Customer Reviews

Woods, Lakeboat, Edmond

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Because of the sheer power of one of the plays contained within this book, I have given this collection 4 out of 5 possible stars.

Edmond is amazingly stark and real, and offers a complete reversal in character, and the last scene seems like an epiphony. This play is easily my favorite, and I have seen it performed in London by Kenneth Branag, it was most astonishing and brilliant. I have not read or seen either of the two other plays contained within theis volume, but I will say that Edmond is definitely a great reason to buy this book.

the bool consists of three plays: Lakeboat- mamet's first play who tells the story of a boat crew who's one of his members is missing. throughout the play, rhe crew is exposed to its weaknesses and desperation, it's a bitter-sweet play, but it lacks the surprise element that can be seen in "glengarry glen ross" etc. The woods- a stoory of an imossible love between an educated yet emotionally cold man and his needy girlfriend, it's a play that floats steadily untill the big burst in the end, for patiant readers only! Edmond- a violent play about a buffled young man who decides to make a journey in search of maening and ends up ruining his life as well as others, it's a merciless look on urban reality

Edmond is a real trip. Not exactly a pleasant trip, but definitely a walk on the wild side.

It's set in New York. As the play starts off, Edmond, a man in his mid thirties, goes to see a fortune teller who reads his palm and tells him, "You are not where you are belong..." In the next scene Edmond is at home with his wife. They have the following dialogue:
...
Edmond: Yes. Alright - I am going.
Wife: Will you bring me back some cigarettes?
Edmond: I'm not coming back.
Wife: What?
Edmond: I'm not coming back.(Pause.)
Wife: What do you mean?
Edmond: I'm going, and I'm not going to come back.
Wife: You're not ever coming back?
Edmond: No.

Just like that Edmond abandons his established life. He then goes to strip clubs, a whorehouse, he walks on the street by three card monte hustlers, he rides on the subway. He becomes agitated by the urban dissonance. He starts to argue with people. He gets in trouble with the law.

The play has an interesting style. It's fast paced - the whole thing is one act with 23 scenes. Some of the scenes are very short, less than half a page. Also, they're somewhat disconnected. One minute Edmond's in a pawnshop, the next, on the subway. It's surreal. I couldn't tell you how long the action takes place over.

I've got mixed feelings about most Mamet plays, but Edmond I've read several times. I love it's fast pace and it's bizarro quality.

woods is a wonderfull and exiting play, and Edmond is a facanating one. Edmond has a rythem of modern play very much lke a movie.