The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) is pleased to present Oleanna : a chilling, emotionally charged look at sexual harassment and political correctness by award-winning playwright David Mamet.

Judith Swift (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Julius Caesar) directs this masterwork by one of America's greatest contemporary playwrights. Oleanna runs from March 24 through April 17 at The Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket, RI.

Incisive and concise, this provocative play's cast includes actors Georgia Cohen (Marie in Red Noses; Abigail Williams in The Crucible) as a college student and Scott Winters (Rochfort in Red Noses, Casca in Julius Caesar) as her professor. Locked in a conflict of language, sex and power-with cataclysmic consequences-the characters of Oleanna are sure to prompt debate, but not easy answers.

Play Synopsis

A harmless conference between a professor on the verge of tenure and his foundering young female student unexpectedly deteriorates into argument, accusation and even physical violence. Rapid-fire dialogue steeped in conflicting prejudices, motivations and desires sets in motion an unflinching exploration of sexual harassment, political correctness and the potentially perilous limitations of our language.

"Mamet has raised outrage to an art form." -The Boston Globe

"Mamet's clenched fist to the gut - and intellect." - New York magazine

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella said this tale of mutual misunderstanding is a reality worth revisiting.

"Oleanna is a devastating account of what happens when language fails us, and we are left with nothing but a desperate self-loathing and a hard-won knowledge of our own worthlessness. It is a play that questions the nature and purpose of 'higher education' and how power can corrupt not only in high places but in small offices, classrooms and dormitories," Estrella said. "The play asks, 'Do men and women possess a shared language; or are we condemned eternally to repress, obfuscate, misinterpret, and then suffer the consequences?'"

Oleanna is sponsored by WBRU. NBC 10 is The Gamm's season sponsor.

About The Gamm

Founded in 1984 as Alias Stage, the nonprofit Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre performs great works of the classic and modern theater in an intimate setting that fosters the vital relationship between author, actor and audience. As the cornerstone of The Arts Exchange at the Pawtucket Armory, The Gamm seeks to engage and enrich the community through affordable entertainment and educational programming.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION OF OLEANNA

Written by David Mamet

Directed by Judith Swift

Set and Costume Design by David T. Howard Lighting Design by Matt Terry Technical Direction by Normand Beauregard

Stage Manager, Stef Work; Assistant Director, Rachel Walshe; Props Master, Marissa Hughes; Dramaturge, Jennifer Madden Carol Georgia Cohen John Scott Winters

OLEANNA CALENDAR OF PERFORMANCES

Friday, April 1, regular performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2, regular performance at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 3, matinee performance at 2 p.m. Performance followed by free "Shared Sundays" discussion with artists and scholars at approximately 4:00 p.m. in the Gamm Theatre lobby. Sunday, April 3, regular performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, regular performance at 8 p.m. Friday, April 8, regular performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9, regular performance at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 10, matinee performance at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 14, regular performance at 8 p.m. Friday, April 15, regular performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 16, regular performance at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 17, matinee performance at 2 p.m.

Tickets $21 & $24, all previews (March 24-28) ONLY $14! Discounts for subscribers, groups of 10 or more, seniors and students. For single ticket sales, call 723-4266. Or purchase tickets at arttixri.com. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]