The Return of the Prodigal by St. John Hankin. Mint Theater Company. Directed by Johnathan Bank. The Mint always comes up with intriguing and rarely performed plays that challenge our assumptions and "The Return of the Prodigal" by St. J ohn Hankin, a playwright whose work we've not seen previously is no exception. We were excited to see this 1905 work which has garnered high praise from critics. Alas, we were bitterly disappointed. The decision to update the work, to remove all Victorian trappings and English accents has not kept faith with the material. The dilemmas presented have no relevance today. The idea that a bright young woman would be trapped at home in order to be respectable and live with her mother and father doesn't wash in the Post Princess-Di era. Nor did the not so shocking revelations about the family, the family business, and their lust for a social position make the slightest sense in a modern context. The actors do their best and I would single out the lovely debutante Leah Curney as Violet Jackson, but when a director doesn't trust his material, a production is doomed. While it was fun to sit amongst an appreciative audience mostly made up of NYU Theater program summer campers, we didn't feel it was worth the commute. We don't know if "The Return of the Prodigal" could work today in a period setting, but we do know it doesn't work as presented. Sorry "Governor." Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade D+