Ruth Leon recommends… Becomes A Woman – Mint Theater
Ruth Leon recommendsBecomes A Woman – Mint Theater
On Demand February 19 to March 17
The playwright Betty Smith was much better known for her bestselling novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, than for this unpublished and unproduced 1930 drama. Becomes a Woman is a great discovery by a company which is famous for them, the Mint Theater.
The Wall Street Journal’s critic, the late Terry Teachout, wrote, “Of all the countless Off-Broadway troupes with which the side streets of Manhattan are dotted, none has a more distinctive mission—or a higher artistic batting average—than the Mint Theater Company, which finds and produces worthwhile plays from the past that have been lost or forgotten. If that sounds dull to you, don’t be fooled: I’ve never seen a production there that was a sliver less than superb.”
In 2013, Mint committed to recording all its productions, investing in creating professionally shot and edited full length archival videos on the principle that many of their discoveries might never be seen again.
When the pandemic hit the theaters in 2020, Mint finally had the opportunity to find out if there was a national and international audience for their discoveries. Unions representing the performers, directors and designers were eager to cooperate and PPP loans helped to pay those salaries.
They now know that most of their streaming audience have never seen any of their productions live and never will. But they are able to keep up with this innovative little company’s productions online. Part of the appeal is the price. What could be better than free?
Becomes a Woman is the story of Francie, a 19-year-old living with her family in Brooklyn and working at a five and dime store as a singer at the sheet music counter. Her co-workers describe her as “afraid of her family, afraid of the boss, afraid to make a date.” But as Francie becomes a woman, she discovers a hidden reserve of courage that surprises everyone, even herself.
This world premiere of Becomes a Woman by Betty Smith, directed by Britt Berke is the Mint’s latest venture and it is available to stream
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