The Suitcase Under the Bed

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.

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.

Also Support The Mint. They produce forgotten plays that are worth reviving. Some have never been staged before. And always, great sets, great costumes.... Read more Read less

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.

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.

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

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.

See it if you enjoy slow moving cryptic interesting shorts

Don't see it if you want your questions answered or are looking for resolution

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

See it if You enjoy one-act plays and exploring works of little-known playwrights.

Don't see it if You don't enjoy period pieces or Irish humor.

See it if You enjoy short stories.

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

See it if would have liked longer versions of each play.

Don't see it if you don't like irish plays

See it if you like to explore the lost plays of the past; generally if you like shows at the Mint you will probably be interested in anything they do

Don't see it if you need all the acting to reach the same level; or if you only want to see revivals of masterpieces

Also Not all of the performances were up to the quality I'm used to here; some people were good in one play but not the next. The plays felt a bit like sketches, or segments from longer plays. Still very interesting but not completely satisfying.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in Deevy's work and the Mint Theatre's mission. You want to see some good performances by actors playing multiple roles.

Don't see it if You want satisfying, complete plays, all of which work.

Also I am a fan of the Mint's mission. I know Deevy is one of their major rediscoveries, but these are the first works of hers that I've seen. I found the first and last of the four one-acts intriguing. The second seemed forced and, to be honest, silly (though it certainly wasn't intended to be), and the third incomplete. One review I read said that the ending of that third play was "unsettling." I would use that adjective only in the sense that I thought the playwright never got to finish it.

Still in all, I enjoyed seeing these and found them worth presenting.... Read more Read less

See it if you can look beyond the amateur feel of this, the accents, the wigs, the stories...

Don't see it if you want a witty, moving Irish play. These short plays are slow and boring. Way too much standing and staring, didn't seem real at all

Also I think there was a reason these were in a suitcase under a bed.

See it if You like Irish playwrights and themes, enjoy one acts and light Chekhovian sketches of characters and ensemble acting.in obscure material.

Don't see it if You want sustained narrative or complete plays as opposed to character sketches.

See it if You are in the mod for short pieces that are both funny and sad, you are keen on seeing little hidden gems, you like to see the woman's POV

Don't see it if You like only contemporary works and themes, you prefer a single story line in your evening of theater

Also So typical of Irish playwrights, these 4 one-act plays are funny and sad and sweet all at once. The Mint staging of the four (with the same cast throughout) is smart and feels authentic without being reverential. These are tales of love of marriage (not the same thing!) told from a woman's point of view--more practical than romantic.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy great acting, and period dramas... an evening of subtle beauty.

Don't see it if you can't appreciate a world that moved on a much slower pace.

See it if You like obscure plays that you have never seen a production of, and probably won't have another opportunity to do so.

Don't see it if You like earth-shaking theatre rather than quiet and incisive theatre.

See it if This was a great opportunity to see some never-seen works by a wonderful Irish playwright. The stories were completely absorbing.

Don't see it if You don't like short plays or stories with a focus on Irish life

See it if You enjoy seeing productions of seldom-seen works that have fallen into obscurity but deserve to be better known.

Don't see it if You have low tolerance for shows that are slightly dated

See it if you love old-fashioned, dated theater. Want to see something with a box set at a community theater level.

Don't see it if you want to see something interesting, daring or thought provoking.

Also I was so hopeful that I would love this. From all the marketing materials, this seemed like something worthwhile: uncovering lost works from a female playwright. Unfortunately, it was not the case. I can count on one hand the number of times I have left a show at intermission. This was one of those times.... Read more Read less

See it if You are excited about the discovery of a "lost" playwright. If you are a fan of Chekhov, Ireland & intimate, funny, heart-breaking moments.

Don't see it if You are expecting "Cats". Or if you have a TV attention span. (though, these are 4 1-act plays, so something new every 1/2 hour!)

Also The actors really get to shine here and show their versatility, since they play several characters over 4 1-act plays.
Jonathan Banks' direction is impeccable.
The Mint has done it again, discovering a "lost" playwright deserving attention. Her quiet insight into the foibles of the human condition is Chekhovian - recognizably humorous, and quite often heart-breaking.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy Irish plays, short plays and ensemble acting.

Don't see it if You don't like revivals of old plays, or period dramas.

Also This is my introduction to Theresa Deevy and the Mint Theater. The four lovely vignettes were well executed by the fine ensemble cast.... Read more Read less

See it if If you like stories linked to the same theme, playing different characters at different times. Someone is coming, leaving and moving.

Don't see it if You don't like the period dramas.

See it if you like great acting, sets etc by the ever reliable Mint Theater This was our 2nd viewing and we liked it even more.

Don't see it if you only like full length plays. Each of the 4 are well done but do not match the writer's other 3 full length works done by the Mint