BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller

Dateline: January 15, 2008

NOVEMBER

The election year is upon us and the Ethel Barrymore Theatre casts an early vote with the new comedy, NOVEMBER, written by David Mamet. That's right. A comedy by David Mamet, the master of edgy, ping-pong dialogue epitomized in his weightier works, AMERICAN BUFFALO and GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. Looks like the popular mantra of "change" has trickled down to the arts.

Starring the tempestuous Nathan Lane as the chief executive, Charles Smith, NOVEMBER takes place in the Oval Office, efficiently rendered by scenic designer Scott Pask (although the president's famous desk looks like it was made of plastic). Catching the Commander-in-Chief at the end of his first term with an election just around the corner, President Smith needs a miracle to help bolster his abysmally low polling numbers.

With his expert advisor, Archer Brown (Dylan Baker), feeding him facts and figures, Smith juggles Native American rights, gay marriage and the influential turkey manufacturers, all the while trying to cash in on political favors. Shaking down the poultry lobbyist (Ethan Phillips), Smith tells him he wants a contribution figure "...so high, even dogs can't hear it."

Tightly directed by Joe Mantello, NOVEMBER is jam-packed with choice one-liners earmarked for a high-laugh dividend. Baker's timber dry delivery offers the perfect fuel for Lane's volcanic temper. Laurie Metcalf as his speech writer, Clarice Bernstein, proves the perfect foil as she did so handily opposite Roseanne Barr during her long-running hit TV series. And, Nathan Lane filibusters with gusto in this neatly customized vehicle.

Mamet's departure from his more familiar style has prompted some to ask "Where's the beef?" Ben Brantley of The New York Times opined "(NOVEMBER) is a David Mamet play for people who don't like David Mamet." One thing is certain: the playwright proves he can reach across the aisle and write a good comedy, a notion ratified by a landslide of laughter.