It’s common knowledge that no performance ever runs perfectly. But be it a wrong note or an unspoken word, the show must go on, and only after the curtains fall are performers able to laugh about it. “A Life in the Theater” is an ironic tale of two professional actors shining comical light on their own life.
The play, written by David Mamet, premiered almost 30 years ago at Chicago’s Goodman Theater. Apart from the mind-warping twist of reality, its unorthodox direction to focus less on plot and more on intense characterization is indicative Mamet’s style.
Leading the show is Robert (Loren Bass), the experienced performer who passes himself off to be a wise sage offering direction. Behind him is John (David Wolber): middle-aged, insouciant and more socially active. In 26 short scenes – another one of Mamet’s unconventional methods – there’s a slew of reenactments on stage life: forgotten lines, shared makeup, zipping each other up and arguing over scripts.
This mentor-student, father-son relationship can fuel an endless philosophical debate, but thankfully director John Seibert does not let it rule the play. Seibert creates a balance by fusing comic elements with the more serious tropes. From banishing critics to helping one another look perky, hardly a scene goes by without a laugh or two.
To provide the illusion of a play within a play, Seibert splits the stage into two segments: the pseudo backstage where Robert and John interact, and the performance area where they perform in front of an imaginary audience. Though not an original concept, it helps to make the play more convincing.
Like stranded travelers, Robert and John’s return to the wider circle of life sees their relationship wither. The aging Robert is confined to the world he knows best, and tries to impart life lessons into the greenhorn John. Although John is courteous and receptive, ultimately he isolates his personal life away from his work, which also includes Robert.
On cue with Mamet’s style, you shouldn’t expect an ending that wraps everything up. “A Life in the Theater” may not be the funniest or deepest of plays, but if you can enjoy all the jokes on stage and appreciate the irony of artists mocking themselves, you might be able to take away real life lessons from an imaginary world.
A Life in the Theater
Thursday through Sunday 8 p.m.
$24.50 to $32.50
At the Performance Network