“One of the themes in Oleanna is the relationship between power and language and therefore between fact and language: Those in power control the language and, therefore, control its meaning, its effect and its relationship to the truth.”

—Theatre Professor Alan Wade

Recently, GW’s Main Stage opened its season with David Mamet’s Oleanna, produced by the Department of Theatre and Dance and directed by Theatre Professor Alan Wade. The production featured four nights of performances: one by the Alpha cast, one by the Omega cast, and, in an interesting experiment, two shows were performed by a combination of players from each of the two casts. The experiment was fascinating to watch as the actors did not rehearse together prior to the performance. In front of our eyes, they created their own staging as their lines unfolded. I was very impressed with the student actors’ abilities to adapt in the moment to their scene partners.

Keep an eye out for Main Stage’s upcoming performances. Don’t miss William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, premiering Halloween weekend!