Monday, December 3, 2012

Mamet Disgust!

Last week I went to see David Mamet's "The Anarchist" in preview.  It was the worst play I've had the bad fortune to see in my lifetime, and in reading the reviews I am not alone.  Of some 20 reviews in the New York Times, nineteen gave it one star, and that mainly because there's no way to give it no stars.  It was  drivel with no purpose, no thought, and no gifts of language.  Ben Brantley who reviewed the play after it opened Sunday, also gave it a poor review but only after some ten paragraphs or more of beating around the bush.  If the author had not been Mamet Brantley would have gotten to the point immediately.  Save your money!

What really bothers me is that anyone who read the play had to know how awful it was, yet it received an airing on Broadway, in a major theater, and starred two major personalities:  Patty LuPone and Debra Winger. There are many good writers and painters struggling for audiences yet any piece of junk gets an airing if the artist has a good press agent or a reputation no matter if the reputation was made some 20 plus years ago. Mamet is well past his prime (if he ever had a prime) yet still gets undeserved accolades, theatre time, and reviews. Brantley in his review took almost as long as the play to get to the point and even then you had to read between the lines. The Kardashian phenomenon has taken over serious theatre.  Is there anything left to celebrate?

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