Oleanna

A university professor meets with a student who is unhappy about her marks, expecting a routine conversation about coursework. Within a few short scenes the meeting spirals into something closer to a trial, with ordinary comments taking on sinister meanings and the talk of learning giving way to open hostility. The two characters, John and Carol, are the only figures on stage.

Mamet uses this tight, two-person setting to examine how authority, accusation and the fear of being misunderstood can reshape a relationship. Each character's shifting position shows how power can pass back and forth, and the play asks what happens when language itself becomes a weapon. It is a sharp, uncomfortable piece built on dialogue and tension rather than spectacle.