By Rose Franken

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MINT CELEBRATES AMERICAN WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS. Check our website www.minttheater.org for Monday, March 27th Mint will hold a Coming to Mint in June: more events and updates on times and dates. Special One-Night Only Reading of SUSAN AND GOD THE AGE OF INNOCENCE by Rachel Crothers SURROUND EVENTS: Dramatized by Margaret Ayer Barnes Directed by Jonathan Bank Discussions last approximately 50 minutes and from Edith Wharton’s novel. th are open to the public free of charge. The story of a socialite who embraces a new FEBRUARY 7 Margaret Ayer Barnes took up writing at thirty religious philosophy while abroad and returns nd Sunday, February 12 (following the matinee) when she was convalescing from a serious home eager to change everyone around her. thru APRIL 2 Rose Franken: Her Life and Work accident at the encouragement of playwright Tues., Wed., Thurs. at 7:00; Join Glenda Frank who teaches American litera- Edward Sheldon. In 1929 her dramatization of “Although it is rare now to find anyone who has ture and theater at FIT-SUNY for a discussion Wharton's novel ran on Broadway for over 200 heard of her, Miss Crothers at the apex of her Fri. & Sat. at 8:00, on the life and work of this once beloved but performances starring Katherine Cornell and career was a symbol of success in the commercial Sat. and Sun at 2:00 now forgotten writer. Ms. Frank writes the New Franchot Tone. Barnes and Sheldon then theater. Between 1906 and 1937, she saw close York column for Plays International and reviews collaborated on two plays, Jenny and Dishonored to 30 of her plays open on Broadway.” for New York Theater Wire. Lady, which also starred Cornell. Barnes won The New York Times the Pulitzer Prize in 1931 for her first novel, Years Date TBA (check www.minttheater.org) of Grace. Other books include Edna, his Wife, ##################### War Letters Arms and the Boy and Perpetual Care. Join Andrew Carroll, director of the Legacy Edith Wharton is one of America’s great writers. And SAVE THE DATE: Project — whose mission is to preserve She is the author of The House of Mirth, Ethan correspondence from our nation's wars — Frome and The Custom of the Country. author of Behind the Lines and editor of the June 19th, 2006 volumes Letters of a Nation and War Letters, Attend the reading only or plan to have dinner Mint’s Annual Benefit will who will speak on the powerful and revealing before the show with director Jonathan Bank continue our celebration of letters soldiers have written during war and and some special guests to discuss Wharton, his search to find them. Barnes, Cornell and their very special American Women Playwrights collaboration. Date TBA (check www.minttheater.org) with a reading of excerpts from Working Women Call 212-315-0231 for more information Ruth Gordon’s Broadway play: Join us for a fascinating discussion on the or to book your seats. THE LEADING LADY. Artistic Director employment of women and how World War II Jonathan Bank changed the American workforce. -presents -PLEASE KEEP FOR YOUR RECORDS- I ordered tickets for SOLDIER’S WIFE for______2006 @ ______pm. Paid By: H Visa/MC/Amex H Check #______This Mint performance will be held on the 3rd floor at 311 West 43rd Street. All tickets are HELD at the Box Office - available for pick-up starting ONE HOUR prior to curtain. NO LATE SEATING!

$30 for performances February 7 - 12 Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday at 7pm Ê $35 for performances February 14 - 26 $45 for performances February 28 - April 2 Friday-Saturday at 8pm & Saturday-Sunday at 2pm How to purchase your tickets for SOLDIER’S WIFE BOX OFFICE HOURS Name______• By Mail or In-Person: Mint Theater Company (No Service Charges) 311 West 43rd Street, Ste. #307 Now thru Feb 3: Address______New York, NY 10036 Monday - Friday 12-6 pm • By Phone: (212) 315-0231 ($2.50 per ticket service charge will apply) ______Beginning Feb. 6: • By Fax: (212) 977-5211 (No Service Charges) Monday - Saturday Set Design By Rose Franken City______State______Zip______• On-line: www.minttheater.org (No Service Charges) 12 - 6 pm Nathan Heverin Sunday 12 - 3 pm • Call for special group rates (groups of 15 or more) Costume Design *Phone (______)______*For Confirmation Production Stage Manager Karen Hergesheimer Clint E.B. Ramos Date Time # of Tkts. Price Total Press Representative E-mail______Sound Design $30 Feb 7-12 David Gersten Dramaturge To order tickets call 1st Elizabeth Rhodes x=$35 Feb 14-26 & Associates Amy Stoller Choice $45 Feb 28-Apr 2 H Enclosed is my check made payable to Mint Theater Company Lighting Design (212) 315-0231 Graphic Design 2nd I am also including a Casting + H Please charge my Visa, MC or Amex Jude Dvorak Josh Bradford Choice tax-deductible contribution Stuart Howard, Or visit our on-line Box Office: Properties Design Amy Schecter www.minttheater.org 3rd ______-______-______-______Exp.Date _____/______& Paul Hardt Scott Brodsky Choice TOTAL = Performances at Mint Theater Director: Eleanor Reissa 311 W. 43rd St., 3rd floor *All sales are final. There will be no exchanges or refunds. Signature______

thinking and feeling out there.” there.” out feeling and thinking NON-PROFIT ORG.

to be remembered. be to

whether he has changed, what he is he what changed, has he whether 311 W. 43rd Street

U.S. POSTAGE

and successful author who deserves who author successful and , which she also directed. directed. also she which , Wife Soldier’s find out what is happening to him, to happening is what out find Suite #307

New York, NY 10036 Franken, an exceptionally talented exceptionally an Franken, teamed with her husband to produce to husband her with teamed reading his letters anxiously, trying to trying anxiously, letters his reading PAID

www.minttheater.org New York, NY

to cast the spotlight back on Rose on back spotlight the cast to The following year Franken again Franken year following The been

separation do to them? I have have I them? to do separation Permit No. 7528

by Dawn Powell, we are now thrilled now are we Powell, Dawn by and closed after 77 performances. 77 after closed and four, perhaps five years. What will the will What years. five perhaps four,

Walking Down Broadway Down Walking of Premiere by some and condemned by others by condemned and some by “—cut off from home ties for three, for ties home from off “—cut

Following the success of the World the of success the Following themselves. The play was acclaimed was play The themselves. talked about her son and other soldiers other and son her about talked

American Women playwrights. Women American and brought the play to New York New to play the brought and duty. In an interview at the time, she time, the at interview an In duty.

bringing your attention to neglected to attention your bringing Franken and her husband stepped in stepped husband her and Franken been away for three years on active on years three for away been

Mint has dedicated its season to season its dedicated has Mint Boston tryout received poor notices, poor received tryout Boston her own son, only 24 years-old, had years-old, 24 only son, own her

Miller dropped the play after its after play the dropped Miller While Franken was writing the play, the writing was Franken While “

brilliantly humorous episodes.” episodes.” humorous brilliantly she directed. When producer Gilbert producer When directed. she

a few moving sequences and several and sequences moving few a of two homosexual characters—again homosexual two of book entitled: Soldier entitled: book . . e if W s ’

delightful and entertaining piece with piece entertaining and delightful tious play, quite daring for its portrayal its for daring quite play, tious claim in a in claim

are published to great ac great to published are is a delightful

naturalness,” calling the play “a play the calling naturalness,” ; her most ambi- most her ; Fortune Outrageous has written to John to written has

when letters she she letters when evening with some very dialogue fairly sparkles with wit and wit with sparkles fairly dialogue In 1943, Franken wrote the play the wrote Franken 1943, In pected fame that is thrust upon Kate upon thrust is that fame pected

wrote that “Franken’s that wrote Yorker New complicated by the sudden and unex- and sudden the by complicated pleasant people.”

(New York Daily News, 1944) The comedy.” civilized thoroughly to a nurse as soon as it’s born. it’s as soon as nurse a to of a new domestic equation is further is equation domestic new a of

diverting sense of humor. In short, a short, In humor. of sense diverting like having a baby and turning it over it turning and baby a having like absence. Adjusting to the challenges the to Adjusting absence.

and decent values, plus a constantly a plus values, decent and play and not cast and direct it is a little a is it direct and cast not and play who has learned self-sufficiency in his in self-sufficiency learned has who

warm understanding of human nature human of understanding warm experience. “For an author to write a write to author an “For experience. for the first time and Kate, his wife his Kate, and time first the for

unpretentious, intelligent and full of full and intelligent unpretentious, although she had neither training nor training neither had she although there by a baby boy who he is meeting is he who boy baby a by there

unusually entertaining play, simple, play, entertaining unusually directed the successful production, successful the directed been invalided home and is greeted is and home invalided been

“a deft and amusing comedy…An amusing and deft “a she dramatized in 1941. Franken 1941. in dramatized she 18 months in the South Pacific he has he Pacific South the in months 18

called the play the called Post York New The of her famous “Claudia” novels, which novels, “Claudia” famous her of War II. John Rogers is the soldier; after soldier; the is Rogers John II. War

The dialogue is suave and sparkling.” and suave is dialogue The Connecticut. There she wrote the first the wrote she There Connecticut. set against the back drop of World of drop back the against set

not with mirrors, but with merriment. with but mirrors, with not and they moved back east to a farm in farm a to east back moved they and is a romantic comedy romantic a is Wife Soldier’s

to recapture romance. And this is done is this And romance. recapture to one of her Hollywood writing partners writing Hollywood her of one

story—the struggle of a confused couple confused a of struggle story—the In 1937 she married William Meloney, William married she 1937 In books is still in print. print. in still is books

is a poignant love poignant a is Wife Soldier’s sense, had a lucrative screenwriting career. screenwriting lucrative a had annuals. Today none of her plays or plays her of none Today annuals.

sophisticated, intelligent comedy. In a In comedy. intelligent sophisticated, children, ages 13, 8 and 5, where she where 5, and 8 13, ages children, Mantle for his prestigious Best Plays Best prestigious his for Mantle

provocative play” and “a bright, “a and play” provocative moved to Hollywood with her three her with Hollywood to moved were selected by Burns by selected were Wife Soldier’s

described the play as both “a timely, “a both as play the described following year and Franken then Franken and year following and Claudia with along which , Fortune

The New York Journal-American York New The performances. Her husband died the died husband Her performances. Outrageous and Language Another

. GAME SKIN THE AND WIDE AND FAR , DAUGHTER-IN-LAW THE , BROADWAY DOWN WALKING AS SUCH

surprising success, running for 453 for running success, surprising other plays on Broadway included Broadway on plays other The Greatest Plays You’ve Never Seen Never You’ve Plays Greatest The

intelligent comedy.” intelligent was produced in 1932 and was a was and 1932 in produced was Naughton and their family. Franken’s family. their and Naughton

, Language Another play, Franken’s the life and love of Claudia and David and Claudia of love and life the

THE AWARD-WINNING MINT THEATER BRINGS YOU YOU BRINGS THEATER MINT AWARD-WINNING THE

“A bright, sophisticated, bright, “A a radio and a television series about series television a and radio a

professional attitude. attitude. professional the hit play, Franken wrote two movies, two wrote Franken play, hit the

that the war-time experiences of its central characters lend poignancy to to poignancy lend characters central its of experiences war-time the that . Wife Soldier’s

but of a keen business sense and a and sense business keen a of but for 722 performances. In addition to addition In performances. 722 for

touched by the contemporary resonance of those WWI plays. Likewise, Likewise, plays. WWI those of resonance contemporary the by touched audiences may find may audiences evidence not only of talent and craft, and talent of only not evidence friends.” Dorothy Maguire, which ran on Broadway on ran which Maguire, Dorothy

to amuse him. She gave immediate gave She him. amuse to “They want to be back with their with back be to want “They starring Claudia play the into series the of by J.M. Barrie, audiences and critics alike were alike critics and audiences Barrie, J.M. by War the of Echoes presented Mint When

agement and she continued to write to continued she and agement while men are together under fire. under together are men while In 1941 she dramatized the first book first the dramatized she 1941 In

husband offered enthusiastic encour- enthusiastic offered husband letters, is the friendships that develop that friendships the is letters, in eight books between 1939 and 1957. and 1939 between books eight in

promptly wrote her first story. Her story. first her wrote promptly Franken says, based on her own son’s own her on based says, Franken and published and Housekeeping Good and By Rose Franken Rose By

ered typewriter on her doorstep and doorstep her on typewriter ered most striking phenomena of the war,” the of phenomena striking most “Claudia” stories, serialized in in serialized stories, “Claudia” Redbook

accident, when she found a mis-deliv- a found she when accident, his friends and comrades. “One of the of “One comrades. and friends his author of the phenomenally successful phenomenally the of author

Franken’s writing career began by began career writing Franken’s lines while war is still being waged by waged being still is war while lines She achieved fame and fortune as the as fortune and fame achieved She

with his guilt about being on the side- the on being about guilt his with Hollywood screenwriter and novelist. and screenwriter Hollywood

into remission. into adjustment to civilian life and cope and life civilian to adjustment playwright and director, as well as well as director, and playwright

while her husband’s tuberculosis went tuberculosis husband’s her while her husband is trying to make the make to trying is husband her seventy-one. Franken was a Broadway a was Franken seventy-one.

months of married life at a sanitarium a at life married of months opportunities at the same time that time same the at opportunities in 1966 when she was she when 1966 in Hospital the of Out

Franken. They spent their first ten first their spent They Franken. brings her glittering temptations and temptations glittering her brings with her humorous book Y book humorous her with ell W e ou’r

but instead she married Dr. Walter Dr. married she instead but life. Kate’s unexpected celebrity unexpected Kate’s life. Perkins at Scribners, and concluding and Scribners, at Perkins

set to enter Barnard College in 1913 in College Barnard enter to set of the joys and complications of married of complications and joys the of P in 1925, published by Max by published 1925, in erns tt a

family brownstone in Harlem. She was She Harlem. in brownstone family Franken’s work, is essentially the story the essentially is work, Franken’s forty years beginning with her novel her with beginning years forty

were raised in the in raised were although the play, like most of most like play, the although a professional writer for over for writer professional a

three older siblings older three lends poignancy to to poignancy lends Soldier’s Wife Soldier’s , Rose Franken was Franken Rose

(New York Journal-American, 1944) Journal-American, York (New

born so Rose and her and Rose so born time ordeal of its central characters central its of ordeal time

not with mirrors but with merriment. The dialogue is suave and sparkling.” and suave is dialogue The merriment. with but mirrors with not

shortly after she was she after shortly The ever present awareness of the war- the of awareness present ever The

the struggle of a confused couple to recapture romance. And this is done is this And romance. recapture to couple confused a of struggle the Her parents separated parents Her

Gainesville, Texas. Gainesville, In a sense, sense, a In Soldier’s Wife Soldier’s is a poignant love story— love poignant a is

Dougherty Lewin in Lewin Dougherty

By Rose Franken Rose By

from the war after being away for a year and a half. half. a and year a for away being after war the from 1988) Born Rosebud Born 1988)

Rose Franken Rose (1895- “A timely, provocative play about a husband back home back husband a about play provocative timely, “A MTC_SOLDIERSWIFEflyer 12/16/05 10:26 AM Page 2 Page AM 10:26 12/16/05 MTC_SOLDIERSWIFEflyer