Oleanna

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 12:00pm

Just wandering if someone could tell me about the play Oleanna by David Mamet. I'm reading it for a class and didn't know if anyone here thought they could give me a backstory to it, or any neat facts? Any insight to the play is welcome!!!

Thank you!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:30pm

I never particularly cared for the play. It was produced about 10-15 years ago off-Broadway (with William H. Macy and Mamet's wife, Rebecca Pidgeon) and had a pretty long, successful run. It was made into a movie and revived recently in London.
"Oleanna" on Sparknotes.com

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:39pm

I am not a Mamet fan and had seen bits and pieces of the movie that I thought were terrible. So when it was revived in London I approached it with trepidation. And I LOVED it. The play is actually brilliant, written in response to the hysteria of political correctness, showing the damaging effect it can have on individuals and on a society. Some of the reviews in London noted that it had gone back to the original ending and gotten rid of the "softer" ending used for its original London run with David Suchet and Lia Williams. Anyone know what was different?

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 11:00pm

Thank you both!

*Spoiler*

In the version I read, he beats her. I was wondering what happened in the version you saw?

EDIT: Sorry, my own grammar was annoying me.

Updated On: 9/12/05 at 11:00 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 11:21pm

More than beats her up... he kicks her behind BAD...well, her behind , her front, and the living hell ou of her.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 2:48am

In the published script, he throws her to the ground, then grabs a chair and raises it up as if he's going to smash it over her, but backs off. He does call her the "c" word, though.

In the recent London revival, with Julia Stiles and Aaron Eckhart, members of the audience often cheered him on, encouraging him to bash her over the head - yelling "DO IT!"

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 3:35pm

In the recent London revival, with Julia Stiles and Aaron Eckhart, members of the audience often cheered him on, encouraging him to bash her over the head - yelling "DO IT!"

That's interesting, to say the least. I've heard from many people who saw the revival that Julia Stiles was the best Carol ever. I wish I could've seen the production.

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 12:37am

Aaron Eckhart played John? Isn't he a little young?

In my script it says that John is supposed to be in his 40s.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 12:45am

Well Aaron is mid 30s and in person he looks like he was rode hard and put away wet, so it worked fine.

I know that in the original London production, David Suchet would play the moment of comforting the upset Carol differently every night, sometimes genuinely comforting her, other times there were varying degrees of inappropriate contact. This cleverly muddied the waters even further AND meant that people who saw it on different nights and then discussed it (and it was MUCH discussed at the time) were arguing two completely different points without knowing it.

And Julia Stiles was one cold hearted bitch as Carol. The night I saw it, someone did indeed yell for Aaron to smash her with the chair. The two of them had as little to do with each other off stage as possible, because they were afraid if they hung out together and really got to know and like each other, performing the play as it should be performed 8 times a week would become impossible.

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 12:59am

that's a VERY cool tidbit about the London production, thanks for sharing, popcultureboy. :)

I've played Carol before in scenes in acting classes and my oh my is she a challening role.

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 1:17am

Thanks, popcultureboy!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 2:04am

For anyone who saw the original production, how long does the play last?

I ask because I attended the opening performance of a community production tonight that began just after 8 PM and even with 2 15-minute intermisions it was out at 9:40 making the playing time about 70 minutes. Does that sound about right?

[Emilia]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 3:51am

Popultureboy that is the best description of aaron eckhart I have ever read! lol

And it really doesnt matter how old John is as long as you believe he is old enough to be a teacher have a wife and kid etc so 30's is fine

I did see the london production and I loved it, i hadnt read the play but I was really captivated by the performances and the subject matter.

The ending was as follows, he yells at her (uses the c word) pushes her to the floor(actually its possible he slaped her and she fell?) and holds the chair above her as if to throw it then throws it to the side instead. The night I saw it (closing night actually) he actually broke the chair!

hope that helps

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 7:28am

I actually didn't remember the chair part, but when I went and reread it, it was -of course- there.

I don't know, but all this talk about the London Production really makes me wish that I had seen it.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 8:27am

The play is very short. It is written in "three scenes" rathern than "acts" and can be done with no intermission in about 70 minutes. We did it with an intermission after the first scene, and just a 30-second "pause" (with music) between scenes two and three. I think havind a second intermission would take away the momentum.

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 9:53am

Yeah, it was a very quick read.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 10:38pm

There shouldn't be ONE intermission, let alone two. Dear me. They put an intermission in the London revival after the first act, which is sort of forgiveable as the play doesn't kick into high gear until act two.

And in addition to slapping her and insulting her, I seem to recall he smacked her head off the desk and kicked her before reaching for the chair. I saw it in previews and really wish I had gone to see it again.

[life_so_far]

Posted: 9/16/05 at 12:00am

Did this win any awards?

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/16/05 at 12:08am

I don't think it did, no. Well, the recent London revival didn't. The play I'm sure must have done.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/16/05 at 6:06am

I don't believe the original production won any awards, either.