 2002 Drama Desk Nominations". Playbill.
  31. ^ Rich, Rob. "2010 Theatre Museum Awards". hamptons.com/.
  32. ^ Gainor, J. Ellen (2000). "Alison's House (review)". Theatre Journal. 52 (3): 425–426. doi:10.1353/tj.2000.0081. ISSN 1086-332X. S2CID 194010749.
  33. ^ Simonson, Robert (1999). "Mint Theatre Stages Pulitzer-winner, Alison's House, Sept. 23-Oct. 17". Playbill.
  34. ^ Teachout, Terry (17 June 2011). "Welcome Back, Rachel Crothers". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  35. ^ BWW News Desk. "Mint Theater Continues its Series of Free Broadcasts With CONFLICT by Miles Malleson". BroadwayWorld.com.
  36. ^ Clement, Olivia (2017). "Mint Theater to Stage Rare Revival of Hindle Wakes". Playbill.
  37. ^ Cowan, Alison Leigh (1 December 2009). "Waiting 80 Years, Diva Takes a Bow". The New York Times.
  38. ^ a b "So Help Me God!". www.iobdb.com. Lortel Foundations.
  39. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2011). "Fortune Intervenes in Temporal Powers, Opening Off-Broadway at the Mint Aug. 29". Playbill.
  40. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2011). "Rarely-Seen Drama Temporal Powers Gets Second Extension at the Mint". Playbill. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  41. ^ Hampton, Wilborn (28 March 2008). "Who Does This Playwright Think He Is? Hemingway?". The New York Times.
  42. ^ Collins-Hughes, Laura (25 February 2022). "'The Daughter-in-Law' Review: Sons and Wives". The New York Times.
  43. ^ Millard, Tom. "Drama Desk Awards 2018 - And the Nominees are..." NewYorkTheaterGuide.com. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  44. ^ "NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS 2018 AWARDS". DramaDesk.org. Drama Desk. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  45. ^ Seamon, Mark (2003). "Worthy But Neglected: Plays of the Mint Theater Company (review)". Theatre Topics. 13 (2): 253–254. doi:10.1353/tt.2003.0037. ISSN 1086-3346. S2CID 191415505.
  46. ^ Milne, A.A.; Wharton, Edith; Fitch, Clyde; Glaspell, Susan; Gale, Zona; Wolfe, Thomas; Reissa, Eleanor; Sowerby, Githa; Bank, Jonathan; Mahoney, Jeni (2002). Worthy But Neglected Plays of the Mint Theater Company (1 ed.). New York: Granville Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-0971826205. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  47. ^ Simonson, Robert (September 1, 2002). "Blowing Off the Dust, Breathing New Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  48. ^ Schnitzler, Arthur; Bank, Jonathan; Schnitzler, Peter (2005). Arthur Schnitzler Reclaimed. New York: Granville Press. p. 101. ISBN 978-0971826212. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  49. ^ Granville Barker, Harley; Bank, Jonathan (2007). Harley Granville Barker Reclaimed (1 ed.). New York: Granville Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-0971826229. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  50. ^ Hankin, St. John; Bank, Jonathan (2007). St. John Hankin Reclaimed (1 ed.). New York: Granville Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0971826236. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  51. ^ Deevy, Teresa; Bank, Jonathan; Morash, Christopher; Harrington, John P. (2011). Teresa Deevy Reclaimed Volume One (1 ed.). New York: Mint Theater Company. p. 158. ISBN 978-0971826243. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  52. ^ Deveey, Teresa; Bank, Jonathan; Morash, Christopher; Harrington, John P. (2017). Teresa Deevy Reclaimed Volume Two (1 ed.). New York: Mint Theater Company. p. 142. ISBN 978-0971826250. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
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