|
Romance
By David Mamet
Directed by Pam MacKinnon
At The Goodman Theatre
As part of the Mamet Festival
170 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL
Call 312-443-3800, tickets $10- $35
Tuesdays at 7:30 PM
Wednesdays at 7:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM
Fridays at 8 PM
Saturdays at 2 & 8 PM
Sundays at 2 & 7:30 PM
Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission
Through April 23, 2006
“You people can't order a cheese sandwich without mentioning the Holocaust," the Defense Attorney says. The Defendant complains: "I hired a goy lawyer. It's like going to a straight hairdresser."
“Why did you go to law school if you don't want to lie?”
---David Mamet from Romance
Romance is a wild, hilarious extreme satire of the justice system
Romance is pure David Mamet as we have grown to know him—gutsy, crude and blasphemous. He certainly rips everything in his path in Romance (the name is quite misleading). This is a courtroom drama gone crazy that ends up a farcical satirical tirade that mocks the judicial system, judges, world politics, homosexuals, religious prejudice, ethnic hatred and, of course, lawyers. It mentions that Shakespeare was both Jewish and gay; it attacks with enough vulgar language and over-the-top physicality to make this 90 minute manic adventure seem like an X version of a Marx Brothers film.
David Mamet sure demonstrates his deft use of stinging dialogue in this insult-based comedy that is part Christopher Durang, part satire and part burlesque. Let me count the things Mamet mocks: the Israeli-Palestine conflict, fidelity, world peace, Jews, Gays, Catholics, podiatrists, chiropractors, rule of law, courtroom procedures and political correctness.
All this in 90 minutes of mayhem set in an a courtroom run by a pill-popping judge (Matt DeCaro, who steals the show with his wacky madness) who is self adsorbed with a hard-nosed prosecutor (Steve Pickering) who is having trouble with his boy toy (John LaGuardia) and the anti-Semitic defense lawyer (Christian Stolte) whose client is the evasive Jewish chiropractor (David Pasquesi). The calm bailiff (Ron OJ Parson) tries to keep the judge on track as he witnesses the anarchy that erupts into slapstick as this absurdity of hate comedy unfolds. Mamet’s trade mark verbal dexterity and foul-mouthed wit are used in the extreme to produce the crude, yet clever humor surly to offend the sensitive.
If the F—word and ethnic insults offend you then Romance isn’t for you, but, if biting humor, wonderfully played with zest and skill are to your liking, then Romance will deliver. I laughed myself silly. Mamet’s screwball comedy vividly shows us that we must solve our differences at home before we can tackle international problems. Mamet takes no prisoners in his no-holds-bared farce. This is a brilliant work.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed March 24, 2006
|
