Speed-the-Plow
Directed by Teri Loretto-Valentik
Gladstone Theatre
At the heart of the Speed-the-Plow lies the question whether one should make crappy movies to make money or make good movies that “don’t put bums in seats,” said featured actor John Muggleton.
The Gladstone Theatre’s sophomore play, which will run through Oct. 22, is a satirical look at the cynical world of Hollywood producers.
Originally staged on Broadway in 1988 with Madonna according to a press release, Bobby Gould (Muggleton) has recently been promoted to head of production when his friend Charlie Fox (Chris Ralph) approaches him with a script for a prison film bound to land them in the big leagues.
Things get complicated, however, when Gould tries to seduce his new temporary secretary Karen, played by Kyla Gray in her debut professional role, by getting her to do a ‘courtesy read’ of a manuscript about radiation and the end of the world, according to the press release.
The first thing that catches your attention is the set. Designed by Ivo Valentik, the elongated metal frames give the illusion of depth and the monochromatic colour scheme instills the sense of cold detachedness that one expects to find in the office of an executive. It also plays on the theme of prisons. Gould could make the big budget Hollywood prison film and be famous, or he can be free and make the meaningful radiation script.
Dark and witty, Speed-the-Plow is infused with author David Mamet’s trademark fast-paced and, at times, expletive-laden prose.
In this dialogue-heavy play, the quick, back and forth banter between the two friends, Fox and Gould, was convincingly executed by Muggleton and Ralph.
“It was the most challenging play that I’ve done,” Muggleton said.
The speed and pacing of Mamet’s script leave no room for slip-ups, or pauses, “unless you’ve earned them,” Gray said.
Besides the dialogue, which was fluidly directed by Teri Loretto-Valentik, the actors also focused on character development. Although they initially seemed one-dimensional, neither the unscrupulous Gould nor the naive Karen are as clear cut as they appear.
Muggleton moved seamlessly from calloused to sensitive while Gray connected emotionally throughout the play with audiences as Karen showed that sexual favour and ambitiousness go hand-in-hand in what is perhaps Mamet’s shortfall — his shallow representation of women.
The premise of the play, which highlights the plight of artistic integrity and commercial success in the film industry, holds equally true for local theatre, where directors sometimes have a hard task of picking quality shows that also draw in audiences, Muggleton said.
“It’s sad,” he said, “because those art films are sometimes the best movies.”