Mint Theater Company begins their new project, Meet Miss Baker, with The Price of Thomas Scott. The play marks the first of two planned productions written by playwright Elizabeth Baker. Meet Miss Baker continues the Mint’s commitment to create new life for neglected women playwrights. It follows the Teresa Deevy Project which originated in 2010 and to date includes four full productions and publication of two books.
The Price of Thomas Scott had only one production in 1913 at the Gaiety Theate in Manchester, England. At the time, a review from the The Guardian praised Baker: “very considerable merits as a dramatist,” and her “careful realism…a minute study of the surface detail of life, leaving the audience to draw what conclusions they liked from what was before them.” The Era agreed, describing the play as a “delightful piece of realistic drama…There is much interest and food for thought in the picture of Thomas Scott.”
Director Jonathan Bank writes in his Director’s Note that Elizabeth Baker grew up in a strictly religious household. Her parents were Nonconformist, not Protestants but not of the Church of England. She never read plays nor was she taken to the theater. Also in his notes, Mr. Bank speculates that Baker gives voice to ”the questions and feelings that might have been unresolved at the time she wrote it.”
The Story Examines Holding Onto Beliefs
The title of the play, The Price of Thomas Scott, is a good description of the story. It is about the Scott family who own a millinery shop. The head of the household, Thomas Scott, owns the store. His daughter Annie works on the hats in the shop. Annie has grand ideas about how she would like to design her hats but for the most part, she adheres to the more traditional ones that their clientele buy.
The neighborhood is beginning to change with the recent addition of dance halls. Mr. Scott and his wife, Ellen, are firmly against dancing and live theater. Their children, Annie and Leonard are intrigued but abide by their parents’ wishes not to attend. However, when some of their friends visit, they indulge in some dancing and the scene is a very happy one. Annie shows that she knows how to dance. The production gives a very enjoyable scene where this dancing takes place complete with music. But as Mr. and Mrs. Scott return from church, all dancing and enjoyment from it end. Concerns about the financial future for the family are raised and discussed. It is at this rather low moment that an offer comes for Mr. Scott to sell his shop and the building housing it. It seems that the location is ideal for a group who wants to put up a new dance hall.
The money offered for the sale is very, very good. It would be the solution to the Scott family’s financial woes. The problem is Mr. Scott’s conscience. When he hears that a dance hall will be put there, he questions whether or not he can sell. This offer is a good one and one that will solve all the family’s financial woes. But it is decidedly against his morals and ethics. A decision is made but not before the main characters of the family weigh in with their hopes and dreams. What happens to those hopes and dreams remains unresolved.
Photo by Todd Cerveris
A Play with Meaning Then and Today
One of the many things Mint Theatre Company does well is to select plays that stand the test of time. The idea of wrestling with one’s conscience with matters that affect family and the community still is relevant today.There are rarely easy answers to these types of conflicts and the play does a very good job of showing that.
This is not a play with a neatly sealed, happy ending. In fact, the conflict is basically unresolved at the end. The conflict continues for members of his family, especially for Annie who expresses a desire to go to Paris and study hat fashion design. One cannot be sure if that will ever come to pass.
It also raises questions about what makes good business sense and at what cost it occurs. This brings up a discussion where one has to know when it is time to quit. Mr. Scott is told that is part of business. As he contemplates the sale, he sees halls of memory become halls of pleasure. Is it too much for him to allow? He also hears, “You indulge your conscience too much.” Anyone who has ever owned or been an active part of a business can relate to these thoughts.
Overall, it is interesting that this play was written by a woman at a time when few were involved in business. The major conflict involves business dealings interfering with personal morals and ethics. The clash of the two never has an easy solution. Mr. Banks ends his Director’s Note with this: “You may find yourself unsure of what Baker wants you to think at the end of the day. I believe that’s exactly what she intended.” Maybe true of the situations at the time and yet, couldn’t that still be true today
Set and Cast
The set for this show is beautifully done with many fine details included. Mint Theatre Company uses color and textures graciously to create a set that looks and compliments the action so well. The hats with their bountiful feathers and other adornments line up to create the image of a hat shop of long ago. The furniture is that of people who are frugal yet looking to make their family comfortable. Although the audience does not see other rooms, the illusion is there with the creation of scenes of rooms behind doors.
Casting for the show has a fine group of actors playing their roles. The Scott Family features Donald Corren as Thomas Scott and Tracy Sallows as his wife, Ellen. Emma Geer plays daughter Annie with Nick LaMedica as son Leonard. Other cast members include Andrew Fallaize, Josh Goulding, Mitchell Greenberg, Jay Russell, Mark Kenneth Smaltz, Ayana Workman, and Arielle Yoder.
Additional Information – ‘The Price of Thomas Scott’
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes, no intermission
Location: Theater Row, 410 West 42nd Street, New York City
Performances: Now through March 23, 2019 – Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm with matinees Saturday & Sunday at 2pm. Special Added Matinee at 2pm on March 20th.
Contact for Info and Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at Telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200 or in person at the Theatre Row Box Office. Consult the Mint Theatre Company website for more detailed information.
Suggested Audience: Those who enjoy seeing a drama onstage which gives food for thought and later discussion will especially like this show. What Mr. Scott eventually decides will stir good discussion among theater goers who see this performance.