Thinking About… David Mamet

Theater 12 January 2012 | 3 Comments

For decades, it seems, it was fashionable for a playwright to admire the word of David Mamet with great abandon. Everyone wanted to write like him. Actors wanted to do his plays. Producers wanted to put them on. Directors wanted to direct them. And lots of people — even people who didn’t like going to the theater all that much — wanted to buy tickets to go see them.

Some time ago, however, he fell out of fashion. Far out of fashion. He has become the theatrical equivalent of spats or an ulster: nobody wears him any more. (EDIT: And by “nobody,” I mean “the general run of non-Broadway theater practitioners.” Yes, he still gets produced on Broadway, and yes, his older plays get plenty of air time, but he ain’t half of what he used to be.)

It’s not because his most recent plays lack the boldness and importance and energy and vision of his earlier work, though I believe they do. (EDIT: Maybe it is more that than I originally posited.) It’s not that he’s “sold out” to Hollywood, though he has been quite successful there. It’s that he’s decided he isn’t a liberal any more, and that in announcing his political transformation he was rather mean about it.

People didn’t like that. I don’t like it. And I happen to believe that his political opinions are largely, if not entirely, ludicrous and adolescent.

I have to admit, however, that none of this has stopped me from finding much of value in his latest (though no longer recent) book of essays: Theatre. Yes, there were definitely moments, plenty of them, in which I said to myself, as I was reading, “This particular point he’s making is as unsupportable as his politics, and indeed seems to be inspired by them.” There were also, however, many moments — more moments — in which I thought to myself “Yes, he’s got it exactly right there, and I wish people understood.”

There are those who want to believe the world is black-and-white — those of us who, having decided to hate David Mamet because of his politics, will now decide to hate everything else he produces. You know what I think about that? I think it’s short-sighted.

May I suggest that, if you’re not one of those people, that you give the book a chance? That you read it, think about it, and discuss it with me, here in the comments? Because I really do think there are things to be learned here… even, perhaps, from the ideas we disagree with. Anyway, that’s my suggestion.

  • http://twitter.com/HESherman Howard Sherman

    Sorry, Gwydion, but without quantitative evidence this post is founded on shaky ground. Perhaps you’re seeing less Mamet in the DC area, but he has had two new plays on Broadway in recent years (NOVEMBER and RACE) which is rare even for “name” playwrights, and there continue to be many regional productions of the latter in particular. I think AMERICAN BUFFALO is still seen with some frequency (and is probably acknowledged by most as his masterwork to date). While his politics may not win him friends, the work speaks for itself and continues to speak often, in my experience. Even if productions have declined, I don’t think it approaches the disfavor that Albee faced in the 80s, or Miller faced overall (in the U.S.) in the 70s, 80s and even 90s). He is likely more produced than, say, Sam Shepard, from my anecdotal impressions. Perhaps you can get some data on Mamet productions to back this up?

    • http://www.suilebhan.com Gwydion Suilebhan

      Maybe, but it’s not a data-driven argument I’m trying to make.

      Although I’m typically focused on audiences, here I’m thinking (though I didn’t say so explicitly) about how theater practitioners connect to his work. I’ve been involved in too many discussions with playwrights, directors, actors, designers, etc. in which people dismiss him utterly because of his awful politics (and I’m sympathetic to that impulse). I still think Theatre is more important than people give it credit for.

  • http://twitter.com/dantehicks36 Lee Liebeskind

    Just another note on this Studio did American Buffalo last year, Keegan did Glengary the year before and I am told there will be another Mamet classic on a major DC stage next year.  Not sure if and when Race will ever come to town, but I know a DC actor is going to do it in Chicago or philly or some major regional theatre. Just don’t’ think he is as flashy or relevant or his dialogue is as relevant as it was say 15 years ago.

    but I still love him as a playwright.