Don’t expect standard David Mamet fare at Atlantic Theater’s current mainstage offering of two of the playwright’s one-acts. The evening’s main attraction, Keep Your Pantheon is a farcical romp through ancient Rome featuring a group of horny homosexual thespians trying to come up with the rent for their acting studio. Not exactly a typical Mamet storyline. But the show is not without its Mametisms: it is an all-male cast, the dialogue is snappy, and there are plenty of plot twists. But one of the hero’s foils is an elderly soldier in the 10th African brigade who totes a large and anatomically precise wooden dildo as well as a set of anal beads. Almost every character is gay and horny. There’s even a stand-up routine, delivered mistakenly at a meeting of the 10th African Brigade, in which the acting troupe’s leader, Strabo, roasts a man because he’s rumored to like women.
Pantheon, which constitutes the majority of the evening, feels more like Mel Brooks than it does David Mamet. Its major draw is Brian Murray, cast as the lusty, aging troupe leader Strabo, who could entertain for infinity with his volume-speaking facial expressions alone. Murray’s performance is reminiscent of Zero Mostel in the original film version of The Producers: he sputters nearly every line in exasperation or desperation. The supporting characters are cast with a similar aptness. JJ Johnston is particularly wonderful as a Mafioso-like tough guy who, while keeping watch over the imprisoned Strabo and his crew, tries to negotiate a painless death for the troupe if they’ll give up the group’s studly acting student for a half hour of sexual mischief. The show is gleefully not ‘about’ anything but getting laughs; don’t go in expecting the topical fodder provided by the two other Mamet productions, Oleanna and Race, about to hit New York stages this season.
In addition to Pantheon, is the world premiere of Mamet’s 10 or 15 minute-long one-act, School, a more traditionally Mametish game of conversational ping pong between two school administrators who debate the merits and nuances of the sustainability movement in relation to an art project done by elementary school students on recycled paper. “Wouldn’t it just be better to save the paper?” one of them wonders. They also discuss the ethics of making sex offenders’ names public and the tactics they might employ to restrict a crossing guard who they think is a child molester. This part of the evening also turns oddly sexual as the play makes light of one of the two administrators who feels that the lower school children intentionally wear provocative clothing to mock his desires.
This very short (about 80 minute-long) evening is worth it for Mamet fans who want to see the playwright’s comedic skills. It was probably the funniest night I’ve ever spent in the theater, but, still, it didn’t leave me wanting more. See it if you’re up for something rowdy and fun.
Visit the Atlantic Theater Company’s website for more information.
