David Mamet is a master of powerful, driven dialogue and Oleanna, written in 1992, is certainly no different. If anything, in this two-hander, played out in a tight, ever more claustrophobic office space, the text does even more heavy lifting than normal.
The play apparently caused intense reaction when it was first performed over 30 years ago, and one was forced to wonder whether the changing sensibilities in the wake of ‘Me Too’ will have dramatically altered the perception of the clashing arguments put forward in this short but hard-hitting play. Coming in with a running time of a little over one hour, this production at CoPs was nevertheless well worth the admission and will have left audiences talking and thinking about it long after leaving the Little Theatre.
We join our two characters – John, a slightly pompous and articulate college professor, and Carol, a young student feeling uncertain and overawed in her environment – as they meet in his office to discuss her frustrations and difficulties in grasping the nature of the subject matter in his class, including his own book on the subject. During the opening scene, interrupted by frequent phone calls from his off-stage wife to discuss last minute problems concerning a house they are trying to buy, John offers to help Carol, saying that he “likes her” and that he understands her issues, going as far as to offer her an ‘A’ if she is prepared to meet with him further to discuss the material. But, as he places a somewhat paternal hand on her shoulder, we get a small glimpse into what might be ahead as Carol shies away.
As we rejoin the pair some time later, it becomes apparent that Carol has filed a formal complaint against John, accusing him of sexual harassment. In a beautifully played scene of twisted understanding, it becomes clear that John cannot comprehend how his actions could have possibly offended Carol, totally unable to see it from her perspective. Blocking the door whilst Carol tries to leave the office, in an effort to get her to withdraw the complaint, only exacerbates the problem.
The third and final act finds John in a complete spiral. His tenure at the university has been denied and he has also been suspended. Not only that, but he has not been home for two days, instead holing up in a hotel trying to come to terms with his rapidly escalating demise. Carol once again agrees to meet him in his office, but things continue to spiral. Carol tells him that, with the help of a support group, she has now escalated her charge to that of rape, agreeing to drop the accusation only if a list of books are removed from the university, principally his own. John flatly refuses and, after another highly inconvenient phone call from his wife, finally loses it and attacks Carol.
Oleanna is a highly intense play and a great challenge for the two performers, not only to provide the subtle changes in the power structure and body language that goes with it, but also to master Mamet’s machine gun dialogue.
Calypso Powell, in her first – but I’m sure not last – lead role at CoPs, was a revelation as Carol. At first appearing meek and overawed in the presence of her professor, but growing in confidence and stature as the play headed towards its denouement, Calypso mastered the pace of the piece to perfection and drove it expertly in the closing act.
Chris Janes is – and I’m sure he won’t mind me saying so – a CoPs stalwart, but in his portrayal of John he has rarely been better. Tasked with driving the play through its opening scene, in addition to handling the multitude of telephone interruptions, Chris brought to life the confident, verbose professor, lending even more weight to his disillusionment as he entirely fails to grasp how his actions have been received by the other party.
Director Jonathon Wallis’s subtle approach to the play allowed his cast to hold centre stage whilst also finding time for clever pauses and moments of silence to allow the text to land. The well-dressed office set was perfect for the production, its semi-circular shelves drawing the eye to the two combatants whilst also allowing for some very subtle prop and costume changes during the short breaks between scenes.
In a nutshell, a very thought-provoking night at the theatre that will stay in the memory for a good while. The conversations in the car heading home after the performance added another layer of interpretation to what had already been an enthralling evening. It is sometimes fun and vital to have a ‘comfortable’ night at the theatre, but it is also great to see CoPs embracing plays that challenge and take the audience out of their comfort zone.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the production.
