Zach Barr's NEW OLEANNA explores all of the ways in which its characters try to dodge accountability, and in doing so, gives them nowhere to escape. It forces us to question how we think about power, and consider the consequences of power left unchecked. No moment is easy, but every moment is thrilling.

There's a moment in "New Oleanna" where the male student points out to his female professor that, in her office, she holds the power. While every reader and audience member can only bring their own experience to the text, the play feels like a condemnation of the current state of college power structures, particularly in theater departments. "New Oleanna" asks if there are different kinds of power, and what happens when mantras like "Intention doesn't matter" replace listening and empathy.

This play starts banal enough that by the time you notice its incisive grip, it's too late. I first learned of Zach Barr's NEW OLEANNA from their recent 3-hour case study of a regional theater company as exploration for good faith debate from their YouTube channel. I am quite familiar with OLEANNA, having worked on a production in 2019. Barr's NEW OLEANNA explores Mamet's themes for a post-MeToo audience incredibly well and explicitly raises brutal questions about being "one of the good men".