Kinetic Stages Mamet’s ‘Henry Johnson’ (Wed, 7/15/26)

It’s not about John Henry. It’s Henry Johnson, the latest by David Mamet, an intriguing new play acted by a great cast. Mamet, now 78, has had a strange career arc. From the 1970s into the early ‘90s he was lauded as one of the greatest dramatic/dark-comic writers afoot, turning out plays from the iconic American Buffalo to the Pulitzer-winning Glengarry Glen Ross to the controversial Oleanna—not to mention films like the con-man-versus-psychiatrist classic House of Games (which he also directed). Since then, Mamet has remained prolific but seems to draw attention more for his sociopolitical outbursts than for his creative output. Pittsburgh’s Kinetic Theatre is just the third company to produce Henry Johnson after it ran in L.A. and Chicago. The play is non-political and said to be vintage Mamet: a tale of manipulation and deceit, laced with crackling dialogue. Kinetic presents Henry Johnson with actors David Whalen, Cotter Smith, David Butler, and John Steffenauer as the title character—a nice guy who’s maybe too nice for his own good. 7:30 p.m. Through July 26 at Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main St., Carnegie. (M.V.) 

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