Upon entering the Murfreesboro Little Theatre last Friday night, my first impression of this play hit me on the lips.
Co-producer Shane Lowery himself led me into the lobby, then into the theatre itself and immediately asked what kind of wine I wanted. What?
Uh, red Cabernet of course.
He opened a new bottle and set it at my table. My TABLE? What?
Between the stage and the open seating were five tables, tablecloths, padded chairs, and a centerpiece at each one. What a way to get a good review. The Tucker, the Center for the Arts, the Theatre at Patterson Park, and the Lamplighter Theatre have never served me, or their other patrons, wine, or had the director or producer themself seat people. Wow, impressive.
David Mamet’s Oleanna began its production Friday, Aug. 17, to a well-packed house, including the guests seated at those 5 tables. Oleanna made its debut in May 1992, in Cambridge, Mass., then went on to play off Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre in New York City the following October, after the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas debacle. The 90-minute play, dealing with sexism, sexual harassment, and he-said-she-said, takes place in a college professor’s office, and he and his female student go back and forth with a lot of verbal abuse, and some physical abuse.
I mention Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas for those of you who remember the lawsuit brought forth from Ms. Hill upon then Mr. Thomas, who was about to become a Supreme Court Justice, and her sexual harassment case that was thrown out eventually. Mamet wrote this play loosely on the events of that suit. As we have become so much more “politically correct” here 15 years later, the events of this play made much of the 50-50 audience squirm in their theatre seats.
Lowery and Jamie Storvik produced Oleanna, and there being no mention of a director in the playbill, Lowery was asked why. His answer proved to be correct in the duration of the production he stated “we didn’t need one.”
Sara Hoyal plays Carol in the play, the college student who just does not quite “get” the lectures of her professor. This young actor has an incredible number of plays under her belt, and has almost as many college minors.
Sara has performed as well in numerous films and has been nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan award. Her portrayal of Carol in this production was nothing short of incredible.
I placed myself in the professor’s proverbial shoes many times during the show and wondered what I would have done. She was real as a student, and just as real as a woman.
Marc Mazzone portrays John, a winded, sweaty, surly college professor who comes across as a man who could have a stress-related heart attack at any moment.
Between his lawyer, his wife and his realtor, you would think he had enough going on in his life . . . but lo and behold, the college board has his tenure in one hand and this demanding college girl has his family jewels in the other.
Marc has been acting since age 12. His name goes on forever like a who’s who with his list of acting credentials, and it shows in this play. Acting is not second nature to him, it is first nature.
This is not the first time Hoyal and Mazzone have been onstage together. In Wait Until Dark he accidentally stabbed her in the leg during a performance and now some more physical violence in Oleanna.
I like the turn Murfreesboro Little Theatre has made in their play choices. There are some darker, more forboding productions in their future. Murfreesboro could use that.
Oleanna continues to play this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The play is worth seeing, especially if you like to squirm in your seat a little.
