at The Mark Taper Forum
My husband Thom and I took our seats Sunday at the opening night performance of David Mamet’s 2007 satirical comedy, November with high hopes. I’ll just go ahead and say it – we are fans.
In Mamet’s romp, pathetic President Charles Smith wrings his sorry hands as his one failed term of office draws to a close with all
hopes of a second term dashed. His party committee has pulled all support, his Chief of Staff punctuating the inevitable defeat with the loveless advice, “Time to cash out Chuckie, sell a couple pardons, call it a day. Adding insult to injury, his lesbian speechwriter has left him in his hour of greatest need – having trotted off to China to adopt a baby with her partner. She promises to deliver a great speech in return for marrying her to her partner; plenty of fodder for hilarity and biting wit. Yet, even with Ed Begley Jr. pulling out all stops and chewing every piece of furniture, with the exception of Felicity Huffman’s triumph of a performance, I suspect the audience laughter was more an homage to Mamet than a response to the play.
You know me; we spend our nights sharing music on Night Grooves. That is why you read my blog posts. I am not a dramaturge on staff at an important newspaper and hence, I have the luxury to be a little more self- revealing than the typical “reviewer”. So, in the middle of this review of one of my absolute favorite playwrights I share this: I would rather be silent than give a negative review to an evening of live theater. It is not just a matter of sentimentality or being mindful of the players’ feelings. It is that I have such love for the art, such a personal history with live theater, and such a belief that live theater civilizes as well as delights us, that I hate to discourage anyone from an evening of it.
A learned actress friend whose life has been steeped in theater both on and off stage encouraged me, “Keri, you get to not like it. It’s okay.” So I am making peace with it and tipping my hat to the Ahmanson for the effort.
David Mamet’s November is beautifully staged, dressed, and lit, but perhaps it is the current state of the political discourse in our dear country that left me wanting.
Those who called President George W. Bush a war mongering doofus as well as those who think President Obama nothing but a narcissistic empty chair may cheer David Mamet in a momentary fantasy of commiseration on the part of the playwright.