Iยm sorry to report that itยs curtains for Theatre Memphisย appropriately troubling and thoughtfully staged production of David Mametยs widely acclaimed Oleanna, which closes its run on the NextStage Sunday, January 28th. The 1992 show was culturally ยon time,ย having debuted just after the seating of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the subject of a very public sexual harassment hearing, and after 15-years it hasnยt aged a day. The play has been variously viewed as an indictment of the ยfeminist agenda,ย a scathing criticism of political correctness gone amuck, and as a dark exploration of class and gender relations at the end of the 20th century. It has always been each of these things, and none of the above.
Itยs easy enough to buy into the ยMamet as misogynistย theory, considering the writerยs macho, cigar-chomping image, and the horrors his male characters inflict on women in earlier scripts like the brutally brilliant Edmond, and the juvenile Sexual Perversity in Chicago. Itยs not a completely baseless charge, but itยs one that completely (and unjustly) strips Americaยs most provocative living playwright of his complexity. Oleanna is, at its very core, a simple tragedy in the classic mold, about a person of privilege who, neither fully guilty or completely innocent, is brought low by pride and hypocrisy, and replaced by a system that will not and can not stand.
John, played with sensitivity, and explosive fury by Chris Hart, is happy with his job at an exclusive college, and in line for tenure. To celebrate that professional milestone heยs finally buying his castle: a nice house with a big back yard ยfor the boy.ย His recently published book has proven incomprehensible to Carol, a failing student who hopes to appeal her grade. A deal is struck between student and teacher to forgo their traditional roles, and change the failing grade to an A. For John, this proves to be a deal with the devil that will rob him not only of his of his job but his dreams as well.
In the playยs first scene Lyric Petersย Carol is an agitated bundle of confusion and impatience, unable to articulate her needs or understand anything that challenges her values. By act three sheยs the angry, articulate, politically motivated spokesperson for a ยgroup,ย promising to drop all the charges sheยs leveled against her teacher in exchange for the removal of his and other books from the reading list.
Are their sexual overtones in Johnยs words and actions? Mamet leaves it vague, and the answer can vary from show to show. In this case, however, the answer is no. Although Johnยs behavior may stink of paternalism and entitlement, his root intentions are basically noble and in keeping with his views as an educator. One also gets the sense that the only thing Hartยs autoamorous professor wants to feel up is his own reflection in the mirror.
Mametยs attempts to write language as itยs actually spoken, then present it as a rigidly structured, nearly orchestral exercise can be hard on actors. Caught between the playยs hot emotion and the writerยs cold formalism both Hart and Peter sometimes stumble over one another, and lose their way. But neither ever completely lose sight of their intentions, and their committed performances keep the audience engaged even when the dialogue gets messy.
Mamet loves a good cypher, and in order to understand its intentions itยs important to understand the meaning of its mysterious title which is neither referenced or explained in the spoken text. ยOleannaย is the name of a 19th-century european folk song that, like the American hobo anthem ยBig Rock Candy Mountain,ย tells of a heavenly paradise where crops self-plant, ยsweet beerย bubbles up from the earth, and luscious barbecued pigs walk the street asking if anyone would would like a slice of ham. In Oleanna, ยthe womenย do all the work, and, ยIf she doesn’t work hard enough/ she takes a stick/ And gives herself a beating.ย The point here is that there is no paradise where things are easy, and even utopian environments like the ivy-covered walls of academia, or the lost Oleanna, have a dark side. Like its closest dramatic kin, Arthur Millerยs The Crucible, Oleanna isnยt an indictment of anything or anyone but a fair, unflinching jury trial.
by Chris Davis