oleanna

[James Forsythe]

This past October I was involved in a production of Oleanna here at Brandon
University in conjunction with Real Canadian Mounted Productions of Victoria.
The reaction of both my students and my fellow faculty, once they got past the
novelty of seeing someone they knew onstage, was overwhelmingly positive.  It
apparently provoked discussions from the student cafeteria to the
administration offices.  Most people knew they were being intentionally
provoked and used the play as a springboard for an examination of just where
their reactions were coming from.  Several of my collegues thanked me, or
rather our production, for making  them more sensitive to the issues.
 
At both our production, and the London version I saw last spring, not a single
person bayed for blood.  Many were disturbed, but all knew they were watching a
play.  Perhaps Oleanna reawakened the wonder that a mere play can move people
to both anger and guilt.  If Mamet had a specific agenda, so what.  He is a
master of his craft and he has written a play that is both a challenge and a
thrill to perform.  Nothing prevents another author from taking on another
objective.  Mamet merely applied the old adage I drill into my acting students,
"Know what you want, know what you're going to do to get it, and then go do it."
 
Theatre is making news all over the country.  Its better than being in the
obits wouldn't you say?