Friday, April 11, 2008

Boston Marriage

Last night we went to the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket to see David Mamet’s Boston Marriage. The stage is small and no seat is very far from its edge; in dimension and intimacy it’s like a racquetball court, which is the perfect size, and a good metaphor, for this show. Mamet’s relentless verbal deconstructions privilege the well-angled over the hard-hit and the long volley over the slammed winner, and for the most part the actors play them right. The end of the play sags a little from depletion—whether it’s Mamet’s or the actors’ I’m not sure—but since it’s a three-character show with no out-of-bounds and just one intermission the onset of fatigue is easy to understand. I hope to have a real review posted before Sunday evening, which is your last opportunity to see the show.

1 comment:

Esther said...

I was thinking about seeing this over the weekend, but after being a little disappointed by Trinity's Blithe Spirit, I don't know if I'm up for another slow-moving period piece. I did see The Elephant Man at the Gamm last year, and I enjoyed it. That was my first time seeing a play there.