Catharsis for Men

Or, catharsis for male actors, I should say.

Last night I went to see David Mamet's "Romance." "Romance" takes place in a courtroom and has an all male cast. About 80% of the play is these male characters yelling and screaming at each other, swearing and screaming, and using religious epithets and screaming. In a courtroom.

Mamet is renowned as a modern playwright, and I've been dying to see one of his plays. How does he capture "the modern man" as a contemporary American playwright? Apparently, as a really stressed out, sexually perverse, screaming person who is just trying to get through his work day.

I have to admit that it was mostly a cathartic experience to watch this play. It was better than watching drama or violence on T.V. because you could actually see the characters express anger - like red faces and a particular straining of the voice. And it wasn't emotional yelling, like the kind in some plays that have women in them, it was more like satisfying venting of anger at the external world.

But it did get a little old. I mean, characters can only exclaim "F*ck You" to each other a certain amount of times in dialogue before it becomes tedious and, well, a little unrealistic.