The Penitent

A classic David Mamet subject without his signature style of endless cursing.  Mr. Mamet has penned a moral and ethical dilemma that really has no answer but leaves lots of questions.  It's done in an ingenious style of giving you only some of the facts, making you guess at others and revealing a key element right at the end - which only serves to make you reflect back upon the entire play, who said what and how it fits with this new-found nugget of knowledge.  Mr. Mamet cleverly weaves a legal issue (murder) with homosexuality (a murder committed by a gay boy) and religion (his doctor seems to have some opinions on both matters).

I am no Mamet expert.  Frankly I'm no expert, period.  However, upon reflections on the events in the play, for some reason, I am driven to conclude that Mr. Mamet's ultimate goal is to rip religion a new asshole for being used as a cover and an excuse all too often.  I could be wrong, but I really think the doctor may not have been a deeply religious man, but when he made a mistake with his patient (which involves a gun) he may have felt it OK to cover his mistake with an even bigger lie about his religious beliefs.  Like I said, I'm no expert, but If someone did what the doctor's wife reveals at the very end, I can't imagine how anyone could allow it to happen - sworn Hippocratic oath or not.

I will say that Chris Bauer (Charles) held court in most every scene with his own strong convictions and beliefs.  His wife (Kath) Rebecca Pidgeon was a bit stilted and awkward.  Not sure if that was intentional or it was just a lack of performances to master the Mamet style dialogue.  Lawrence Gilliard (The Attorney) provided a brilliant and impeccable performance poking holes in the doctor's statements during a remarkable deposition scene. Jordan Lage (Richard) was a stalwart defense attorney to Charles.

Head on over to the Atlantic Theatre on West 20th and catch a performance of a gripping and thought provoking drama.

Parlour Song

The delicious Jonathan Cake was, to me, the star of the show. The restless and mysterious neighbor Dale, the villain, the foil, a victim of sorts. OK, who are we kidding - he stood downstage right - front and center - in his sexy H&M box cut undies showing off his uber-gorgeous bod. OK, moving on...

The acting was top notch all around. You should expect nothing less from the Atlantic. Chris Bauer and Emily Mortimer (Ned and Joy) round out the cast of 3 in this dramatic work. The story is a multi-level piece. It takes place in the here and now - the present - the literal, but the undertones of the abstract, of pent-up frustration, of insanity and regret clearly being communicated at the same time.

Instead of my telling you about it - why don't you watch the playwright, Jez Butterworth and the director, Neil Pepe along with the cast tell you in their own words. Check out the video from the Atlantic Theater Company:

Defiance

John Patrick Shanley strikes again. This, the second work in his yet unfinished trilogy (it started with "Doubt"), is destined for a great public reception. It's now showing at MTC City Center on Stage I.

The story of power, lust, and loyalty - and of course, Defiance. Set at Camp Lejune (The Marines) in 1970, it deals with the struggles of racism in the military, belief in God, doing the "right thing" and the casualties guaranteed to fall out in these struggles. The characters - a black captain, a white colonial (25 yrs), the southern educated wife of the colonial, and the base Chaplin. The 100 minutes that ensue are a tour de force - with conflict, a dash of humor, cut with raw emotion. The ensemble cast highlighted individual talent without putting anyone performer up on a pedestal.

I never saw "Doubt" before the transfer to Broadway - but I'm going to guess that this smaller, more intimate environment gave it the fuel it needed to "blast" onto Broadway.

A Streetcar Named Desire