Playing Dates:

Friday 3rd – Saturday 11th October 2025 (matinee on Saturday 4th)

Audition Dates:

Monday 14th and Thursday 17th at 7:30pm, and Saturday 19th April at 12pm, all at The Little Theatre, Hertford.

Synopsis:

Oleanna, set in the US, is a tense and thought-provoking two-hander that explores power, communication, and perception. A college student, Carol, drops by her professor’s office in an effort to gain his help to do better in class. John, the professor, in the midst of buying a house to celebrate his nomination for tenure, at first seems distant. As the first meeting progresses the two discuss the nature of understanding and judgment in society, as well as their very own natures and places in our society. It seems as if a bond has been made. When next they meet we find that a report has been filed to the tenure committee. Their second meeting dissects the first; every word, every nuance of the first meeting has been twisted into something else. Or has it? John’s unsuccessful attempts to convince Carol to retract her accusation escalate to a more dangerous level. The third meeting, one the court officers warned against, climaxes violently, leaving John and Carol both physically and emotionally devastated.

Characters:

Carol – College student, intelligent and determined but struggling academically. Over the course of the play, she grows in confidence and control. Playing age 18-30

John – A college professor, charismatic and well-spoken but increasingly desperate as his world unravels. Playing age 40+

Ages are approximate, but Carol needs to believably be a college/university student, with John ideally at least 15-20 years older.

Audition Format:

Mostly cold readings from the script, so no preparation is necessary, but familiarity with the play, and Mamet’s dialogue style, is encouraged.

If you would like a copy of the play to read, would like to audition but can’t make the listed audition dates, or have any other questions, please contact Jonathon at jonomartyn.wallis@gmail.com or on 07907 452195. Please note that copies of the play are limited, but digital excerpts can be made available.

There are also the majority of crew roles still available so please do get in touch if interested.