"November" Is Mamet Lite

November

Written by David Mamet; directed by Daniel Gidron; scenic design by Jenna McFarland Lord; costume design by Seth Bodie; lighting design by Jeff Adleberg; sound design by Alex Brandt

Cast:

Neil A. Casey as a Representative of the National Association of Turkey By-Products Manufacturers; Adrianne Krstansky as Clarice Bernstein; Richard Snee as Charles Smith; Dennis Trainor, Jr. as Dwight Grackle; Will McGarrahan as Archer Brown

Performances: Now through November 15, The Lyric Stage Company, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston
Box Office: 617-585-5678 or www.lyricstage.com

David Mamet's election year presidential farce is enjoying a timely New England premiere at Boston's Lyric Stage, but given the rich and controversial subject matter, the play feels more like bad sketch comedy than incisive political satire. Perhaps when Mamet's socioeconomic sensibilities shifted away from his self-proclaimed 1960s "brain-dead liberal" status to his more contemporary centrist position, his edge was dulled along with his viewpoint.

Relying heavily on lame Saturday Night Live-style parody and one-liners, November is rife with insulting stereotypes and boring cliché. President Charles "Chuckie" Smith (Richard Snee) is dim, racist, thieving, and ineffectual. His poll numbers are "lower than Ghandi's cholesterol" and his campaign coffers are running on empty. He's more concerned about having enough money to finance his presidential library than winning the election and addressing real issues. His smarmy chief of staff Archer "Archie" Brown (Will McGarrahan) is - surprise - the real power behind the throne.

Smith's brilliant speech writer Clarice Bernstein (Adrianne Krstansky) is a liberal, fashion-challenged lesbian who has just adopted a baby from China with her partner Dixie. On the eve of the presidential election, she's holding Smith's last gasp campaign speech ransom, insisting that he marry her and Dixie on live TV just before the annual Thanksgiving Day turkey pardoning. Smith, meanwhile, hopes to extort millions from the "turkey people" by threatening to pardon all turkeys everywhere, thus crippling the association's holiday sales.

Thrown in for good measure is a Mic Mac Indian from Nantucket named Dwight Grackle. His presence enables Mamet to make stale jokes about casinos on reservations. Adding insult to injury is the fact that Dennis Trainor, Jr. who plays Grackle looks nothing like a Native American, and the tribal war dance he does when angry is beyond painful.

There is a kernel of a play here, as evidenced by pithy comments about manipulating people's fears and hatreds to win votes. But most of the time November is just plain silly.

The Lyric cast does what it can to make November better than it is. Snee's Smith is an affable idiot who tosses classic four-letter Mamet real-speak around in a way that makes his crudity almost seem naïve. He also manages to suggest utterly ridiculous ideas with total conviction, bringing to mind the bemused demeanor of a certain real-life president whose popularity is equally low.

As Brown, the frighteningly powerful puppet master behind the Oval Office's political curtain, McGarrahan hides a conniving and opportunistic manipulator beneath a quick wit and a droll tongue. He makes both his loyalty and his contempt for his president palpable with every dry jab.

Krstansky has the thankless task of trying to make her maxim-spouting speechwriter a sincere public servant while bringing dignity to a character that Mamet has written as a tired comic stereotype. She succeeds for the most part, especially when, despite their obvious philosophical differences, she and her commander in chief share moments of mutual, if begrudging, respect.

Neil A. Casey lends a few histrionic moments as the "turkey guy" charged with making sure that his gobblers receive their ceremonial pardon. Trainor, unfortunately, can't overcome his obvious discomfort in playing such a blatantly offensive caricature.

Set designer Jenna McFarland Lord does a fine job recreating the Oval Office in miniature, and sound designer Alex Brandt keeps the phones ringing in perfect time to the often staccato dialog. Director Daniel Gidron has also schooled his cast well in balancing the farcical elements with the suddenly realistic.

When November first took the Broadway stage this winter, the world economy hadn't fallen into crisis and the presidential campaign hadn't taken such a dramatic turn. Perhaps if Mamet were to write his play today, there'd be more bite and less meaningless bark.

PHOTOS: Richard Snee as Charles Smith, Will McGarrahan as Archer Brown; Adrianne Krstansky as Clarice Bernstein, Richard Snee and Will McGarrahan