November

David Mamet is a brilliant penman with an impeccable brand of humanity and hilarity. The Mark Taper Forum and LA's Center Theater Group is one of my favorite venues to engage in theater. I say engage because it is an intimate space where you literally feel as though you are part of the performance.

This production is so timely as we are squarely in the throngs of election season. In November Charlie Smith, played by Ed Bagley Jr., is the President of the United States just a few days before he hopes to be re-elected for a second term. His chief of staff is telling him he hasn't a hope in hell of winning and might as well concede the election before voting has even began. A desperate Smith implores is lesbian speech writer, Felicity Huffman, to write the speech of all speeches that will guarantee him the election in exchange for is support of gay marriage, a position counter to his party's. As he's simultaneously pandering for money from Indian tribes a traditional part of the presidential duty is to pardon the Thanksgiving turkey.

Chaos and comedy rule the day in this politically incorrect tale.