David Mamet’s “November” is a satirical comedy about politics, spinning the facts and freeing the White House’s Thanksgiving turkey, but in this case the president, Charles Smith (Ed Begley Jr.), is a bigger turkey than the holiday bird he is scheduled to spare.
The State of the Union is in disarray and the current president is heading for a nosedive in the upcoming election, so by hook or mostly by crook, he sets out to change things.
David Mamet’s “November” is a satirical comedy about politics, spinning the facts and freeing the White House’s Thanksgiving turkey, but in this case the president, Charles Smith (Ed Begley Jr.), is a bigger turkey than the holiday bird he is scheduled to spare.
The State of the Union is in disarray and the current president is heading for a nosedive in the upcoming election, so by hook or mostly by crook, he sets out to change things.
The play is set in the oval office as Smith tries to save himself with the help of his chief adviser (Rod McLachlan) and his long-suffering speech writer Clarice Bernstein (Felicity Huffman), who has just returned from China where she and her partner have adopted a Chinese baby. She has jet lag and possible bird flu, but the president insists that she help him concoct a speech to save face so he won’t go down in flames.
He’s also trying to raise money for campaign ads since even his campaign manager has deserted him. Ed Begley, Jr. is in fine comedic form as the crazed office holder who blusters and blunders his way through till the end.
“November” is a funny take on a serious subject and runs through Nov. 4 at the Mark Taper Forum. Prices range from $20-$75 and are available at the box office or by calling 213-628-2772.
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According to Jeff Goldblum, who stars as the writing seminar guru Leonard in Theresa Rebeck’s savvy comedy “Seminar,” the play is about “facing your fears.”
He continues this thought, saying, “How does fear hold you back from being your true and truly alive self, and from sharing yourself and your gifts (creative, romantic or otherwise) with people; and, with the knowledge that fear can sometimes be painfully extreme, Are You Ready for the heroic struggle to overcome it and to live beyond it?”
And fear is what Leonard instills in the hearts and computers of the four aspiring writers who have signed up for his seminar on creative writing at a cost of $5,000 each.
A noted novelist in his prime, Leonard no longer publishes, opting instead to instruct others in private seminars. When not talking about himself, he insults the manuscripts presented by his terrified students.
Kate (Aya Cash), for example, is humiliated when he throws her text, written and rewritten for about six years, on the floor after reading only her first semicolon on page one.
At one point Leonard tells them, “Writers in their natural state are about as civilized as feral cats” and he keeps pounding the point that they “must be honest” at all costs.
As he hammers away at their journalistic souls you wonder if there is a method to his madness as he critiques their work mercilessly.
However the sexiest gal in the class (Jennifer Ikeda) gets great praise for a sultry two pages. This totally freaks out Kate who starts porking out on ice cream and cookie dough after that particular session.
Rebeck’s writing is sharp, truly funny and often insightful, but one wonders if any aspiring novelist, other that a young Hemmingway or Steinbeck, would have the internal fortitude and courage to live through a complete seminar with Leonard. Greg Keller and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe round out the cast as Martin and Douglas, the two men in the group.
“Seminar” runs through Nov. 18 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave. in downtown Los Angeles at the Music Center. Tickets on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org , at the box office or by calling 213-972-4400.
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If you are looking for a new place to dine before seeing a show at either the Ahmanson or Taper, I discovered a trendy new restaurant, “The BISTRO on Pico” at 5047 W. Pico Blvd. in L.A. Phone: 323-965-5047.
Their chef, Clive Jackson, is the former executive chef for Warner Brothers Studios and prior to that he was the executive chef and food consultant for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.
Their menu is quite extensive with starters that range from soups like Soup Royale (coconut-curry chicken soup) and French Onion to Pan Seared Blackened Salmon Medallions with mango pepper relish, as well as Jumbo Crab Cakes, Chicken and Vegetable Quesadilla and my personal favorite, Coconut Shrimp which is crispy large shrimp, hand-breaded with sweet flaky coconut, served with delicious citrus-mustard dipping sauce. Starter prices range from $5.50 to $11.
They also offer a large variety of salads. Entree salads include Grilled Salmon with greens, grape tomato, bacon crumble and grilled pineapple, mango and citrus lime vinaigrette ($14) and Chinese Chicken Salad ($11). The Spinach Apple Walnut Salad is $6.50 and the smaller Bistro and Caesar salads are $6.
The entree menu has many chicken varieties, pastas and salmon selections like the Potato Herb Crusted Salmon with chipotle sauce and grilled vegetables ($20) as well as steak possibilities like Center Cut Fillet Mignon, 8 ounces.
More reasonable choices include the Bistro Burger, a 6-ounce Angus burger with aged cheddar, roasted garlic, lettuce and tomato, red onion and hand-cut French fries ($10) and Hearty Turkey Chili with kidney and pinto beans slowly cooked and simmered with sautéed ground turkey and spicy chicken links topped with rice, green onion and cheese at only $9.
Wine, beer and sodas are available as well as great desserts like Key Lime Pie and their signature Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake topped with maple bourbon cream and fresh berries ($7). They are closed on Sundays. Bon Appetite.
