Speed the Plow
Opening Night: January 1, 1970
Closing: January 1, 2009
Theater: Ethel Barrymore
An insane, comic satire of Hollywood pathology, the play is a journey through the American psyche that includes "hot" movie stars, seduction, power, greed and ambition.
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April 22, 2014
Is it too late to send a thank you note to Jeremy Piven? This indisputably talented actor has been heaped with scorn and ridicule since he ducked out early (in December) on his contract for the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.” While the show’s producers have filed a grievance against Mr. Piven with the Actors Equity Association, I — in the forgiving spirit of a new American era — would like to point out the blessings that have arrived with his departure.
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April 22, 2014
The play may be 20 years old but David Mamet’s astringent observations on the supremacy of commerce over art in Hollywood are still as fresh as last night’s rushes. With the dismantling of studio specialty divisions and the increasing struggle of non-mainstream fare to find a foothold in the marketplace, "Speed-the-Plow" remains on-target in its sardonic skewering of an industry run by self-confessed whores and driven by the public’s appetite for mindless escapism. Despite a weak midsection, Neil Pepe’s taut Broadway revival keeps the verbal sniper fire swift and scathing, while the three accomplished actors make the air between them crackle with tension.
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April 22, 2014
We arrived at the Barrymore Theatre surprised to find the HBO television series “Entourage” on Broadway. How else would you explain the sight of Jeremy Piven pouring over piles of movie scripts and eagerly spitting out foul language?
READ THE REVIEWApril 22, 2014
The bilious business of moviemaking remains as hilariously nasty as ever in David Mamet’s "Speed-The-Plow," now two decades old but still packing heat in a sizzling revival which opened Thursday at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
READ THE REVIEWApril 22, 2014
With Wall Street in ruins and businesses of all stripes facing greater consumer discretion, there is at least one place left where a guy or gal can safely exploit a colleague’s dreams and the public’s basest instincts. Hooray for Hollywood!
READ THE REVIEWApril 22, 2014
For its acting alone, this new "Speed-the-Plow" is a must-see
READ THE REVIEWApril 22, 2014
Really more of a keen study in personal loyalties than a satire of Hollywood amorality, David Mamet’s "Speed-the-Plow" returns to Broadway in an excellent new production.
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