ATOP's Oleanna at Herberger Theatre
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
(out of )David Mamet is a preeminent playwright
of the contemporary
American stage. He is famed for his multitude of plays, such as
American Buffalo, Sexual Perversity in Chicago,
and the
Pulitzer prize-winning Glengarry Glen Ross, as well as
his many
screenplays, including The Postman Always Rings Twice,
The
Verdict, and The Untouchables. Along with Neil Simon
and Sam
Shepard, he is one of the top three male voices of the late
twentieth century American theatre.
Always stretching his creative boundaries, and ever topical,
Mr. Mamet wrote the very controversial play Oleanna in
1992, in
response to the Clarence Thomas hearings. It's subtitle, "A
Power
Play," is an understatement. Mamet explores the grey areas
(and
there are many of them) in the interchanges between an upwardly-
mobile male professor and the seemingly neurotic female student
who will press sexual harassment charges against him. This short,
three act play is filled with twists and surprises, and at the
end of each of the short acts, left the audience animatedly debating
what they had just seen. Based on this script, some have called
Mamet a misogynist, while others believe he didn't take the
situation far enough. Whatever people think, though, this is a
great play that accomplishes what it sets out to do: create a
forum for discussion. Is it weighted toward one side or the other?
That is for the audience to decide.
Actor's Theatre of Phoenix' production
of this powerful piece
starts out a bit choppy. That may not be hard to believe, though,
since this is David Mamet, who's staccatto dialogue and precise
pauses can give fits to even the best of actors. In many ways,
Mamet is much like Harold Pinter; a hyper-realist. Subsequently
when it's even the slightest bit off, the delivery sounds odd.
Matthew Weiner's direction obviously tries to present this piece
as realistically as possible, though the all-important first act,
which is the set up for the entire play, seemed a bit off. The
actors, Kirk Jackson as the preoccupied prof, and Melinda Thomas
as the jumpy student, hit the first act dialogue in a syncopated
way that made the piece seem more stylized than it calls for.
By
the second act, though, they seemed to have found the rythm, and
played the rest of the conflict in a wonderful way.
After the first act's hesitation,
these actors did a great
job of presenting the twisting situation. Mr. Jackson seemed a
bit easier in his role of the self-absorbed educator, stumbling
unwittingly into every trap that the laws regarding sexual
harassment have to offer. Mr. Jackson's portrayal of the
professors grand pronouncements and haughty attitude worked well
to make him the perfect candidate for just such a charge. Hesitant
at first, though smoother throughout the evening, Ms. Thomas'
maneuverings were interesting and she did well in revealing the
many facets of her characters' personality.
Gage Williams' set and Paul Black's
lighting were
sufficiently stark and grim. The barren office bore the
resemblance of a boxing ring lit by fluorescents for the two
parties to slug out their differing ideologies.
Despite the somewhat awkward first
act, this play is an
interesting look at the weapons and casulaties of the ever-present
war between the sexes.
Production Details:
Oleanna by David Mamet
Actor's Theatre of Phoenix
Herberger Theatre, Phoenix
253-6701
March 15-March 31, 1996