first priority club News THE FATAL WEAKNESS by George Kelly
Up next at the Mint:
Further Readings A reading series that further explores the work of our favorite playwrights.
Now Playing
October 20 @ 7PM
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 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
A Comedy by George Kelly WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS is a charming and humorous examination of one woman’s second chance at love. The play tells the story of Novella DeGrant, a grieving widow who transforms into a flirtatious, middle-aged ingénue at the first hint of a possible second romance—much to the embarrassment of her previously sympathetic family and friends. Kelly was inspired to write the play after a trip to Yosemite Valley, California. He tells the story in a late-life interview, published by The New York Times in 1967. “It was spring and a native pointed to a freely running waterfall and told me, ‘That’s known as the Widow’s Tears, because they’re the first to dry up.’ I thought of calling the play that.” WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS was first announced in 1951 as a follow-up vehicle for Ina Claire— the star of Kelly’s last produced play, THE FATAL WEAKNESS. Unfortunately that production never materialized. In 1953 The New York Times again announced the possibility of a Broadway production, this time to star Francine Larrimore in the lead. Again, the play went unproduced due to reported casting problems. An unpublished manuscript of the play was stored in a library at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, never to be heard—until now. Mint Theater is proud to present a “further reading” of George Kelly’s unpublished, unproduced comedy WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS.
“Last year I was privileged to be in The Mint Theater production of PHILIP GOES FORTH by George Kelly. When I was asked to return this year, there was not a moment’s hesitation. The Mint Theater is one of the best experiences I have had in my long career. The quality, care, and attention to detail is what sets their productions apart from others. And what a GREAT group of people to work with!” - CLIFF BEMIS Now Playing Paul Espenshade in THE FATAL WEAKNESS
Reserve your seats today! This reading will be offered to the general public on September 16th
AFTER THE READING Foster Hirsch, author of the Twayne Series critical biography of George Kelly, will speak briefly after the reading. Hirsch met with Kelly in 1971 and spoke with him about WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS—we can look forward to a fascinating anecdote about why Kelly felt the play could no longer be produced!
February 3 - March 29
FASHIONS FOR MEN
FASHIONS FOR MEN is an elegant blend of European sophistication and sentiment, beautifully tailored by master craftsman, Ferenc Molnár. The play tells the story of Peter Juhasz, the owner of a high-quality haberdashery in Budapest (serving both men and women). Peter is a beacon of sincere goodness and compassion among the silks, socks and shirts of his shop. He appears to be a saint, making him an easy prey for the sinners who surround him—beginning with his wife, who not only runs off with his best salesman, she steals his savings, leaving Peter facing bankruptcy. Will Peter wise up and learn to protect himself from those who would take advantage of his goodness?
Ferenc Molnár photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1941
FASHIONS FOR MEN is:
“A comedy as fine and true as maternal devotion and as gentle as June sunshine after a rain.” James Craig, The Evening Mail
“What a pleasure it is to return to the Mint! I know I can count on excellent actors as cast mates, and the audiences are savvy and appreciative.” - Patricia Kilgarriff Now playing Anna in THE FATAL WEAKNESS
The play was first produced at the Városi Színház (City Theater) in Budapest in 1917 under its original Hungarian title, URI DIVAT. In 1922 it was produced on Broadway as FASHIONS FOR MEN in an English translation by Benjamin Glazer, who had successfully translated Molnár’s LILIOM for the Theatre Guild only one year prior. Indeed, FASHIONS proved itself to be another success for the team of Molnár and Glazer. Critics were particularly taken with Molnár’s keen examination of character and polished craftsmanship. “Molnár’s perceptions of character are incomparably fresh, his art in delineating it infallible,” wrote John Corbin in The New York Times. Kenneth MacGowan of The Globe and Commercial Advertiser called FASHIONS “a novel combination of continental sophistication and sentimental comedy, deft and amusing.” Critic H.Z. Torres hailed, “It is the realism of the play, its crisp conciseness, and its note of tenderness and faith which makes it fairly pulsate with life.” Mint Theater is pleased to present Molnár’s FASHIONS FOR MEN—a play which hasn’t been seen in New York in 92 years. Returning to the Mint to helm our production will be Davis McCallum, who recently directed our Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award-nominated production of another workplace romantic comedy—LONDON WALL. THE AUTHOR: FERENC MOLNÁR In the first half of the twentieth century, Molnár rose to international acclaim with his cosmopolitan fairy tales for adults. He was immensely prolific as a journalist, short story writer, novelist, and the author of forty-two plays, many of which were performed widely throughout Europe and America. Molnár’s plays inventively blended romantic fantasy and sardonic wit; pointed social satire and polished theatricality.
by Ferenc Molnár
Born as Ferenc Neumann on January 12, 1878, to a middle-class HungarianJewish family, Molnár grew up amid the elegant milieu of Habsburg-era Budapest. He achieved international fame in 1907, with the publication of THE PAUL STREET BOYS, his classic novel of Budapest street gangs, as well as the sensational success of his play THE DEVIL—a supernatural comedy which had four simultaneous productions in New York City alone. Molnár’s theatrical career flourished throughout the next decade. The Hungarian premieres of LILIOM (1909; the basis of the classic musical CAROUSEL), THE GUARDSMAN (1910), and THE TALE OF THE WOLF (1912) were followed by productions of these plays in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, among other European cities. The onset of World War I turned Molnár’s efforts toward war correspondence. Despite Austria-Hungary’s status as an enemy of the Allies, his balanced and humane observations of the war earned the distinction of publication in The New York Times. Following WWI, Molnár earned both popular affection and critical renown as “the best-known living Continental playwright in America” (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle). In 1921, LILIOM marked a monumental success for the Theatre Guild, who also mounted the legendary 1924 production of THE GUARDSMAN, a comedy of marital roleplaying starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Molnár’s plays sympathetically traversed the spectrum of Budapest society: from the theatrical hijinks of THE PLAY’S THE THING (1927); to the Old World aristocracy of THE SWAN (1920); to the realms of industry and commerce in FASHIONS FOR MEN (1916, produced on Broadway in 1922) and THE GOOD FAIRY (1930). While stage productions (as well as many Hollywood film adaptations) of Molnár plays appeared regularly into the 1930s, the rise of Nazism impelled the playwright’s 1940 emigration to the United States. Still a theatrical institution in America and Europe (though banned in Communist Hungary), the playwright died after a long illness in New York in 1952, survived by his third wife, actress Lili Darvas. In 1995, Mel Gussow of The New York Times, wrote that Molnár is now “commonly regarded as a Budapest boulevardier” but that “there was substantial evidence…to suggest that a re-evaluation of his career would be justified.” Mint Theater is pleased to turn our audience’s attention to the unique theatrical gifts of Ferenc Molnár with a production of his urbane comedy, FASHIONS FOR MEN.
Mark your calendars! The Mint’s Production of
LONDON WALL by John Van Druten will be appearing in a new series:
Theater Close-Up on channel THIRTEEN We are thrilled to announce that Mint Theater’s recent production of LONDON WALL by John Van Druten will be broadcast on local television network THIRTEEN/WNET as the inaugural presentation of the network’s new series Theater Close-Up. The series Premiere will be Mint Theater’s Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk AwardNominated production of LONDON WALL, recorded live on April 24th, 2014. The new series is described as such: “While there is a multitude of Off- and Off-OffBroadway theaters, producing hundreds of new works each season, most of these shows play just a few weeks and many are seen by only a small audience. The new series, Theater Close-Up, a unique collaboration between THIRTEEN and that large community of non-profit Off-Broadway theaters, will finally bring a diverse cross-section of those provocative plays to primetime and online audiences.”
“The Mint has been a home to me for the past 10 years. My first union show--and the show that got me my first agent--was FAR AND WIDE, when I was a frightened little baby actress. I’m filled with pride to have had such an illustrious beginning, and I hope to be able to come back home again and again and again.” - Victoria Mack Now Playing Penny Hassett in THE FATAL WEAKNESS
Mint’s production of LONDON WALL will air Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 9 p.m. on THIRTEEN. The broadcast will take you right up onto the stage in HD. Front row seats for everyone! Don’t Miss It!
September Staff changes at the Mint! Please Welcome Managing Director Jen Soloway! Jen comes to the Mint Theater Company after holding a variety of financial and general management positions for several distinguished nonprofit arts organizations including Classic Stage Company, Exploring the Arts, Making Books Sing, the Jose Limon Dance Foundation, Houses on the Moon Theater Company, and Chicago’s Vittum Theater. Jen’s proudest accomplishment to date is co-founding the Railroad Playhouse (now Theatre at West Shore Station), a nonprofit performance space in Newburgh, NY that focused on new play development and arts education programs. Jen spearheaded the adaptive re-use plan of converting a historic train station into a flexible black box theater and cafe. She served as the Executive Director of the Railroad Playhouse for two years where she produced the world premiere of Alex Goldberg’s “America’s Brightest Star” and earned the Times-Herald Record’s “Best Theatre Venue” voter award in 2012. Jen holds a BFA in Theatre Technology from DePaul University in Chicago and an MFA in Arts Management from Brooklyn College. Thank you to Sherri Kotimsky for 10 years of wonderful service! This September Sherri will be leaving us to persue her own producing endeavors as well as continuing to work with the Pearl Theater, MCC, and Theater Breaking Through Barriers. Please join us in wishing her all the best. Thank you Sherri!
Congrats to Christina Roussos, who will be staying with us part-time while working towards her MFA in Directing at Brooklyn College. Bon Voyage Box Office Manager Andrew Hendrick! Andrew will be traveling the US with the Jekyll and Hyde 5th Broadway National Tour in the role of the Bishop of Basingstoke.
Jesse Marchese, who directed our current show The FATAL WEAKNESS, is our new Associate Director. Kelly McCready will be joining us as Assistant to the Artistic Director.
Monday, October 20 at 7PM: Further Reading of When All ELse Fails by George Kelly FREE for FPC Members! Reserve your seats today by calling our FPC hotline at 212-315-0231. This reading will be offered to the general public on September 16th. February 3 through March 29: FASHIONS FOR MEN by Ferenc Molnár, directed by Davis McCallum. Performances: Tues., Wed., Thurs. 7pm, Friday & Saturday 8pm, Saturday & Sunday 2pm. No performance: February 17, March 1. Wednesday Matinee at 2:00: February 18 & March 25.
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 Full Price: $55/$65 FPC Price: $38.50 (Use Code: FPC)
CheapTix: $27.50 (when available) www.minttheater.org
311 West 43rd Street, Suite # 307 New York, NY 10036
Now playing through October 12: The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly, directed by Jesse Marchese. Performances: Tues., Wed., Thurs. 7pm, Friday & Saturday 8pm, Saturday & Sunday 2pm. No Performances: 9/9 & 9/16.
Get Tickets!
www.minttheater.org (212) 315-0231
What’s on at the Mint!