The Suitcase Under the Bed NYC Reviews and Tickets

76%

(138 Reviews)

Positive

83%

Mixed

15%

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Entertaining, Dated, Absorbing, Great writing

About the Show

The Mint Theater Company presents four short plays (including three world premieres) by late Irish dramatist Teresa Deevy.

Although Deevy is now recognized as a significant Irish playwright, her work was neglected for decades. Six of her plays were produced by the Abbey Theatre between 1930 and 1936, and then Deevy's theater career effectively ended. 'The Suitcase Under the Bed' is named for the place where all of her writing was stored for decades, prior to the launch of the Mint's 'Deevy Project.' Another name for this evening of playlets might be 'Three Proposals and a Break-up,' as these shorts cast an unsentimental eye on the idea of marriage.

Member Reviews (138)

Mixed, four short plays

See it if You like short plays. Two out of four are good (the first two). Well staged, interesting, thought provoking. The Mint always does well.

Don't see it if If you want one story. Read more

Great acting, Absorbing, Dated, Quirky

See it if you like short plays with interesting characters in various unusual situations and relationships.

Don't see it if you prefer a well developed story with characters who you come to know slowly throughout the show.

Great acting, Charming, well written, enjoyable

See it if you want to see world premiers of short stories by the forgotten playwright Teresa Deevy about the positive and negative effects of love.

Don't see it if you don't like multi short plays performed in one evening about love as told through the eyes of a 1930's Irish woman's prospective.

Gentile, Chariming, Subtle

See it if you like very old plays re-staged. Four short plays portray life in a bygone era. Very good acting a plus.

Don't see it if don't like subtle love stories.

Enchanting, Entertaining, Clever

See it if You enjoy short stories.

Don't see it if You prefer a cohesive play.

100

Absorbing, Clever, Enchanting, Great acting, Great writing

See it if you are a fan of the unexpected twist> The mint's selection of plays, as always, is right on the mark. Love it

Don't see it if you aren't interested by at least one of the following topics: love; relationships; Irish culture; old plays; Mint productions

Dated, Fluffy, Slow

See it if you care to see the forgotten works of a 20th century female Irish playwright.

Don't see it if you're impatient or easily bored.

Ambitious, Banal, Dated

See it if You have a fondness for Irish drama and want to discover an almost unremembered dramatist

Don't see it if If you expect any of the four plays to be more than character sketches

Critic Reviews (23)

'Birth' is perhaps more benign to its protagonist than any of the evening’s other plays, and given Adair’s sensible yet magnetic Sara, it seems only fair...In ‘Holiday House,’ the open-ended conclusion is unsettling...Deaver, impressive in her previous roles of the evening, soars in ‘King of Spain’s Daughter’...Varga's costumes and Shaw’s gentle sound design reflect a rich understanding of the era, as does Bank’s assured direction. He clearly adores Deevy, and ultimately so will the audience."
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"Director Jonathan Bank and his company shine in the collection’s dramatic installments...But the pace falters in 'Strange Birth,' a sweet but slight rom-com, and 'Holiday House,' a Noël Coward–esque comedy that droops where it should skip. In the Mint’s production, Deevy’s work feels old-fashioned in a way that is both comforting and a little sleepy. But she wrote with gently cutting wit and had a keen ear for dialogue."
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"While Bank didn't strike gold for the Mint with this particular discovery, there are some definite moments of luster...The first two pieces are charming, sentimental, and just a bit boring in that way mediocre Irish plays tend to be...'Holiday House' sparkles with wit and intrigue...'King of Spain's Daughter' leaves us unsettled and impressed...One of the Mint's goals is to highlight overlooked female playwrights, and with this somewhat sleepy and mismatched evening, it partially succeeds."
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“The evening starts strong, thanks to the spunky and endearing performance of Ellen Adair as Sara Meade, the central character of ‘Strange Birth’…As a collection, the plays of ‘The Suitcase Under the Bed’ reveals a community of stories that hide beneath the unremarkable façade of everyday life. The charming, well-acted evening makes one hope the Mint has even more from the Deevy collection to remove from storage.”
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"A sterling quartet of one-acts...Deevy specializes in a kind of plainspoken poetry that packs plenty of feeling, mixed with barbed wit, into her characters' economical exchanges...Bank's staging is filled with little details that speak volumes...In a cast loaded with graceful performances, the biggest impression is arguably made by Deaver in a trio of roles...One is amazed that this fine playwright was allowed to slip into obscurity for so long."
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"These seven actors play a total of 22 roles during the course of evening, each performance beautifully etched and well delineated...Deevy's writing consistently displays a wonderful facility for dialogue and an ability to get under the skin of her characters, along with the intermittent liability that some of her plot devices and situations strain credulity...Bank has helped the actors achieve jewel-like performances, and his blocking is skillfully economic."
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“Exquisitely produced by the Mint Theater, Jonathan Bank's direction is leisurely and slow, which undercuts the theatricality of all but the last and the most satisfying one, ‘The King of Spain's Daughter,’ originally given four separate stage productions at the Abbey from 1935-1939 and two in London in 1939...Two of the plays end too abruptly calling out for a more substantial length, while one of the plays seems to go on too long.”
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"Bank smartly chose four pieces that play off each other well, forming a cohesive evening...Deevy's cynical viewpoints feel very modern...Bank takes his time, allowing Deevy's insightful dialogue to sink in, but this is somewhat of a liability in 'Holiday House,' which could move at a faster pace to bring out the comedy more. Still, kudos to Bank for bringing Deevy's work to New York audiences. The playwright was also deaf, which makes preserving her voice even more important."
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