Reviews: Critics Weigh in On World Premiere of Becomes a Woman Off-Broadway

Becomes a Woman, Betty Smith's previously unpublished and unproduced play, officially opened Off-Broadway February 27, and the reviews are rolling in. Staged by Mint Theater Company, the New York City Center premiere comes nearly 100 years after it was written.

Becomes a Woman centers on Francie, a 19-year-old woman living with her family in Brooklyn who spends her days working at a five and dime store as a singer at the sheet music counter. Her co-workers only see a shy woman afraid of the world—so when Francie discovers her courage, she surprises everyone, but most of all herself. The play began previews Off-Broadway February 7, and will run through March 18.

Read the reviews here.

CitiTour (Brian Scott Lipton)

New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)

TheaterMania (Pete Hempstead)

Times Square Chronicles (Suzanna Bowling)

Time Out (Regina Robbins)

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Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

Broadway alums Duane Boutté (Carousel), Jeb Brown (Beautiful:The Carole King Musical), Gina Daniels (Network), Antoinette LaVecchia (Torch Song), Jack Mastrianni (A Christmas Story The Musical!), Pearl Rhein (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), and Phillip Taratula (The Skin of Our Teeth) star alongside Off-Broadway's Jason O'Connell (Judgment Day), and Peterson Townsend (Chains). Rounding out the cast are Scott Redmond (Oklahoma! national tour), Tim Webb (A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage national tour), along with three actors making their Off-Broadway debuts: Christopher Reed Brown, Emma Pfitzer Price, and Madeline Seidman.

Director Britt Berke helms the production which features set design by Vicki R. Davis, costume design by Emilee McVey-Lee, lighting design by Mary Louise Geiger, sound design by M. Florian Staab, dialect coaching and dramaturgy by Amy Stoller, and casting by Stephanie Klapper.

Visit MintTheater.org.