David Mamet F – - – - – - Rocked Last Night
Last night, the Hiett Prize was given to David Greenberg at the Dallas Museum of Art. David Mamet was the keynote speaker, and he did a pre-prandial interview with Gary Cogill (pictured). The iPhone was in attendance. As was yrs trly. I have several observations for Those Who Care to Jump:
– After Greenberg’s short, sweet acceptance speech, Mamet got up to say a few words. They made absolutely no sense. I challenge anyone who was there last night to make sense of what he said. To me, he sounded like an English professor reading a really bad thesis. Eric thought maybe one of Mamet’s friends put him up to it. Like: “Dude, I wrote this last night when I was totally high. I double-dog dare you to read it to those people in Dallas. It’ll be hysterical.”
– So it came as a surprise how funny and engaging he was during the interview with Cogill. Leading a conversation with Mamet onstage in front of 200 people would be a daunting task. Cogill met the challenge by aggressively slouching in his chair — He’s so laid-back, so casual! — and by asking questions such as: “Remember House of Games? How awesome was that?” And: “Are you better than when you were better?” I got the impression that Cogill had memorized 27 questions for Mamet and was going to be disappointed if he didn’t get to ask each one of them, because it didn’t seem that he listened to much of what Mamet said in response to those questions. I also don’t think Cogill goes to the theater much, because he asked surprisingly few questions about the theater, considering he was interviewing a playwright. At least one highly placed DMN staffer got so frustrated with Cogill’s dull line of movie-centric questioning that he actually left the theater.
– My apologies to those in attendance last night for my overly enthusiastic show of support for the movie Galaxy Quest. But let the record show that when Cogill asked Mamet about casting Tim Allen in Redbelt, he mentioned Galaxy Quest and what a great flick it was. At which point Cogill turned to the audience (median age: 58) as if looking for affirmation. So, you know, maybe the whistle wasn’t called for. I’ll grant you that. And my slow-clap was a bit over the top. Again, sorry for that. (Though damn you, Eric, for not having my back and leaving me on my own with the applause.)
– Mamet has a mustache.
– You know why he writes about writing? “The reason I write about writing is that it is easier than writing.”
– Mamet said he likes coming to Dallas and has always enjoyed his visits here. Also he said, “I was in Waxahachie 30 years ago, and I drove around Dallas looking for it.” Somehow he delivered that line in a way that was so funny I wrote it down. Not sure how he did it.
– When Cogill threw it to the audience for questions at the end, we got the best stuff of the night. Someone asked him about his recent conversion to conservatism. Mamet said he was glad someone finally asked the question. He gave a nuanced, thoughtful answer about how the Village Voice had put a somewhat misleading headline on an essay he’d written.
– Someone else asked Mamet about how he’s not shy about writing the naughty words. Mamet’s answer, roughly: “Someone once asked Nancy Dowd that same question about Slap Shot. The person complained about there being so much locker-room language in the film. Nancy said, ‘You might have noticed that much of the film takes place in a locker room.’” The line got a big laugh.
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10 comments
I agree. Galaxy Quest, perhaps the greatest film of all time. I would have slow clapped and whistled with ya.
Hey, I loved Galaxy Quest! Alan Rickman is terrific. I saw Glengarry Glenn Ross at the DTC about 20 years ago, back in the days when the DTC had a resident group of Actors. It was a wonderful production and is one of the reasons I was so disappointed and quit being a subscriber when they quit using those actors. Great actors like the late Lynn Mathis, Candy Buckley and Sean and Dee Hennigan. I loved the Ken Bryant years. Mamet writes profanity in such a masterful way.
Ditto on Galaxy Quest. I can’t believe that Sigourney Weaver is able to keep a straight face throughout, especially when she’s simply repeating the computer. Plus she looks totally hot in those outfits. I confess, I am a letch.
Here are some questions I would have loved to hear Mamet answer:
1. Why is your last name such a pain in the ass to pronounce?
2. When are you and Aaron Sorkin gonna rumble? And when you rumble, who do you place as the favorite? (although Mamet is older, Sorkin has many drug-addled years on his frame, so physically, I see it as a draw. Mamet being from Chicago, he’ll know how to fight dirty, so I put my money on Mamet.)
3. Was “Spartan” more underrated or “The Winslow Boy” more overrated?
4. Why do you continue to write parts for Rebecca Pidgeon when her delivery is so over the top and mostly awful? Is it just because you’re married to her?
5. Did they have to pay you an obscene amount of money to clean up “Hannibal,” or were you just bored and looking for something to do?
6. Who was more difficult to work with: sober Gene Hackman or drunk Alec Baldwin?
There’s so much more where this came from…
coffee is for closers!
Cogill was equally lame interviewing Martin Sheen a couple of months ago at SMU. I know, I know–we’ll never find another Glenn Mitchell–but surely Dallas has someone better than Cogill to put forward in such situations. Wilonsky, perhaps?
Seriously, Cogill’s line of questioning was and is always dull and filled with insecure posturing. You will notice in all of his interviews, he asks the same questions to everyone and obviously does little deep research on his subjects. He’s too fond of his own “fame” to realize what incredible opportunities he’s given in these interviews. About as deep as these Spring puddles round town.
It would have been hilarious if Cogill would have ended his line of questioning with the series of queries popularized by Bernard Pivot, but it sounds like Cogill is too self-serious (or clueless, you pick) to engage in such self-mockery.
I vote for Wilonsky. I can’t imagine why he’s not the permanent-temporary guy on Ebert’s TV show.
You know who else might be good with brainiacs like Mamet? Glenn Arbery, that’s who.
Glengarryglennarbery!
I was at the Hiett event and was ——- proud of the (previously unidentified) audience member who did the shout out for Galaxy Quest! Now that I know it was you, that makes it even better! Glad you and Eric were there.