David Mamet's Oleanna continues its run at the University of Adelaide's Theatre Guild 27-31 October at 7.30pm in the Little Theatre. The show is directed by Ben McCann.
Oleanna was written in 1992 in the aftermath of the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings in which Hill, a university law professor, alleged sexual harassment against US Supreme Court nominee Thomas. The case not only brought the term "sexual harassment" into common parlance, but also highlighted the imbalance in gender politics in the early 90s.
John is a university lecturer on the brink of achieving tenure. Carol, a failing student, comes to his offIce To discuss her poor class performance. Midway through the play, depending on your point of view, an act of sexual harassment does or does not happen. A bitter battle for power ensures between two dogmatic individuals whose inability to communicate and whose use and abuse of pseudo-jargon and political correctness threatens to undermine basic issues of freedom of thought.Oleanna is a savage and ironic play that explores the inadequacies of the University education system, portrays the delicate boundaries between teacher and student, and brutally charts a relationship that degenerates before the audience's eyes. Harold Pinter said of it: "There can be no tougher or more unflinching play than Oleanna."
Rachael Grauwelman-Smith
Rachael Grauwelman-Smith and Brant Eustice
Rachael Grauwelman-Smith and Brant Eustice
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