Mamet’s controversial ‘Oleanna’ lands in Dillon

DILLON — A professor stands accused of sexual harassment: Who will you side with — student, or teacher?

Lake Dillon Theatre’s production of David Mamet’s “Oleanna” compels viewers to make a choice. Is Carol, the college student who drops by her professor’s office to improve her grade a victim of sexism? Or is the professor the oppressor?

The story

The play opens as Carol anxiously waits to talk to John, her professor, while he’s on the phone. Once he turns his attention to Carol, John tries to explain why her paper is substandard. Carol, who shows obvious signs of insecurity, internalizes his criticism and accuses him of calling her “stupid.” In an attempt to make Carol feel better, John begins sharing personal stories. But the conversation is tense, staccato and full of non sequiturs. And, to make matters worse, John’s wife keeps calling with urgent questions about the new house they are buying. Every time teacher and student have an opportunity to bridge the communication gap and make a connection, the phone rings. Still, John manages to reveal enough about himself and his unconventional feelings on higher education to upset Carol.

When Carol files a report with the tenure committee, accusing John of sexual harassment, the two of them meet privately to hash out her complaints. This time, Carol shows up in his office more confident — she’s backed by an unseen “group,” which has helped convince her of John’s sinister motivations. And John cannot deny he said the things he did, and even touched her. But were his words and actions misconstrued?

The questions

If Mamet stopped there — leaving the audience to wrestle with the pitfalls of miscommunication — the play would be interesting enough. But he delves further into the human condition. Each character carries baggage that leads to the crisis. In the end, the audience is left to examine the hidden, darker sides of human nature.

“It’s extremely provocative and controversial and extremely gripping,” said Gary Ketzenbarger, who plays John. “It doesn’t tend to leave people going, ‘Oh, this is OK.’ The reaction tends to be very volatile.”

So why would audiences want to subject themselves to an hour and 15 minutes, without break, of such highly charged emotional material? Actress Laura “Faith” Rohrbacher has an immediate answer.

“It makes you feel alive,” she said. “It makes you feel like you’ve got something intense to talk about.”

Mamet began writing “Oleanna” in the 1980s, but he put it away, thinking the subject matter didn’t have enough power. Once the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings created national upheaval in 1991, he used his piece to address the issue head on, said Chris Alleman, director of the Lake Dillon Foundation for the Performing Arts. The play drew even more attention to sexual harassment, and since it was released, school policies have changed in order to avoid closed-door, one-on-one meetings between the sexes.

The process

Ketzenbarger chose the play after he accepted a full-time position as a speech and communication professor at Colorado Mountain College’s Roaring Fork campus; he wanted to showcase his range of acting skills, so he picked “Oleanna.” He and Rohrbacher self-directed the show, relying on their own intuition and insight.

“Gary really likes to hash out the details,” Rohrbacher said. “He’s really into the philosophy behind the scene, so we would run one scene once then talk about the ideas behind the scene. In this show, there’s a lot of ambiguity and choices to make and ways you can see it.”

Because of their meticulous dedication, the show rings true. It feels as if you’re spying on a private interaction, rather than watching two people act. Ketzenbarger embraces the role with his whole body, mind, energetic spirit and emotion. And Rohrbacher fills the role as well.

“Faith is an incredible actress,” Ketzenbarger said. “I’ve always admired her talent. She’s first-rate to work with — a dedicated, incredible, insightful actress.”

Both deliver their highly intellectual, and emotional, lines with poetic clarity.

“People say it just flows,” Ketzenbarger said.

Play information

What: ‘Oleanna’

Where: Lake Dillon Theatre, Dillon

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight, Jan. 9 and 10; 6:30 p.m. Sunday and Jan. 11 (talk back Jan. 10)

Tickets and info: (970) 513-9386, www.lakedillontheatre.org