Frank DiMeo/University Photography

From left, Lou Markert, Neal Freeman '97 and Grace Hsu '97 are players in the movie industry in David Mamet's biting satire about Hollywood, Speed-The-Plow, at the Center for Theatre Arts tonight through Feb. 2 and Feb. 5 through 9.

Hollywood, the movie capital -- "city of the modern gold rush" and "a sinkhole of depraved venality" -- is a likely target for satire, especially for American playwright David Mamet. Cornell's Center for Theatre Arts opens the spring semester with Mamet's take on Hollywood, Speed-The-Plow.

The Cornell production, which opened Wednesday in the Black Box Theatre, runs through Feb. 9.

Speed-The-Plow marks the return of Cornell Professor Stephen R. Cole to the director's chair after a 10-year absence.

"My most important and pleasurable introduction to David Mamet's writing came as an actor, as Shelly Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross," Cole said. "In a Mamet play, the beauty is in the hearing. David Mamet manages to make poetry from the ordinary sounds and rhythms of American speech, and saying these words and sounds is an actor's pleasure. They're equally rewarding to me as a director."

Mamet is one of America's most prolific and well-respected playwrights. Among his plays are A Life in Theatre, American Buffalo (1977 New York Drama Critics Award)and Oleanna, which was presented last season by the CTA.

Speed-The-Plow premiered on Broadway at the Royale Theatre in May of 1988 with an all-star cast -- Madonna, Joe Mantegna and Ron Silver.

The play's male characters, Bobby Gould and Charlie Fox, are reportedly based on real-life producers Ned Tanen, Paramount's production head, and Art Linson, producer of The Untouchables. In the play, Fox has discovered a terrific vehicle for a certain "hot" male movie star and has brought it to his "best friend" Gould, who is head of production for a major film company. Both see the script as their ticket to success, until Gould's very convincing secretary Karen comes between them and the-deal-to-end-all-deals.

The cast includes Resident Professional Theater Associate Lou Markert as Gould, senior Neal Freeman as Fox and senior Grace Hsu as Karen. In addition to Cole as director, Speed-The-Plow's production team includes Tamara Honesty, scene design; Connie Shipos, costume design; Mark Wagner, lighting design; Daniel Hall, sound design; and Jason Brantman, stage manager.

Evening performances are at 8 p.m., Jan. 30 through Feb. 2 and Feb. 5 through Feb. 9. Matinees are at 2 p.m., on Feb. 2, Feb. 8 and Feb. 9. Tickets are $8, $6 for students, and are available at the Center for Theatre Arts Box Office, 430 College Ave. For tickets, call 254-ARTS between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. weekdays or one hour before performances.

A "talk-back" session with the cast of Speed-The-Plow will be held immediately following the Feb. 6 performance. This is an opportunity for audience members to ask questions of the cast and director of the production.