"Oleanna" is one of the few scripts to become more relevant with age.
Written in 1992, David Mamet's story of dashed hopes, power plays and a varied definition of truth comes to the Scene One Theatre stage this October.
The three-act, two-person show depicts John, a college professor on the verge of tenure, teaching a course on his own book. When a student, Carol, visits his office pleading for a passing grade, what follows is dubious -- and starkly divides audiences.
"By the end, we have the sum total of things he said, things she said, and some physical interactions that occur between them," director Matt Connor said. "We talked about this at our first read-through as director and cast. Our common goal is to have one half of the audience disagree with the other half of the audience. ... We think it's important to make it so that either side could argue their point."
Even the seating will lend itself to polarization: "Part of what I'm doing in my staging is -- the set is going to be between the audience," Connor said. "We'll have half the audience seated on one side and half on the other."
Actors John Luker (John) and Jessi Green (Carol) are tasked with retaining just enough mystery that the path to a moral conclusion is long and winding, if reached at all.
Carol, who may be the obvious victim in the first act, gives way to behavior some may view as manipulative. John, wielding his privilege in higher education, could easily be proclaimed an aggressor. While "Oleanna's" themes are inherently PG-13 (there are instances of strong language and physical aggression), Connor feels the story can be told without being gratuitous.
"I definitely don't want to make it seem like the audience is going to see some kind of sexual assault," he said. "It's all innuendo. It's all in an unspoken subcontext. The assault is not so much physical, but mental or emotional."
This is not to say Scene One's version of "Oleanna" is without provocation. Never one to shy away from a loaded conversation, Connor has been pleasantly surprised by what Jefferson City audiences have embraced.
"People are constantly surprised by the shows that play well in Jefferson City," he said. "(We're) not trying to tell people what to think ... just (hoping) they'll see the humanity in these situations."
"Oleanna" runs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 13-15 at 623 Ohio St. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit sceneonetheatre.com.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Jessi Green plays Carol and John Luker plays John during a rehearsal for Oleanna on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at Scene One in Jefferson City. The play directed by Matt Connor will open on October 6.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: John Luker plays John the professor in a rehearsal for Oleanna on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at Scene One in Jefferson City. Oleanna is about the miscommunications of a professor and student. The opening day for Oleanna is October 6.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: John played by John Luker and Carol played by Jessi Green practice lines during a rehearsal for Oleanna on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at Scene One in Jefferson City. Oleanna is a play by Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright David Mamet about a professor and student.