Parking lot fistfights between couples punctuated the production of David Mamet's play Oleanna in New York in 1993.
"This play has been known to cause divorces and problems, and it's had a lot of really interesting reactions over its past productions," director Barney Lopez said. "So we'll see what happens with this production. The interesting show might happen after the show if you go into the parking lot."
Oleanna, about a female student (Heather Yeo) who accuses her professor (Nick Lopez) of sexual harassment, will premier at the Box Performance Space at 8 p.m. Friday.
Afterward, "Love! (A Sketch Comedy)" starts at 10 p.m., directed by Chris Walsh and Dani Belvin.
"We're hoping that it balances," Lopez said. "People leave Oleanna really pissed off and yelling at each other, and then walk back in and watch this really funny love-sketch show."
"And they get back together," Walsh added.
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The sketches range from one to five minutes apiece and also incorporate a song-and-dance number, a lounge singer and videos.
"We have sketches about relationships, from being very young to where you're making Valentine's cards for your kindergarten crush, and the only way you can express your love is by hitting her," Walsh said. "We have a sketch with Cupid. Being the god of love, he's in a very dysfunctional relationship, almost where domestic abuse happens. It's almost like a Tennessee Williams play, where nothing is going right, and it's all overdramatic."
Lopez said live theater succeeds when it strives to go beyond entertainment.
"If theater wants to continue in this world, it needs to inspect, to look deeply into our own philosophy," he said. "That's what theater has to do if it wants to survive with all these multimedia outlets trying to compete. The point is to put on a show that's going to make people think. In regards to Oleanna, (it) looks at how they perceive the opposite gender, and I think that that's my entire motivation behind directing this show."
Lopez said gender issues have been a hot topic in academia since 30 years ago.
"In the '50s, '60s and '70s, the whole conversation in academia was the difference between races and how race relations worked," he said. "In the '80s and '90s, it turned into a gender talk.. I feel it's of relevance now because the female character in Oleanna could be defined as a feminist. And I think that right now, with Hillary Clinton coming so close to winning the primary, that kind of marked a high point of where the feminist movement has led to."
Oleanna
Feb. 13-22
Friday and Saturday
8 p.m.
Sunday
2 p.m.
Box Performance Space
1025 Lomas Blvd. N.W.
$10/$8 for students
Love! (A Sketch Comedy)
Feb. 13-21
Friday and Saturday
10 p.m.
$6, or pay what you can if you see Oleanna first
