Three years before introducing the boy who wouldn’t grow up, J.M. Barrie penned the comedy, QUALITY STREET. Set in an English town during the Napoleonic wars, the play employs an amusing case of mistaken identity to tell the story of two sisters and their pursuit of love, happiness and self-worth.

Primarily known as the creator of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie was one of the foremost playwrights of his time. His partnership with American theatrical producer, Charles Frohman, resulted in a series of hits in both England and America. (Barrie’s impressive body of work also includes four one-acts about World War I, two of which the Mint produced in 2004.) QUALITY STREET premiered in New York in 1901 and opened in London the following year where it played for 459 performances. The play was so popular that “Quality Street” candy—a beloved English treat—was named after it. It was adapted twice for film and revived frequently until World War II, when it fell out of theatrical fashion.

Mint Theater’s production of QUALITY STREET revealed that J.M. Barrie’s classic still had the ability to enchant discerning audiences. Of the production, The New York Times wrote, “Directed by Jonathan Bank, it beckons the theatergoer in search of clearly drawn characters, simple truths and a predictably happy ending, all delivered by able principals.”¹

• 1. IN PERFORMANCE; THEATER THE NEW YORK TIMES