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and
Washington double-speak. The playwright said of his work that it is "First and foremost...a play about language. It's not for me to discover that politicians are corrupt or full of hot air. It's really about what they and television have done to the way we speak and the way we listen." The play
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The "Select Joint
Congressional Committee Investigating Alleged Covert Arms Assistance to Alleged Other Americas" investigates the CIA's attempt to divert arms to Central American guerrillas through a motion picture company's high-budget action film, entitled "Tet." (a reference to the
25:, which he describes as "A Play On Words". The title refers to a fictional political scandal enacted on "Master Pictures Studios", a fictional movie company that is actually a cover for arms trading. The title of the play also references other real-life political scandals, such as
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is a one-joke extended sketch that, unfortunately, never manages the leap to dramatic - much less philosophical - revelation of much we didn't already know. Nevertheless, the joke is a very good one, performed with deadpan delight by deft imitators."
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uncovers aspects of the absurd in the working life of government employees; for example, it portrays a non-meeting, a non-discussion, and people being present in the minutes of the meeting despite not attending.
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is funny, it is very funny. When it is not, it still stands up for a patriotic integrity beyond the understanding of the clowns who parade across its national stage."
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263:. Larry Gelbart's scathingly funny takeoff on the Iran-Contra hearings is a spiky cactus flower in the desert of American political theatre." Similarly,
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The play was filmed for television in 1992. The production used the
Emerald Room of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles as a backdrop to the hearings.
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It has been argued that several of the characters have real-life counterparts, for example, Major Manley Battle may be based on
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If you find it adolescent, which I'm afraid I do, stay home and read Mark Twain on politics." Likewise, Linda Winer of
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Stuart Butler, a
Department of Justice employee and acting assistant to the acting assistant deputy attorney general
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502:"Washington's Language Gridlock : Larry Gelbart's 'Mastergate' on PBS Dissects the Art of Doublespeak"
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Foster Child, Butler’s attorney of the fictional law firm 'Prior, Pastor, Priest and Pope'
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Nat Picker, his attorney of the fictional law firm 'Block, Stall, Wilde and Wilder'
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Shepherd Hunter, the chief general counsel for the
Combined Permanent Sub-Committee
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on congressional investigative committee hearings that took place during the
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588:"'Mastergate,' Political Satire by Larry Gelbart, Opens on Broadway"
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A film was made in 1992 based on the play. The film was directed by
524:"Mastergate - IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information"
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Outer
Critics Circle 1990 Special Award: Larry Gelbart - (Winner)
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Oral
Proctor, a congressman who had been elected for thirty terms
282:, wrote "If you think the title is funny, you'll probably enjoy
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during their 1991-1992 season with a cast including
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Merry Chase, a reporter for TNN (Total
Network News)
41:The play is set in the Sherman Adams Room at the
616:"Theatre World Awards - Theatre World Awards"
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29:and others subsequently given the suffix
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150:Courtleigh Bishop, Secretary of State
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162:Wily Slaughter, director of the CIA
278:By contrast, Howard Kissel of the
251:Positive reviews included that of
179:First Preview: September 22, 1989
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183:Closing Date: December 10, 1989
181:Opening Date: October 12, 1989
76:and word-play, including puns,
667:Plays set in the United States
449:Mark L. Taylor as Foster Child
156:Lance Boyle, Battle’s attorney
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177:Criterion Centre Stage Right
558:Mastergate and Power Failure
191:Original Production Credits
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307:1990 Theatre World Award:
159:Vice President Dale Burden
228:The play was recorded by
538:"Mastergate (1992) (TV)"
555:Gelbart, Larry (1994).
672:Works by Larry Gelbart
602:"AWARDS FOR 1989-1990"
415:as Major Manley Battle
128:Representative Sellers
43:John Mitchell Building
635:Turner Classic Movies
522:The Broadway League.
174:Original Broadway Run
403:as Courtleigh Bishop
214:Stephen Strawbridge
122:Representative Byers
467:as Marvin Rotweiler
433:as V.P. Dale Burden
169:Performance History
153:Major Manley Battle
439:as Wiley Slaughter
379:as Shepherd Hunter
377:David Ogden Stiers
269:The New York Times
230:L.A. Theatre Works
70:Iran-Contra affair
506:Los Angeles Times
479:as Mrs. Abel Lamb
427:as Sydley Sellers
421:as Folsom Bunting
373:as Steward Butler
349:as Chip Chatworth
309:Daniel von Bargen
209:Candice Donnelly
187:Performances: 69
144:Senator Abel Lamb
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437:Burgess Meredith
425:Robert Guillaume
397:as Clifton Byers
367:as Archer Bowman
353:Marcia Strassman
328:and produced by
47:Washington, D.C.
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662:Political drama
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219:Marc Salzberg
211:Costume Design
194:Larry Gelbart
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52:Tet Offensive
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639:. Retrieved
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630:"Mastergate"
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477:Lynn Sellers
413:James Coburn
395:Jerry Orbach
391:as Abel Lamb
330:David Jablin
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66:McCarthy Era
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37:Plot summary
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471:Hy Averback
389:Bruno Kirby
383:Henry Jones
284:Mastergate.
244:Reviews of
78:malapropism
656:Categories
484:References
453:Ron Vawter
444:Supporting
407:Pat Morita
401:Ken Howard
359:Buck Henry
316:Adaptation
311:- (Winner)
292:Mastergate
280:Daily News
273:Mastergate
265:Frank Rich
261:Mastergate
253:Jack Kroll
246:Mastergate
100:Characters
58:Mastergate
18:Mastergate
641:March 23,
465:Ben Stein
86:tautology
27:Watergate
347:Tim Reid
290:wrote, "
257:Newsweek
201:Director
74:rhetoric
288:Newsday
565:
299:Awards
196:Writer
62:satire
60:is a
31:-gate
643:2016
563:ISBN
542:IMDb
341:Main
336:Cast
236:and
267:of
255:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.