A controversial, 26-year-old David Mamet play seems like an unlikely spark for nuanced discussion of hot-button topics.<\/p>\n
But that’s exactly what Enrique Bravo was hoping for and what he got when he picked “Oleanna” to be the latest play in the Black Box series at Perseverance Theatre.<\/p>\n
The play, which opened Thursday and concludes with a Sunday matinee, concerns allegations of sexual misconduct in a collegiate setting.<\/p>\n
“The thing I appreciate about theater is with these difficult conversations, instead of someone thrusting a point of view on you, you can watch a play, and you can talk about it,” said Bravo, who is actor-in-residence for the Perseverance Theatre and director of the play.<\/p>\n
The Black Box series, Bravo said, is an opportunity for younger actors to gain experience.<\/p>\n
He said the wordy play with one setting was a good fit for that as well, as the confines for the area often used as rehearsal space.<\/p>\n
Bravo said he heard discussions after the Thursday opening, and there were murmurs among audience members Saturday evening after the play’s conclusion.<\/p>\n
The direction of those conversations may differ from the ones that “Oleanna” inspired when it debuted in 1992, in the immediate wake of the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill controversy.<\/p>\n
That’s because of conscious decisions made by performers and the director regarding tone.<\/p>\n
The play depicts a series of closed-door meetings between a tenure-seeking college professor and a female student.<\/p>\n
Bryan Crowder portrayed the college professor, whose pursuit of advancement and homelife are rocked by allegations of misconduct leveled by a student, Carol, portrayed by Erika Bergren.<\/p>\n
In the past, performances of the play, as well as Mamet, have been criticized for their takes on political correctness and accusations of misconduct.<\/p>\n
“A lot of people have issues with Mamet in general, which is something I had to get past,” Bravo said.<\/p>\n
Before rehearsals, Bravo, Crowder and Bergren sat down and discussed how to perform the material in a way that was sympathetic to the female character’s perspective and move it away from overt commentary on political correctness.<\/p>\n
“The way I’ve been explaining it to people is this play really shows what happens when two parties engage and refuse to listen to each other,” Crowder said.<\/p>\n
The portrayals in the Black Box production made it possible to see each character’s perspective while still laying initial fault at the feet of the authority figure.<\/p>\n
Crowder’s professor initially dripped slimy condescension and strident pretension before squirming when his conduct was placed under the microscope of a tenure committee and the law.<\/p>\n
Bergren’s Carol began the play as an earnest wallflower before blooming and booming with righteous anger.<\/p>\n
However, later she adopted the dismissive tendencies shown early on by her instructor.<\/p>\n
“I thought our performance was absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Bergren said.<\/p>\n
While the emotions and events of the play are decidedly not lighthearted, Bergren and Crowder said it is fun to perform.<\/p>\n
“I really enjoyed it,” Bergren said. “I’m definitely in Carol’s corner.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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