Oleanna

Known most for his unique drama "Glengarry Glen Ross," David Mamet has written another masterpiece of a play. "Oleanna" is an unforgettable play that will leave you unsure of who's side you're on until the last remaining moments that will stay with you for a long time.The story is very simple, or it starts out simple. It all starts as an innocent meeting between a school teacher and his female student. He knows there's... Read Full Review

Oleanna was the first David Mamet play I read, and I was very impressed. Oleanna is fast, harsh, and a real jolt. The two characters in the play are a teacher and a student, both with weaknesses and issues. No side is innocent in this play, and that adds to the realism. Neither character is a protagonist, and sections where you think one may be correct are just illusions. Oleanna harshly but craftly shows the faults of... Read Full Review

I do not think there has been a play in the past twenty years that has inspired more arguments than David Mamet's "Oleanna". Mamet has never been angrier, sharper, or more inspired. More than that, however, Mamet has added a new aspect to this work: ambiguity.The play revolves around two characters. The first, John, is a college professor. He sits behind the desk in his office, hiding behind a large vocabulary and a cocky... Read Full Review

I am not sure if David Mamet wrote "Oleana" in response to Anita Hill's accusations against Clarence Thomas, but, his insightful portrayal of how some feminist activists sometimes misuses men as a means to accomplish their agenda would be humorous were it not truly sad. Mamet critiques several relationships in this play including that of humans to humans. In the final analysis of the sexual harassment situation demonstrated... Read Full Review

I have seen three separate productions of David Mamet's controversial two-hander "Oleanna", and the audience has been driven into polarized frenzy each time. Mamet correctly assumes that the engines that drive contemporary society are envy and greed, and his corrosive attack on the verbal manipulations of political correctness is razor-sharp. Mamet's use of language is extraordinary and in this play -- for a change --... Read Full Review