New Progressive Play Castrates, Murders David Mamet

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David Mamet saw it coming.

2008 saw the renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, film director, and screenwriter publish an opinion piece titled “Why I Am No Longer a ‘Brain-Dead Liberal.” Unfortunately, this decision seemed to have negatively impacted his professional trajectory.

In simpler terms, he didn’t physically harm another artist or break the law. His “mental offense” was significant. Recounting his transition in politics, Mamet has openly discussed the high price he paid for it.

In a word? Dearly. Why, it’s almost like there’s a modern Blacklist against conservative artists.

Now, a new play is focusing on Mamet, and it takes Mamet’s conservativism personally.

The article in The Hollywood Reporter can be summarized as ‘A Stage Production Exploring David Mamet’s Portrayal of Harvey Weinstein.’

…a fictional David Mamet is poisoned, castrated and murdered with his own playwriting award.

Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario where a play like this targeted high-profile liberal figures such as Lena Dunham or Stephen Colbert with such violent intensity. How might public response differ?

In the case of Stephen Colbert, we know he was “canceled” due to financial losses at CBS estimated to be around $40 million annually. The media has been expressing mourning for more than a week over this event. So, it’s reasonable to expect strong and sustained reactions in such a hypothetical scenario as well.

Here, playwright Mathilde Dratwa is favorably featured in an article by The Hollywood Reporter, with no hint of apprehension or concern about the play’s violent undertones being raised during the interview.

The current production seems to evoke memories of the 2017 staging of “Julius Caesar,” where a character resembling Donald Trump met his onstage demise.

Indeed, Mamet’s political inclinations aren’t the sole issue at hand; he also creates characters that exhibit a strong masculinity, which some portray in disrespectful ways towards women, as claimed by The Hollywood Reporter. How audacious!

Dratwa previously appreciated Mamet’s work, but later found issues with it. Additionally, she is angry that some of his incomplete plays still receive automatic production on stage.

Perhaps it’s because Mamet has earned dozens of honors, including the Pulitzer Prize.

On July 21st, there was a unique, one-time off-Broadway show of the counterpart to Mamet’s work, starring Abbi Jacobson, Billy Eichner, and Kara Young.

To his advantage, Mamet continues to voice his thoughts. He pens books on art, culture, and politics, and he’s also been producing films, although they are typically independent productions with a significantly smaller budget compared to mainstream movies.

Perhaps Dratwa’s next production could focus on an eternal human foible – envy.

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2025-07-27 22:03