During the later portions of their careers, critics and audiences would wonder in exasperation what had happened to Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. Why was their new work so inferior to their earlier dramas? Now we do the same thing with David Mamet.
Why is the writer of compelling dramas like “Speed-the-Plow,” “Oleanna” and the Pulitzer-winning “Glengarry Glen Ross” churning out dreck like “November,” “The Anarchist” and now the Al Pacino-led “China Doll,” which had an extended preview period on Broadway before critics were finally invited to attend?
Pacino, in his third Mamet production, plays a rich, self-absorbed businessman who is first seen talking via Bluetooth to various officials about an airplane he just purchased as a wedding gift for his much younger fiancée.
Standing a few feet away is his personal assistant (Christopher Denham), who attentively and quietly listens while Pacino rants and raves and explains his scheme to avoid paying a pricey tax on the airplane, which ultimately lands him in legal trouble.
For the most part, “China Doll” is a rambling, incoherent monologue. Since we never hear from the people that Pacino is speaking to by phone, it is the equivalent of a conversation where half the lines are missing. Imagine watching the Broadway revival of “The Gin Game” where only James Earl Jones is present and all of Cicely Tyson’s lines have been replaced by pauses.
With big gestures and expressions, Pacino delivers a highly worked-up, outlandish performance that could be interpreted as a desperate attempt to add entertainment. Despite the play’s problems, Pacino’s theatrics throw it off further dramatically. The visual opulence of Pam MacKinnon’s production is also questionable.
It would be interesting to compare this with a leaner production of the play. But on second thought, it may be best to just put “China Doll” to rest.
If you go: “China Doll” plays at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre through Jan. 31. 236 W. 45th Street. ChinaDollBroadway.com.
