A Day by the Sea
Closed 2h 55m
A Day by the Sea
80

A Day by the Sea NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%
(121 Ratings)
Positive
90%
Mixed
7%
Negative
3%
Members say
Great acting, Intelligent, Slow, Absorbing, Entertaining

About the Show

The Mint Theater Company revives N.C. Hunter's forgotten 1953 play, a warm and often humorous depiction of the 'crisis' of middle age.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (121)

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117 Reviews | 34 Followers
88
Great acting, Charming, Good writing, Elfer wonderful

See it if you would enjoy a well-written narrative about coming to terms with life's limitations and learning to savor the ordinary

Don't see it if you only wish to see "cutting edge" innovative theater: this is well done, satisfyingly slow classic character development

441 Reviews | 88 Followers
87
Absorbing, Clever, Enchanting

See it if Beautiful revival of a play by the incredible Mint theatre. Excellent acting and staged beautifully. An absorbing drama.

Don't see it if If you do not like classical dramas. It's important to have a leisure look at this absorbing play

VSG
243 Reviews | 67 Followers
87
Absorbing, Enchanting, Funny, Great acting, Intelligent

See it if Like interesting people portrayed as if character = destiny. Love language (British) and well made play.total immersion in time and place

Don't see it if You are impatient, action oriented, or don't like plays which are somewhat "talky" and somewhat "philosophical." Otherwise, see it!

102 Reviews | 90 Followers
86
Clever, Entertaining, Great writing, Funny, Intelligent

See it if Can do three act play inwhich the first act is a little slow but it builds to a fantastic third act

Don't see it if You can't wait for the play to heat up, some left to early

57 Reviews | 33 Followers
86
Resonant, Intelligent, Rediscovered, Ensemble, Conversational

See it if You appreciate well-written, unknown older plays well-presented. Good for Chekhov and Richard Nelson fans--conversational but deep.

Don't see it if It's a period piece, all talk. 3 hours goes fast but it's a subtle, funny play, not a barn burner. The audience very engaged when we saw it

177 Reviews | 27 Followers
85
Absorbing, Great acting, Intelligent, Great writing, Resonant

See it if you love good theater as in plays not musicals. very relatable situations tho it is a play that takes place in 1953

Don't see it if if you aren't interested in a 3 hour solid drama about lots of relationships that feels very real

462 Reviews | 189 Followers
85
Great acting, Resonant, Slow, Thought-provoking, Classic-in-feel

See it if you have three hours to become immersed in this slowly-paced but well-acted Modern play; can relate to mid-life crises and growing older.

Don't see it if you need intense action, elaborate staging, famous actors, musical numbers, or a quick turn at the theatre. This play requires commitment.

688 Reviews | 116 Followers
83
Great acting, Intelligent, Slow, Resonant

See it if Enjoy classic well made play format (3 acts), a Chekhovian flavored melodrama, moving performances

Don't see it if Have little patience for the well crafted play which takes its time (3hrs) to resolution, the "Masterpiece Theatre" genre

Critic Reviews (31)

CurtainUp
August 25th, 2016

"The Mint Theater Company has done it again. Their handsomely staged, splendidly performed production of 'A Day By the Sea' proves that old-fashioned, well-made plays of the 1950s can still entertain and overcome their dated aspects…Austin Pendleton manages to make these entrances and exits go smoothly so that the actors can make the most of their well-developed characters and the witty interchanges Hunter wrote for each. And do they ever!"
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Theatre is Easy
August 26th, 2016

"Hunter’s similarity to Chekhov is uncanny, and I mean that as a compliment of the highest order… It is the subtleties that reveal profound depth, human fears, and highest hopes…This ten-person ensemble realizes the play to its greatest potential…This play is a lost treasure trove of exquisite writing filled with hilarity, awkward interpersonal moments, and highly intelligent observations about life...A beautifully eloquent text that earns its place in the category of great dramatic literature."
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Theater Pizzazz
August 26th, 2016

"Can one really start again? And would the outcome result any differently? It’s these questions that director Pendleton endeavors to answer as he wisely moves his talented cast from garden to beachside picnic. Life’s puzzle of growing older juxtaposed with youth, and the nature of human temperaments and frailties become more focused as the three-act blossoms in an all too lengthy and tedious 2 hours 55 minutes! But it does have its many moments of humor and heartfelt sincerity."
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Front Row Center
August 26th, 2016

"Hunter’s quietly passionate drama…Under the taut direction of Austin Pendleton, a uniformly strong ensemble reveals the devastatingly calm results of wrong choices and world war…The play is three acts in three hours, with each act having its own purpose and tone...Pendleton transforms the goings-on into a modern era episode of 'Downton Abbey'...Elfer and Firth are perfectly paired with his Julian casting a pensive Hugh Grant charm and her damaged Frances done with playing games."
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Stage Buddy
September 13th, 2016

"Mint Theater Company’s exquisite production of N.C. Hunter’s 'A Day by the Sea' brings to light a play that after an unsuccessful Broadway run more than half a century ago, sank into obscurity; however, unearthed in 2016 has so much more to say about our days...Directed by the masterful Austin Pendleton, 'A Day by the Sea' is essential theatre."
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Theatre's Leiter Side
August 25th, 2016

"The best one can say of the revival (and of the play itself, for that matter), whose most prominent name is that of director Austin Pendleton, is that it’s dully respectable. The staging is uninspired, the casting flawed, and the acting uneven; moreover, the slow-paced, relatively plotless play, although not entirely lifeless nor without moments of dry humor, suffers too many longueurs. And Hunter’s writing in act one offers a lesson in how not to introduce exposition."
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The Huffington Post
August 25th, 2016

"The actors bring infinite subtleties to their assignments...Firth’s sense of intelligent dolefulness, Tanner’s authority, Godwin’s quick shifts between anger and regret, McKie’s enduring sadness are only part of the ensemble’s overall effectiveness...Surely, much credit for the success of this 'A Day by the Sea' goes to Austin Pendleton...He is attuned to Hunter’s Chekhovian blend of disillusionment, humor and eventual acceptance, and brings it all to vibrant, plangent life."
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Upstage-Downstage
August 26th, 2016

"Pendleton has mined this paean to the regrets and follies of middle age for all its worth. The acting is excellent, as are the production values. Praise-worthy all…It is not an easy play by any means, but it is a significant work that will resonate with anyone who has had to shelve an ambition or wrestle with accepting what is rather than what might have been. Mr. Pendleton, the Mint, and the entire company of actors have done a great service in restoring this neglected work."
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