Cluster F-Bombing

Sat through the horrid, new David Mamet play, "Romance" at the Mark Taper Forum tonight. Hated it, hated it, hated it. Did I mention I hated it?

Mamet's trademark rat-a-tat-tat dialogue, and fascination with profanity, is alive and well. But for this show he tries his hand at comedy. Too bad the play's not funny.

I don't subscribe to the theory that bigoted jokes and stereotypes are funny as long as you offend everybody. (Although I do have to admit I saw Don Rickles pull it off once in the showroom at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas -- but I digress.)

How is an on-stage debate over which is worse, that William Shakespeare was a Jew or a fag, supposed to be funny?

Sadly, much of the audience seemed to think it was funny. They reminded me of six-year olds giggling over their witty use of the words "caca" and "pee pee."

About twenty years ago David Mamet had a casting dispute while preparing one of his shows for the Center Theatre Group with their then-Artistic Director Gordon Davidson. As long as Davidson was in charge no other Mamet play appeared on a Center Theatre Group stage. But now that Davidson is gone and Michael Ritchie has taken over, they've kissed and made up. Too bad the first show (and Ritchie's first show at the Mark Taper Forum) is so regrettable.

At least I saw a few familiar faces in the audience:

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Cindy Misikowski was seen heading for the parking lot during intermission. (Smart move, Councilwoman!)

Also during intermission Political Consultant Harvey Englander diplomatically said he was keeping an open mind until after the second act.

Movie Director Robert King -- who defeated me for High School Student Council -- was spotted in the audience. (Why is the guy who beat me the ONLY person I went to high school with that I see out and about?)

Movie Star Tom Everett Scott, who I saw last weekend at the Ahmanson Theater in "Dead End," was also spotted in the audience. Kind of funny that the first Saturday night after his show closed he's back at the Music Center watching a play.