Life in the Theatre (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)David Mamet is a playwright that sometimes I like and other times I don't.His "Glengarry, Glen Ross" is perhaps his most known and most stinging satirical look at realtors.Now Mamet takes a similar look at stage actors.His play "Life in the Theatre" he has teleplayed to the screen and added soundtrack as he follows two actors, the aging Robert (Jack Lemmon) and the up and coming John (Matthew Broderick) in and out of their dressing room and on and off the stage.No other characters speak in this word play drama (that is always Mamet) and the dialog stays firmly rooted in the two actors who are dealing with professional jealousies and overinflated egos.Fortunately, this teleplay rune only 78 minutes.Watching two people only can get very monotonous,but the acting of Lemmon is the real heart of this play.He is the most conflicted character.He is the one who "never shuts up." He is the one with the most to fear losing as he ages. Broderick's "John" merely listens and responds with a lot of "yesses." John barely can get a word in.These characters represent the actor on the rise and the actor on the decline and their need to listen and learn from each other.

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