Speed The Plow
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''Speed-the-Plow'' is a 1988 play by
David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...
that is a satirical dissection of the American movie business. As stated in ''The Producer's Perspective'', "this is a theme Mamet would revisit in his later films ''
Wag the Dog ''Wag the Dog'' is a 1997 American black comedy political satire film starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. Produced and directed by Barry Levinson, the film centers on a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer who fabricate a war in Al ...
'' (1997) and ''
State and Main ''State and Main'' is a 2000 American comedy film written and directed by David Mamet and starring William H. Macy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alec Baldwin, Julia Stiles, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rebecca Pidgeon, David Paymer, Patti LuPone, Clark G ...
'' (2000)". As quoted in ''The Producer's Perspective'',
Jack Kroll John Kroll (''ca.'' 1926 – June 8, 2000) was an American drama and film critic. His career at ''Newsweek'' spanned 37 years—more than half the publication's existence. Biography Kroll was born in Manhattan. His mother was an Earl Carroll sho ...
of ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' described ''Speed-the-Plow'' as "another
tone poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement (music), movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. T ...
by our nation's foremost master of the language of moral
epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
." The play sets its context with an epigraph (not to be recited in performance) by
William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...
, from his novel ''
Pendennis ''The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy'' (1848–50) is a novel by the English author William Makepeace Thackeray. It is set in 19th-century England, particularly in London. The main ...
'', contained in a frontispiece: It starts: "Which is the most reasonable, and does his duty best: he who stands aloof from the struggle of life, calmly contemplating it, or he who descends to the ground, and takes his part in the contest?"


Plot summary


Act I

The play begins in the office of Hollywood producer Bobby Gould. Gould's longtime associate, Charlie Fox, has arrived with important news: movie star Doug Brown is interested in making a movie Fox had sent his way some time ago. Gould tells Fox about a book he has been asked to give a "courtesy read" to, meaning that it is not seriously being considered to be made into a film. Gould's secretary, Karen, arrives with coffee and the two men chat with her about the movie business. After Karen leaves, Fox teases Gould that he is attempting to seduce Karen. He thinks that Karen is neither a "floozy" nor an ambitious girl trying to sleep her way up the Hollywood ladder, so it would be hard for Gould to bed her. Gould thinks he can and the two make a five hundred dollar wager to that effect. Fox leaves, soon to be seeing Gould at their lunch appointment. Karen returns to discuss the lunch reservation. Gould tells her about the book he has been giving a "courtesy read". He offers Karen a chance to take part in the process by reading the book and delivering to him her opinion of it to him that night at his home.


Act II

That night, at Gould's apartment, Karen delivers a glowing report on the book, saying she wants to work on the film adaptation. Gould says that even if the book is good, it won't make a successful Hollywood movie. Karen admonishes him for perpetuating the standard Hollywood formula instead of taking a creative risk. Karen says that she knows Gould invited her to his place in order to sleep with her and starts to seduce him into taking her to bed, and into pitching the book instead of the Doug Brown film.


Act III

The next morning Fox is back in Gould's office, excited about their upcoming meeting with Ross. Gould surprises Fox with news that instead he is going to be pitching the book, without him. Gould says that he feels the call to "do something which is right". Karen enters and eventually admits to being intimate with Gould the night before. Gould and Karen continue to stand together as a team until Fox gets her to admit that she would not have slept with Gould had he not agreed to green light a movie based on the book. With this, Karen's ambitious motives are revealed and Gould wins the bet. Fox throws her off the studio lot and prepares to pitch the Doug Brown film.


Origin and meaning of the title

''The Secret Middle Ages'' () by Malcolm Jones discusses the origin of the phrase "God Speed the Plow" in a celebration known as Plow Monday and a 14th-century poem:
God spede the plow And send us all corne enow Our purpose for to mak At crow of cok Of the plwlete of Sygate Be mery and glade Wat Goodale this work mad
There is an 18th-century English play by Thomas Morton called ''Speed the Plough'', which introduced the character of the prudish Mrs. Grundy. In
George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first, his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but Meredith gradually established a reputation as a novelist. '' ...
's novel '' The Ordeal of Richard Feverel'', the young protagonist, running away from home, encounters two peasants discussing their experiences, the Tinker and Speed-the-Plow. Describing them to a relative, he says, "Next, there's a tinker and a ploughman, who think that God is always fighting with the Devil which shall command the kingdoms of the earth. The tinker's for God, and the ploughman—" In an interview in the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', Mamet explained the title as follows:


Productions


Broadway

''Speed-the-Plow'' premiered on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
at the
Royale Theatre The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerly the Royale Theatre and the John Golden Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 242 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened ...
in a production by the
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
Theater, opening on May 3, 1988, and closing on December 31, 1988, after 279 performances. The cast featured
Joe Mantegna Joseph Anthony Mantegna (, ; born November 13, 1947) is an American actor best known for starring on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'' since 2007 as FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi. He has voiced the recurring role of mob boss Fat Tony on th ...
(Gould),
Ron Silver Ronald Arthur Silver (July 2, 1946 – March 15, 2009) was an American actor, director, producer, radio host, and activist. As an actor, he portrayed Henry Kissinger, Alan Dershowitz and Angelo Dundee. He was awarded a Tony in 1988 for Best ...
(Fox) and
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
(Karen). The casting of the pop star in her Broadway debut drew attention and made it a mega hit. The play was nominated for a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Play and Best Direction of a Play (Gregory Mosher). Silver won a Tony Award for Best Actor (Play). The first Broadway revival of ''Speed-the-Plow'', directed by
Atlantic Theatre Company The Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater company based in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1985 by playwright David Mamet, actor William H. Macy, and a group of acting students, the compan ...
artistic director Neil Pepe, began previews at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...
on October 3, 2008, with an opening on October 23 in a limited engagement, closing on February 22, 2009. The cast featured
Jeremy Piven Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ari Gold in the comedy series '' Entourage'', for which he won a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Emmy Awards. He also starred in the Britis ...
as Bobby Gould,
Raúl Esparza Raúl Eduardo Esparza is an American actor. Considered one of Broadway's most prominent leading men since the 2000s, he is best known for his Tony Award-nominated performance as Bobby in the 2006 Broadway revival of ''Company'' and for his te ...
as Charlie Fox, and
Elisabeth Moss Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor and director. The recipient of several accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a nomination for a Tony Award, she was named the "Queen of P ...
as Karen. However, Piven left the production over medical issues on December 17. The role of Bobby was played by
Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz (born January 30, 1967) is an American actor and singer known for his work in Broadway theatre. He is a two-time recipient of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performances in ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' and '' ...
(from December 23 through January 11, 2009) and
William H. Macy William Hall Macy Jr. (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is a two-time Emmy Award and four-time Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award winner, and has been nominated for an Acade ...
(from January 13 through February 22, 2009). Raul Esparza was nominated for the 2009
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. Reviews were positive.


Regional

It has been produced countless times in regional theaters and schools across the country. The play was presented at the Remains Theater in 1987 starring William Peterson, the Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles, in February and March 2007. Directed by Geffen artistic director Randall Arney, the cast starred
Alicia Silverstone Alicia Silverstone ( ; born October 4, 1976) is an American actress. She made her film debut in the thriller ''The Crush (1993 film), The Crush'' (1993), earning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and gained further pro ...
as Karen,
Greg Germann Gregory Andrew Germann ( ; born February 26, 1958) is an American actor who is known for playing Richard Fish on the television series ''Ally McBeal'', which earned him a Screen Actors Guild award. He also is known for his roles as Eric "Rico" M ...
as Charlie Fox and
Jon Tenney Jonathan Frederick Tenney (born December 16, 1961) is an American actor. He played Special Agent Fritz Howard in TNT's '' The Closer'' and continued in its spin-off '' Major Crimes''. Early life Tenney was born in Princeton, New Jersey. His mot ...
as Bobby Gould.


London

* In 1989, it was produced at the National Theatre, directed by
Gregory Mosher Gregory Mosher (born 1949) is an American director and producer of stage productions at the Lincoln Center and Goodman Theatres, on and off-Broadway, at the Royal National Theatre, and in the West End. He is also a film director and television di ...
, with Colin Stinton,
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British and American actor. He is known for his leading roles and character actor roles on the stage and screen. In a career spanning over five decades he has received a Drama Desk Award ...
and
Rebecca Pidgeon Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American-British actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films. She is also a singer, songwriter and recording artist. Early life Pidgeon was born to English parents in Cambridge, Massachus ...
. *In 2000, the play was produced at the New Ambassadors Theatre with
Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 5 August 1963) is a British actor best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in '' Stardust'' (2007), Archibald in '' RocknRolla'' (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in ''Sherlock Holmes'' (200 ...
, Kimberly Williams and playwright Patrick Marber in his stage debut, and then transferred to the
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...
with a new cast of
Nathaniel Parker Nathaniel Parker (born 18 May 1962) is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series ''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'', and List of Merlin characters#Agravaine de Bois, Agravaine de Bois in the ...
(Bobby Gould),
Neil Morrissey Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor, businessman, narrator, and television presenter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Rocky in ''Boon (TV series), Boon'', and Tony in ''Men Behaving Badly''. Other notable acti ...
(Fox) and
Gina Bellman Gina Bellman (born 10 July 1966) is a New Zealand-born British actress. She played grifter Sophie Devereaux in the TNT (U.S. TV network), TNT television series ''Leverage (American TV series), Leverage'' (2008-2012) and its Amazon Freevee reviva ...
(Karen) and a new director, Rupert Goold. * In 2008, it was revived at the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
Theatre, starring artistic director
Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two ...
as Fox,
Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum ( ; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. Goldblum ...
as Gould, and
Laura Michelle Kelly Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an English actress and singer, best known for originating the roles of Mary Poppins in ''Mary Poppins'' in the West End, for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and ...
as Karen. * In September 2014, it was performed in the West End at the
Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in ...
, and was directed by Lindsay Posner, with Nigel Lindsay as Fox,
Richard Schiff Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on ''The West Wing'', a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Schiff made his television directorial debut with ''The West Wing'', directing an ...
as Gould, and
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...
as Karen. It received mixed reviews.


Sydney

*In 2016, a production was produced by the
Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...
at the
Roslyn Packer Theatre The Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay is a theatre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The theatre is on Hickson Road at Walsh Bay, west of The Wharf Theatre, opposite Pier 6/7 on Walsh Bay. It seats up to 896 people. Originally named as the S ...
. It was directed by
Andrew Upton Andrew Upton is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, producer and director. He has adapted the works of Gorky, Chekhov, Ibsen, and others for London's Royal National Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company. He wrote the original play ''Rifle ...
and featured
Damon Herriman Damon Herriman (born 31 March 1970) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Dewey Crowe on the FX neo-western crime series '' Justified'' (2010–15), and Romeo on the Starz drama miniseries '' Flesh and Bone'' (2015). He is ...
as Bobby,
Lachy Hulme Lachy Hulme (born 1 April 1971) is an Australian actor and screenwriter. He has written several films and has appeared in a number of Australian and US film and television productions. Early life Hulme was born in Melbourne, Victoria where he h ...
as Charlie and
Rose Byrne Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994) , and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She gained her first leading film role in ...
as Karen. It ran from November 8 to December 17, 2016.


Hong Kong

* In 2017, the production is produced by Dionysus Contemporary Theatre at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Lyric Theatre. It is directed by Olivia Yan, with the cast of Anthony Wong (Bobby Gould),
Jan Lamb Jan Lamb Hoi-fong (; born 28 January 1967) is a Hong Kong DJ, singer and actor. Lamb is the elder brother of Jerry Lamb and younger brother of singer and radio personality Sandy Lamb. He formed a comedic musical duo during the late 1980s with f ...
(Fox) and Rosa Maria Velasco (Karen), produced by Joyce Cheung. It will be the first time ever that the play has been translated into Chinese and performed in Cantonese.


Norway

* In 2002, Speed The Plow was produced by Det Norske Teatret, Norway's leading state-funded theatre in nynorsk. It is directed by Odd Christian Hagen, with the cast of
Reidar Sørensen Reidar Sørensen (born 11 April 1956) is a Norwegian actor. He was born in Hemnesberget. He has worked at various theatres, including Trøndelag Teater, Det Norske Teatret, Riksteatret, Nordland Teater and Agder Teater. He was given the Ama ...
(Bobby Gould), Nina Woxholt (Fox) and Ingrid Jørgensen (Karen). It was the first time ever that the play was translated to this language. Mamet's brother attended the opening night, bringing his brother's greetings to the cast and crew. The music was composed and performed live by Ole Kristian Wetten.


Reception

The original play (1988) earned mostly positive reviews, while reviews for
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's acting ranged from mixed to positive. Theater critic Michael Kuchwara praised Mamet's play saying "absolutely on target, demolishing the egomaniacs who decide what reaches the silver screen". Commenting on Madonna's theatre debut, Ron Givens from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' labeled it as a "very respectable Broadway debut", while
Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is ...
from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' complimented her "intelligent, scrupulously disciplined comic acting." In a negative review,
UPI United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...
critic described "She is rigid, almost as though she is terrified to be on stage". Reviews centralized in Madonna also "left little space for considering the implications of the play itself".


Impact

The play debuted with a notable
mass media Mass media include the diverse arrays of media that reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit information electronically via media such as films, radio, recorded music, or television. Digital media comprises b ...
attention, described by academic journal '' Modern Drama'' as a "rare phenomenon" for a straight play by an important American playwright, largely helped by Madonna's role. Due to her "highly publicized" stage role, every night after the show, a throng of Madonna fans would encircle the backstage exits of the theater. In ''Hollywood on Stage'' (2013), Kimball King speculates as to whether the audience is there to "see Madonna or engage with Mamet's play". The casting of Madonna effected a sell out of Lincoln Theatre venue and a transfer to a large theatre in Broadway, elevating the entire production to a "new level". Although Winship commented "The production has a cheap look that is out of line with most Lincoln Center Theater productions". Madonna's appearance reportedly helped its box-office sales; the play sold a record number of advance tickets for six consecutive months, exceeding $1 million in ticket sales. After Madonna left the show's cast, ticket demand decreased drastically. In retrospect,
Ron Silver Ronald Arthur Silver (July 2, 1946 – March 15, 2009) was an American actor, director, producer, radio host, and activist. As an actor, he portrayed Henry Kissinger, Alan Dershowitz and Angelo Dundee. He was awarded a Tony in 1988 for Best ...
claimed, he was thankful for all the hype that was generated by Madonna's appearance in the play. If it were not for Madonna's name, ticket sales might not have been great enough for the play to move to a Broadway theater, and he might never have a Tony award.


Related works

Bobby Gould's story is continued in Mamet's one act play '' Bobby Gould in Hell''. In a review of
Arthur Kopit Arthur Lee Kopit (; May 10, 1937 – April 2, 2021) was an American playwright. He was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for ''Indians (play), Indians'' and ''Wings (play), Wings''. He was also nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Play for ...
's 1989 play ''Bone-the-Fish'', ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' theater critic
Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for ''The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...
wrote that it "could be regarded as Mr. Kopit's response to David Mamet's ''Speed-the-Plow''. In fact, the plays share much more than two hyphens. Mr. Kopit asks how far a film director will go in demeaning himself in quest of work." Mamet's short story "The Bridge", which is the basis for the novel of the same name in the play, was published in the literary magazine ''
Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make ...
'' in 1985. David Ives' one-act play ''Speed the Play'', first produced in 1992 by the
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
-based
Strawdog Theatre Company Founded in 1988, Strawdog Theater Company is located in North Center at 1802 W Berenice Avenue. 2015–2016 - Season 28 *''In a Word'' **by Lauren Yee **directed by Jess McLeod *''D.O.A.'' **by from the script by Russell Rouse & Clarence Greene ** ...
, is a parody of ''Speed-the-Plow''.


Awards and nominations


Original Broadway production


2008 Broadway Revival


References


External links


Internet Broadway Database listing, 1988 productionInternet Broadway Database listing, 2008 production
{{DEFAULTSORT:Speed-The-Plow 1988 plays Plays by David Mamet Plays set in Los Angeles