OLD NEIGHBORHOOD
By David Mamet
Hasty Pudding Theatre, Cambridge, MA
11 April 1997

Under the deft direction of Scott Zigler, who last year directed fine productions of The Cryptogram at the Steppenwolf and Alley Theaters, David Mamet’s The Old Neighborhood opened its world premiere production on April 11 at The Hasty Pudding Theater in the American Repertory Theater’s New Stages Series. Exploring the terrain of memory, Old Neighborhood is comprised of a trio of plays which resonate with one another—"The Disappearance of the Jews" (first staged at the Goodman Theater in 1983 in a triple-bill under the direction of Gregory Mosher), "Jolly" and "D" (both written in 1989). The trilogy traces the return of protagonist Bobby Gould to Chicago after a long absence in which he attempts, in the playwright’s words, “to close out some unfinished business.” In a series of intimate reunions, both hilarious and harrowing, with old school friend, Joey, his sister Jolly, and former lover Deenie, Bobby, a laconic figure on the verge of a divorce from his wife, confronts his past and charts a new course. Quietly reacting to his more voluble partners, Joey, Jolly and “D,” Bobby’s occasional outburts, nevertheless, reveal a man in his 30’s alienated from friends, family, community and religious identity.

In the first segment, "Disappearance of the Jews", Vincent Guastaferro—who has appeared in several Mamet films (Things Change, Homicide and the televised The Water Engine) strikes a perfect pitch as Bobby’s pal Joey, his robust speech, quick answers and resonant monologues receiving a punchy, staccato delivery perfectly matching the rhythms of reminiscence, reverie and suppressed violence. Although at first glance the comic banter between two friends evokes a seemingly bucolic age, both men reveal, or intimate in the rich subtext, their longing for a lost youth, undervalued Jewish heritage and disappointment in life. Jolly, the longer, middle play, is a wrenching work that dramatizes Mamet’s account of childhood abuse disturbingly recounted in “The Rake.” As Bobby’s sister Jolly, Brooke Adams, in her first Mamet role, is very effective in tapping into Jolly’s anger, memories, bitterness, and need for love. A touching look at sibling ties, the play’s concluding scene is one of the most devastating Mamet has ever written.

No stranger to ART’s audiences ( previously appearing in eighteen ART productions), Tony Shalhoub turns in a nuanced performance as the distraught Bobby Gould in search of answers, comfort and connections. Rebecca Pidgeon, who speaks Mamet’s poetry as if born to it, strikes just the right tone in “D,” a seemingly rambling rhythmic monologue that evokes lost love and the promise of renewal. And, Jack Willis as Jolly’s reticent husband, masterfully communicates the full power of Mamet’s minimalism.

The spare set design by Kevin Ringdon, resident designer at the Steppenwolf Theater and long-time Mamet collaborator, literally closes the gap of time and distance between friends and family while John Ambrosone’s lighting design evokes the memory play and Harriet Voyt’s costumes (previously Oleanna and The Cryptogram) are especially effective.

As Old Neighborhood is headed for a Broadway production (Booth Theater, November 11), a longer review of the New York production featuring Patti Lupone (seen previously in Mamet’s The Woods) and Peter Riegert (who appeared in Mamet’s version of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard), with Pidgeon, Guastaferro, and Willis reprising their Boston roles, will appear in the next issue of DMR.

LESLIE KANE Westfield State College