A Life In The Theatre

Two great actors. One great writer. A captivating film about the private side of a very public life. Originally made for cable television, this adaptation of an early play by author David Mamet focuses on the backstage relationship between two actors: Robert, an aging veteran and John, a young greenhorn. The pair, who share a dressing room in a repertory theatre, work together over the course of a season, performing in everything from poetic Elizabethan works to modern-day medical melodrama. Short glimpses of these plays alternate with equally brief glimpses backstage, terse exchanges between Robert and John that largely focus on evaluating that evening's performance and discussing the art of the theatre. As in much of Mamet's writing, however, much lies below the surface, with the progression of short scenes hinting at unspoken power struggles and deeper relationships. This film won a Cable ACE Award for best dramatic or theatrical special.