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". They have been instrumental in restoring the theatrical legacy of several playwrights notably; Teresa Deevy, Rachel Crothers, and Miles Malleson. In addition to producing less produced or forgotten works by noted playwrights such as A. A. Milne, Lillian Hellman, and J. M. Barrie, they have also produced frequently ignored theatrical works by noted authors such as Ernest Hemingway, D. H. Lawrence, and Leo Tolstoy.
New York Times critic Ben Brantley credited Mint Theater Company as a "resurrectionist extraordinaire of forgotten plays". pointing to the company as a torchbearer "devoted to overlooked plays of other times."
History The Mint Theater Company was founded in 1992 by Kelly Morgan. The mission was further solidified when Jonathan Bank took over as artistic director in 1995, deciding to focus on lost, neglected, or forgotten plays. 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."
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, who despite early success and several productions at the Dublin Abbey Theatre during her lifetime has been largely neglected and her work forgotten. The Mint Theater has produced four plays and published two anthologies of Deevy's work.
The theater's revival of Rachel Crothers' Susan and God in 2006 was the first New York City revival since 1943. Crothers' work had rarely been seen since her death in 1953. The theater also revived her Pulitzer Prize nominated play, A Little Journey in 2011.
They have also revived or sometimes premiered neglected works by famous authors. In 2008 they produced Hemingway's The Fifth Column, using the original text, 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. They have produced both of D. H. Lawrence's plays, The Daughter-in-Law in 2003 and The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd in 2009.
In addition to citations for individual productions, the company has received several awards. In 2001 they received an Obie Grant. In 2002 they were awarded a Drama Desk Special Award for "unearthing, presenting and preserving forgotten plays of merit". In 2010 they were awarded The Theatre Museum's Theatre History Preservation Award.
Notable productions A Day by the Sea by N. C. Hunter Alison's House by Susan Glaspell A Little Journey by Rachel Crothers Becomes A Woman by Betty Smith Conflict by Miles Malleson Garside's Career by Harold Brighouse Hindle Wakes by Stanley Houghton Katie Roche by Teresa Deevy Miss Lulu Bett by Zona Gale So Help Me God! by Maurine Dallas Watkins Susan and God by Rachel Crothers Temporal Powers by Teresa Deevy The Daughter-in-Law by D.H. Lawrence The Fifth Column by Ernest Hemingway The Power of Darkness by Leo Tolstoy The Price of Thomas Scott by Elizabeth Baker The Suitcase Under the Bed by Teresa Deevy Wife to James Whelan by Teresa Deevy Yours Unfaithfully by Miles Malleson
The Daughter-in-Law, Soldier's Wife, The Return of the Prodigal, So Help Me God!, A Little Journey, London Wall, Fashions For Men, Women Without Men, Hindle Wakes, and Garside's Career were all nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play.
Awards and nominations
Obie Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2001 Obie Grant Body of work Mint Theater Company
Drama Desk Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2002 Drama Desk Special Award Body of work Mint Theater Company 2004 Outstanding Revival of a Play The Daughter-in-Law Mint Theater Company 2004 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Daughter-in-Law Mikel Sarah Lambert 2005 Outstanding Actress in a Play Echoes of War Frances Sternhagen 2006 Outstanding Revival of a Play Soldier's Wife Mint Theater Company 2006 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Soldier's Wife Judith Hawking 2006 Outstanding Set Design Walking Down Broadway Roger Hanna 2008 Outstanding Revival of a Play The Return of the Prodigal Mint Theater Company 2008 Outstanding Set Design The Return of the Prodigal Clint Ramos 2010 Outstanding Revival of a Play So Help Me God! Mint Theater Company 2010 Outstanding Director of a Play So Help Me God! Jonathan Bank 2010 Outstanding Actress in a Play So Help Me God! Kristen Johnston 2010 Outstanding Costume Design So Help Me God! Clint Ramos 2012 Outstanding Revival of a Play A Little Journey Mint Theater Company 2012 Outstanding Set Design A Little Journey Roger Hanna 2014 Outstanding Revival of a Play London Wall Mint Theater Company 2014 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play London Wall Julia Coffey 2015 Outstanding Revival of a Play Fashions For Men Mint Theater Company 2015 Outstanding Set Design Fashions For Men Daniel Zimmerman 2015 Outstanding Actress in a Play The Fatal Weakness Kristin Griffith 2015 Outstanding Costume Design The Fatal Weakness Andrea Varga 2015 Outstanding Projection Design Donogoo Roger Hanna 2016 Outstanding Revival of a Play Women Without Men Mint Theater Company 2016 Outstanding Director of a Play Women Without Men Jenn Thompson 2016 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Women Without Men Kellie Overbey 2016 Outstanding Costume Design Women Without Men Martha Hally 2016 Outstanding Wig and Hair Design Women Without Men Robert-Charles Vallance 2018 Outstanding Revival of a Play Hindle Wakes Mint Theater Company 2023 Outstanding Set Design ChainsJohn McDermott 2025 Outstanding Revival of a Play Gareside's Career Mint Theater Company
Outer Critics Circle Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Outstanding Revival of a Play Fashions For Men Mint Theater Company 2023 Outstanding Off-Broadway Play Becomes a Woman Mint Theater Company 2023 Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play Becomes a Woman Emma Pfitzer Price Lucille Lortel Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2009 Outstanding Revival of a Play The Glass Cage Mint Theater Company 2009 Outstanding Scenic Design The Glass Cage Roger Hanna 2009 Outstanding Sound Design The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd Jane Shaw 2010 Outstanding Costume Design So Help Me God! Clint Ramos 2014 Outstanding Revival of a Play London Wall Mint Theater Company 2015 Outstanding Revival of a Play Fashions For Men Mint Theater Company 2016 Outstanding Revival of a Play Women Without Men Mint Theater Company 2016 Outstanding Costume Design Women Without Men Martha Hally
Drama League Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2009 Distinguished Performance The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd Julia Coffey
Theatre World Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2023 Outstanding Debut Becomes a Woman Emma Pfitzer Price
Off Broadway Alliance Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2015 Best Revival of a Play Fashions For Men Mint Theater Company 2016 Best Revival of a Play Women Without Men Mint Theater Company 2018 Best Revival of a Play Hindle Wakes Mint Theater Company 2019 Best Revival of a Play Conflict Mint Theater Company 2019 Best Revival of a Play Days to Come Mint Theater Company 2022 Best Revival of a Play The Daughter-in-Law Mint Theater Company 2023 Best Revival of a Play The Rat Trap Mint Theater Company
Henry Hewes Awards {| class=wikitable |- ! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year ! scope="col" style="width:26em;"| Category ! scope="col" style="width:25em;"| Nominated work ! scope="col" style="width:25em;"| Recipient ! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Result ! Ref. |- |style="text-align:center;"| 2007 | Costume Design | The Madras House | Clint Ramos
|style="text-align:center;"| 2009 | Scenic Design | The Glass Cage | Roger Hanna
|style="text-align:center;"| 2010 | Costume Design | So Help Me God! | Clint Ramos
|style="text-align:center;"| 2011 | Costume Design | Wife to James Whelan | Martha Hally
|style="text-align:center;"| 2011 | Scenic Design | What the Public Wants | Roger Hanna
|style="text-align:center;"| 2012 | Scenic Design | A Little Journey | Roger Hanna
|style="text-align:center;"| 2014 | Lighting Design | London Wall | Nicole Pearce
|style="text-align:center;"| 2014 | Costume Design | London Wall | Martha Hally
|style="text-align:center;"| 2015 | Notable Affects | Donogoo | Roger Hanna & Price Johnston
|style="text-align:center;"| 2015 | Scenic Design | The Fatal Weakness | Vicky Davis
|style="text-align:center;"| 2015 | Costume Design | The Fatal Weakness | Andrea Varga
|style="text-align:center;"| 2015 | Lighting Design | The Fatal Weakness''' | Christian DeAngelis
|style="text-align:center;"| 2016 | Scenic Design | The New Morality| Steven C. Kemp
|style="text-align:center;"| 2016 | Costume Design | Women Without Men| Martha Hally
1st Irish Awards Year Category Nominated work Recipient Result Ref. 2011 Best Production Temporal Powers Mint Theater Company 2011 Best Director Temporal Powers Jonathan Bank 2011 Best Actor Temporal Powers Aidan Redmond 2011 Best Design Temporal Powers Vicky Davis
Publications Mint Theater Company has published six anthologies from the works of authors that they have produced. Worthy But Neglected Plays of the Mint Theater Company Featuring the plays; Mr. Pim Passes By by A.A. Milne, The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and Clyde Fitch, Alison's House by Susan Glaspell, Miss Lulu Bett by Zona Gale, Welcome to Our City by Thomas Wolfe, Diana of Dobson's by Eleanor Reissa, and Rutherford and Son by Githa Sowerby. Arthur Schnitzler Reclaimed Featuring the plays; Far and Wide and The Lonely Way by Arthur Schnitzler Harley Granville Barker Reclaimed Featuring the plays; The Madras House, The Voysey Inheritance, and Farewell to the Theater by Harley Granville-Barker St. John Hankin Reclaimed Featuring the plays; The Charity That Began at Home and The Return of the Prodigal by St. John Hankin Teresa Deevy Reclaimed Volume One Featuring the plays; Temporal Powers, Katie Roche, and Wife to James Whelan by Teresa Deevy. Teresa Deevy Reclaimed Volume Two Featuring the plays; In Search of Valor, The King of Spain's Daughter, Holiday House, Dignity, Strange Birth, Light Falling, Within a Marble City, Going Beyond Alma's Glory, In the Cellar of My Friend, and One Look and What it Led To'' by Teresa Deevy.
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