Who influenced David Mamet

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 11:52pm

Full disclosure, yes this is for a paper I am writing. No I am not asking you to do my work for me.

I am in the process on writing a paper on David Mamet. I am in the middle of writing about writers who influenced him, and while I have a pretty good sized list (some of which include the obvious and not so obvious like Pinter, Beckett, O'Neil, Miller, Odets, Lanford Wilson and, strangely, H. L. Mencken) I am looking for more. I am really looking for AMERICAN writers, they do not have to be playwrights. I feel I have a very strong paper but I really want it to go more in depth.

I do not need reasons why you've chosen who you choose, though if you would like to put your ideas please feel free,

Thank you for your help!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 11:52pm

Arthur Laurents, duh!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 11:54pm

Shakespeare.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 11:56pm

Capn- I do have Will listed (sorry, that goes under obvious). And I am looking for AMERICAN writers (at my professor's request)

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 12:03am

I don't know who influenced who, but I find a lot of Aaron Sorkin's style similar to Mamet's in some ways.

I'd also almost say he was influenced by people like Chekhov and Pinter, who emphasized subtext and pauses, because he went in the opposite direction. You know, like he saw what they were doing and deliberately decided not to follow their lead.

Does that make sense?

[professor]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 12:34am

Mamet has said that the novelist Theodore Dreiser is one of his biggest influences. I would say that one can also see echoes of Willa Cather and Richard Wright in his (especially his early) work.

[peerrjb]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 12:43am

I'm sure you've read through and culled his book "Bambi vs. Godzilla"...which I think is brilliant -- well, the second half. But I think he hints at a lot of deeper, more passionate influences here.... He particularly talks about Preston Sturges' "The Lady Eve" (in the first sections of the book) and AGAIN later talks about Sturges' work on "Hail the Conquering Hero". There is material about his feelings for "Shadow of a Doubt" (Hitchcock) and "The Killing". I guess I think that there is so much material buried between the lines of his work in this book that you might find some wonderful "filagree" to add into your paper.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 5:49pm

Thanks for the help guys, if anyone else has any suggestions please post.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 8:56pm

Mamet for awhile was married to Lindsay Crouse whose father was Russel Crouse. While it's a stretch, because Crouse died before their marriage, I wonder if Lindsay passed on any of her father's advice to Mamet.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/15/09 at 10:49am

One final bump.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/15/09 at 7:43pm

I'm surprised no one mentioned Albee,
the starkness with a lot of fbombs thrown in.

[Hest882]

Posted: 8/15/09 at 10:20pm

I have ideas, but for a school paper I don't see how you can just put in speculations without having any source material that creates a more definitive link to Mamet's work?

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/16/09 at 12:03am

Hest- Who said anything about only including speculation? For every idea mentioned here I have done research, some resulting in more information (such as Dreiser) some not (such as Crouse).

I have done a lot of research, but there is always more information out there, and not every book has all the information on a subject. I am using BWW as a resource for ideas, which I am then further researching (unlike some so-called students who come on here and expect us to answer all questions for them). I am sorry if that wasn't clear in my first post, I did try to explain it.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/16/09 at 12:06am

And just for the record, I am a grad student, and eventually will be going for my doctorate. I know how to research, but I also know how to use ALL resources wisely.

[d5johnston]

Posted: 8/16/09 at 9:46am

While Odetts was a big influence, the common assumption is that the greats of "the Method" were as well. In an interview in the 70's Mamet made some quote about writing for method actors, but he has since gone on to deplore that kind of methodology. Look to the actors like Bill Macy who helped him develop the technique he teaches at the Atlantic. Those early actors he worked with very much helped him develop his voice.

I recently directed "Jolly" from his "Old Neighborhood" trilogy and, I have to say, as far as contemporary influences are concerned, Pinter is where it's at.

[BrianS]

Posted: 8/16/09 at 4:40pm

pretty sure a major influence was whoever that guy is who invented the F-word.