Up next at the Mint:
FIRST PRIORITY CLUB NEWS
AUGUST 19
through
OCTOBER 12
THE FATAL WEAKNESS by George Kelly Begins August 19th FPC Hotline: (212) 315-0231 Address: 311 W. 43rd St. Suite 307 New York, NY 10036 Box Office: Mon.- Sat Noon-6pm Sun.- Noon-3pm Performances: Tues., Wed., Thurs. 7pm Friday & Saturday 8pm Saturday & Sunday 2pm Wednesday Matinee: 9/10 at 2pm No Performances: 9/9 & 9/16 Full Price: $55/$65 FPC Price: $38.50 (Use Code: FPC)
CheapTix: $27.50 (when available) www.minttheater.org MRS. WENTZ What about whistling, Ollie? MRS. ESPENSHADE About what, dear? MRS. WENTZ Whistling. Does he do much of that? MRS. ESPENSHADE The thing I’ve noticed about him lately more than anything else, is a funny little skip he gives occasionally,—(This appears to be the particular sign that MRS. WENTZ has been waiting for.) as he crosses a room. MRS. WENTZ For no reason at all, you mean? MRS. ESPENSHADE Yes:— it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen in your life. He just gives a little leap, as though he’s stepped on a spring or something.
By GEORGE KELLY Directed by JESSE MARCHESE After 28 years of marriage, Ollie Espenshade is still an incurable romantic (her fatal weakness). Perhaps discovering that her husband is a lying cheat will cure her? THE FATAL WEAKNESS, George Kelly’s last produced play, is a smart comedy about romance, marriage and commitment. It opened on Broadway on November 19, 1946 in a production by the legendary Theatre Guild starring Ina Claire. “One of Kelly’s best. It reveals keen understanding of character—an evening of genuine quality.” wrote Ward Morehouse in The New York Sun. Richard Watts Jr. of the New York Post called THE FATAL WEAKNESS “so fresh in its observations, three-dimensional in its characters and human in its humor that it emerges as the first important new comedy of the season.” The play went on to be hailed “Best New Comedy” by George Jean Nathan’s Honor List in Theatre Book of the Year, 1946-1947.
Meet the Director: Q & A with Jesse Marchese What led you to becoming a theater director? I started acting when I was very young— first in school, then at community theaters, and eventually on professional stages. In 2005, I left my hometown of Buffalo, NY to continue my training at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. In my junior year there, I decided to take advantage of the college’s resources and try my hand at putting on a show. I selected a team of student artists and directed a bare-bones production of FALSETTOLAND by William Finn. We rehearsed for about two weeks in the evenings, after class, and performed the piece in what was essentially a multipurpose room at the school. It was an incredibly satisfying experience and a total game changer for me. I realized
that I loved working with other actors— helping to shape their performances and hone their storytelling. Though I would continue my studies as an acting student, I knew then that what I wanted to do was direct. What brought you to Mint Theater Company? In October of 2008, I read a lovely write-up of a play called THE GLASS CAGE at Mint Theater. The review piqued my interest, and I decided to check it out. I was completely enchanted by both the play and the production. I was equally excited by the Mint’s mission and craved more. I returned to the Mint in 2010 to see WIFE TO JAMES WHELAN by Teresa Deevy and was once again knocked out. I was convinced I had just seen a (cont’d)