Out of Box Theatre presents David Mamet's RACE
By: A.A. Cristi May. 31, 2017
The Issue of RACE at Out of Box Theatre Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet's trademark wit, scathing honesty and crackling dialogue are aimed squarely at the most incendiary topic in American life in RACE, the final production of Out of Box Theatre's 2016/17 season.
After a wealthy white man is accused of raping a black woman, two veteran attorneys one black, one white along with their black female associate, debate the merits of taking the case. Can they win it? Should they? Facts become secondary to underlying agendas in a fast-paced exploration of white and black prejudices, and the nature of justice. Only David Mamet can raise issues like the universal nature of guilt and the ethnic varieties of shame with taut dialogue that's hilarious and provocative, hurling comic darts and tragic arrows that will leave audiences talking long after the play is over.
"Race is the most incendiary topic in our history," says Jack Lawson, a white lawyer in the play. It was true in 2009, when David Mamet's provocative oeuvre opened on Broadway. And it seems even more so today. Artistic Director, Carolyn Choe, says this is one of the key reasons this play was chosen. "Out of Box is known for producing plays that not only entertain, but stay with you for awhile, giving you something to think about and for sure, something you will talk about on the ride home." A directorial collaboration between Carolyn Choe and Mia Kristin Smith further encourages an exploration of the breadth of race relations central to Mamet's play. Rehearsals for the production included several weeks of "table work" where the cast, Zip Rampy, Kerwin Thompson, Erika Ragsdale and BoB Smith, worked to understand the significance of the text from a variety of angles and viewpoints.Comments
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