OLEANNA

I am currently Project Supervisor at the Montgomery Theater, usually working on the technical aspect of a show, and I really have to tell you about this current production.

Two weekends only …
July 29 - 30 and Aug 4 - 6 …
David Mamet's OLEANNA …
at the Montgomery Theater in Souderton, PA.

Mamet is considered a treasure among American playwrights. If you are familiar with his name, it is probably due to his critically acclaimed screenplays such as The Verdict (1982), The Untouchables (1987), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and Wag the Dog (1998). Or, perhaps, you know him from his Pulitzer Prize winning film, Glengarry Glenn Ross (1984).

His most controversial play is OLEANNA, a two-character drama involving a male professor and one of his female students. This is also one of the most difficult to stage because of its dialogue. Much of Mamet's dialogue is fragmented with interrupted sentences, typical of his career-long effort to reproduce the discontinuities of everyday speech. Mamet's dialogue is so unique that it has become known as "Mametspeak". His language is not so much "naturalistic" as it is a poetic impression of streetwise jargon. OLEANNA is also marked with two of Mamet's other signature style elements: minimalism (in stage setting) and a lack of stage directions.

Here is what Montgomery Theater's Artistic Director says about this production:

Not only do I think that this is Mamet's best work, it is a play I have held on the back burner for some time waiting for just the right combination of players. Although it is only a cast of two, it is a very difficult script and if miscast, the play would be ruined by misrepresentation. "Oleanna" is theater for those who look for the ultimate in gripping dialogue and portrayal. I feel very strongly about the performances of Caroline Tamas and Paul Dake. These two are solid, compassionate actors who are not only worthy of the material, but are also quite grounded in their position to present this extraordinary piece of modern literature.

I can't wait to share this work of art with you. I urge you to join us in this unique experience on the Project Stage.

You may never feel anything quite like this again.

He's right. This play will challange you, and maybe even disturb you. But it will be an exhilarating experience you'll long remember.