Two current revivals of vintage plays, one American and one British, demonstrate that not every forgotten drama from the past is necessarily worth excavating. Both the Mint Theater Company’s revival of Arnold Bennett’s 1909 What the Public Wants and the Atlantic Theater Company’s world premiere adaptation by David Auburn (Proof) of Langdon Mitchell’s 1906 The New York Idea mainly come across as theatrical relics.

Both plays seem to have been unearthed for their supposed contemporary relevance. Mitchell’s comedy is a portrait of upper crust New York society dealing with new ideas about divorce and the role of women. Bennett’s is about a tabloid newspaper magnate who brings to mind a certain current media tycoon. Unfortunately, neither play works particularly well on dramatic terms.

I’m not familiar with the original version of Mitchell’s original, so it’s hard to know exactly how Auburn has transformed it, although no doubt extensive cutting was involved. It portrays the romantic roundelay among several characters: Cynthia (Jaime Ray Newman), a free-spirited young divorcee about to get remarried to the older Philip (Michael Countryman), a straight-laced judge; Philip’s ex-wife Vida (Francesca Faridany), who displays surprisingly modern attitudes about sex and marriage; and Cynthia’s former husband John (Jeremy Shamos), now in such desperate financial straits that he is forced to sell off all of his possessions, including her beloved race horse.

Observing from the sidelines are several peripheral characters, including the wealthy Sir Wilfrid (Rick Holmes), who attempts to woo Cynthia despite her upcoming nuptials.

While the play aims to be the sort of madcap romantic farce that would later be realized to perfection in such works as The Philadelphia Story, none of the situations or dialogue have the required comic zing. We care little about the characters, who seem little more than convenient mouthpieces for the provocative societal ideas being expressed. The climax of the play concerns the reconciliation of two of the former spouses, but by then we are so unengaged that it registers with little effect.

Under the sluggish direction of Mark Brokaw, the performers mainly struggle with their stock characters, although Newman, making her New York stage debut, brings a vivacity and charm to Cynthia that is largely missing from the rest of the evening.

The Mint, normally so savvy with their theatrical exhumations, is at a similar loss with this British comedy by Bennett, a wildly popular playwright in his day. Loosely based on the real-life figure of Lord Northcliffe, the founder of The Daily Mail, What the Public Wants originally found success both on the West End and in New York.

It’s easy to see why the work seemed ripe for revival, dealing as it does with a publishing mogul who is desperate for both huge circulation and social prestige. He is the rich and successful Sir Charles Worgan (Rob Breckenridge), whose newspaper empire is based on feeding its readership sensationalism rather than the truth.

The return of his brother Francis (Marc Vietor) after nearly two decades spent abroad spurs Charles into self-reflection and a newfound desire to change his ways. Deciding that he needs to be married in order to become a respected member of society, he impulsively proposes to childhood friend Emily (Ellen Adair), now a struggling actress.

But when couple returns to their hometown for a family dinner, the resulting contentious family dynamics put the spotlight on their clashing values. 

The playwright’s satirical observations, while certainly prescient for their day, seem all too familiar and redundant by now. The work plods along, suffering from a surfeit of minor characters, including a prickly theater critic apoplectic over the split infinitives popping up in his edited prose.

Although Matthew Arnold’s staging and the performances by the ensemble reflect the Mint’s usual solid level of professionalism, it’s hard to imagine that this antiquated work will be what the public wants.

The New York Idea

Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. 212-279-4200. www.ticketcentral.com.

What the Public Wants

Mint Theater, 311 W. 43rd St. 212-315-0231, www.minttheater.org.