Famed David Mamet Drama at Riverside Theatre

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet’s renowned drama, Oleanna, hits the Waxlax Stage at Riverside Theatre March 21 through April 9. The production is sponsored by Bobbie Olsen and by Riverside Theatre’s Patron Producers Group.

Oleanna is a two-character play showcasing the power dynamics between a college professor and one of his female students. The student, Carol, is struggling in class and makes an appointment with John, her professor, for help. She is frustrated and explains that due to certain circumstances, she cannot fail this class.

John, screening repeated telephone calls from his wife, seems preoccupied. In between calls, John tells Carol he understands her frustrations and is willing to give her an “A” if she returns to his office again to discuss the material.

When Carol returns to John’s office, things are tense. Due to the conversation from their first meeting, she files a sexual harassment report with the Tenure Committee, putting a hold on John’s advancement. Shocked, John does not understand the accusation.

Oleanna premiered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in May of 1992 as the first production of Mamet’s Back Bay Theater Company. It opened off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre in October of the same year starring William H. Macy and Rebecca Pidgeon. Mamet went on to direct a film based on the play in 1984, starring Macy and Debra Eisenstadt.

Riverside’s production of Oleanna is directed by Chris Clavelli and stars Denis Lambert as John and Dani Nelson as Carol. The design and production crew includes: Emily Luongo, Anna Hillbery, William Gibbons-Brown, Sam Hopewell, David Reed, Audrey M. Brown, and Sarah Nicholson.

Tickets are $65 and can be purchased by calling the box office at (772) 231-6990 or online. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Wednesdays, select Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m.

NOTE: This show contains adult language and situations.