Mamet Shorts

The Boulevard Theatre continues its season with three early shorts by Chicago-born playwright David Mamet. Billed as Mam3t Plays, the program features brief works that focus on odd moments between three pairs of people.

The opening short, Dark Pony, is a simple, straightforward work of drama. It consists of a story told from a father (Michael Weber) to a young daughter (Ericka Wade) on a car ride home. On opening night, Weber's arms were a bit stiff and unnatural as he mimed driving, suggesting a man who was uncomfortable-a man telling a story to stave off an uneasy moment with his daughter. Wade, who was wide-eyed and childlike without overemphasizing her character's youth, cleverly used silence to convey mood and tension during her performance.

All too quickly the first short ends and a decrepit park bench takes center stage as Don Devona and Mark Ninneman portray two old men exchanging conversation in The Duck Variations. The well-written script provides a series of brief exchanges for Devona and Ninneman, whose ample charm forges a hauntingly memorable comedy from one of Mamet's best-known shorts.

After a brief intermission, the show returns with Reunion, a structurally complex play about an adult daughter (Wade) visiting her estranged, recovering-alcoholic father (Weber). The initial feeling of discomfort gradually eases as the two characters become reacquainted. Weber's polite gruffness works really well in the role. Wade's interaction with him, both talking and listening, makes for a thoroughly compelling family drama to end the show.

The Boulevard's Mam3t Plays runs through Dec. 7.