|
 |
|
|
 |
| |
"Most
of the plays staged by the Mint have lain on the shelf more than 41
years. For instance the Mint rediscovered A.A. Milne, the playwright,
author of Mr. Pim Passes By, a whimsical 1921 comedy that had been
un-produced in New York for 50 years. The Voysey Inheritance, by Harley
Granville-Barker, received its New York premiere at the Mint 95 years
after it was written. There are interesting stories behind the obscurity
of each of these dramas, and often the reason has nothing to do with
the writing. Certainly each of them deserves the description "Worthy
But Neglected." And so, for its work in unearthing, presenting
and preserving plays of merit, the Drama Desk feels that the Mint
Theatre Company is a worthy recipient of this special award, and is
not to be neglected.
Ed Karam in Presenting the Mint with its 2002 Drama Desk Award
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| |
OUR
MISSION:
MINT THEATER COMPANY commits to bringing new vitality to worthy but
neglected plays. We excavate buried theatrical treasures; reclaiming
them for our time through research, dramaturgy, production, publication
and a variety of enrichment programs; and we advocate for their ongoing
life in theaters across the world. Mint has a keen interest in timeless
but timely plays that make us feel and think about the moral quality
of our lives and the world in which we live. Our aim is to use the
engaging power of the theater to excite, provoke, influence and inspire
audiences and artists alike.
|
|
 |
 BRIEF
HISTORY
The Mint Theater Company is dedicated to searching out worthy but
neglected voices from the past, with a sharp appetite for timeless
but timely plays that speak to issues, struggles and questions that
are as current as today’s headlines. In the spring of 2002, the
Mint was honored with a special Drama Desk Award for "unearthing,
presenting and preserving forgotten plays of merit" and in 2001
the Mint received an Obie in recognition of its success in combining
" the excitement of discovery with the richness of tradition."
Included on the list of lost theatrical treasures found by the Mint
has been the critically acclaimed New York premiere of Harley Granville-Barker’s
brilliant comedy The Voysey Inheritance, the New York premiere of
Thomas Wolfe’s riveting social drama Welcome To Our City, the
first New York revival of A.A. Milne's comedy of morals, Mr. Pim Passes
By, and Edith Wharton's unpublished dramatization of her powerful
novel, The House of Mirth seen on Broadway for two weeks only in 1907.
 In
recent years we have also given New Yorkers the opportunity to experience
great plays by a number of neglected women playwrights including the
first New York revivals of two Pulitzer Prize winning plays; Zona
Gale’s Miss Lulu Bett, and Susan Glaspell’s Alison’s
House; also Cicely Hamilton’s Diana of Dobson’s and Rutherford
and Son by Githa Sowerby, a remarkable and little-known play that
made the National Theater’s list of One Hundred Plays of the
Century.
Our work has been praised by scholars grateful for the opportunity
to see plays that they have studied for a lifetime, yet have never
seen performed. Our peers in the theatrical community look to the
Mint for relevant and engaging plays to add to their repertory. Artistic
directors and literary managers representing major regional theaters
across the country attended The Voysey Inheritance, including the
Walnut Street Theater, which has scheduled the play for production
this season, and the Asolo Theater Festival in Florida which produced
the show last spring. In the summer of 2002, the Peterborough Players
in New Hampshire produced Mr. Pim Passes By directed by Jonathan Bank
and featuring Lisa Bostnar in the role that she played so memorably
at the Mint.
 Thanks
to a Challenge Grant from the City of New York Department of Cultural
Affairs, Mint has published an anthology that includes seven of our
most significant re-discoveries entitled, Worthy But Neglected: Plays
of the Mint Theater. This book, which also features photos, author
bios, historical notes and a general introduction by Artistic Director
Jonathan Bank, will help to extend the life of the unduly neglected
plays that we have produced by introducing tomorrows’ theater
artists to these hard-to-find and, in many cases, out-of-print, gems. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
