Broadway At The Beck: Race

Playwright, David Mamet, is a fearless political force in American theater and film, no question about it. And let’s face it, America loves a good tousled , tricky controversy explored through the arts- and if you were around during the protests outside the Beck Center during Jerry Springer: The Opera, you know that Lakewood is no exception.  It’s no wonder Mamet had the prowess to launch his 2009 play Race directly to Broadway. (Of course his Pulitzer and Tony nomination don’t hurt his clout either). It’s also no wonder that the Beck Center has put Race in their studio theatre’s line-up, directed by the always fresh, always relevant Sarah May.

When this hot, new Mamet play debuted on Broadway almost exactly a year after the 2008 presidential election, there was no shortage of discussion about the topic of race in the good old US of A. The timing was perfect to share the story of three attorneys (one black male, one black female and one while male) as they wrestle with the complexities of a case that comes literally walking in their door- a white man accused of raping a black woman.

A generally strong ensemble takes on the challenges of this multi-layered plot and the distinct dialogue or “Mamet-speak”, as it’s called.  Justin Emeka and Tom Woodward, have crafted two real and compelling characters- attorneys who stand in contrast to one another, but are both equally complex. While Aungelique Scott, the third attorney, doesn’t manage to convey all the layers of her character’s agenda, she does gel with the rest of the cast and, to be fair, would be hard pressed to compete with the rest of the stellar cast, including Brian Pedaci as the accused. Pedaci is a fresco of guilt, arrogance, conflict avoidance, leaving the audience with mystery of his true motive throughout. Overall, these four actors create an ensemble in the true sense of the word.

Race will leave you riveted, questioning and possibly a little bit uncomfortable- exactly what Mamet would want.

Of course, this isn’t just because ofthe topic of Race. With grey areas of the rape and implications about each character’s soci-economic background, the play could easily be called Gender or Class instead of Race. But decide for yourself. 

The regional premiere of David Mamet’s Race in the Studio Theater runs through November 20, 2011. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 p.m. Sundays. There is no performance on Saturday, November 12.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older) and $17 for students (with valid ID). An additional $3 service fee per ticket is applied at the time of purchase. Preview night on Thursday, October 20, is $10 with general admission seating. Seating is limited in the Studio Theater and Preview Night is expected to sell out. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

For tickets, call the Beck Center box office at 216.521.2540, ext. 10, or purchase seats online at www.beckcenter.org. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

I guarantee you’ll form an opinion- even if an ever-changing one. Share your thoughts on my blog at laurenjoyfraley.wordpress.com or the new thread on the Observation Deck at LakewoodObserver.com.

Among Glengarry Glenn Ross, Oleanna, Speed the Plow and so many other Mamet classics, there are also these reads available at the Lakewood Public Library if you just can’t get enough Mamet:

David Mamet : a life in the theatre a biography by Nadel, Ira Bruce.

The secret knowledge: on the dismantling of America culture by David Mamet
(Tackling issues from global warming to political correctness often touched on in Race, this is the story of David Mamet’s change of heart towards politics in the mainstream media. This book is considered his response to his 2008 op-ed piece for The Village Voice, "Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain- Dead Liberal’”)