A communication mix-up between a college professor and his student leads to a shocking battle of power and the sexes in David Mamet’s Oleanna.

The Des Moines Playhouse’s Theatre-in-the-Ground is putting on this powerful play, which runs from Oct. 12 to 21.

It’s present-day when the lights go up on stage on the two-member cast, who build into an intense rivalry in the office of college professor John, played by James Serpento.

Carol, played by Margaret DeBrown, is one of John’s students who is having a hard time understanding what the fast-talking professor is trying to get across with all his big-worded lectures. Carol is worried about passing the course, and even though John is willing to help, he has has his own worries, mainly getting tenure and buying a house, and is constantly being interrupted by phone calls.

John tries to relate to Carol and converses with her on a friendly level, but every time she tries to talk, he cuts her off. She becomes increasingly angry and yells at him.

The tension keeps escalating, and suddenly everything explodes in an unexpected direction during the following scenes. The characters soon find themselves in the middle of a frightening battle over sexual harassment, miscommunication and a struggle to gain power over the other.

It turns into a boxing match. The audience surrounds the stage on all four sides and gets to take sides on who is right and wrong. The emotions of the actors are extremely believable, and with the viewers being only a few feet away from the stage makes it become even more realistic.

“We work well off each other,” DeBrown said.

Together, the two accomplished actors are able to use their energy on stage effectively to create a vivid environment. “It would be a lot harder (to perform Oleanna) without someone as tuned in as she is,” Serpento added.

Thomas Perrine, the director, said he doesn’t exactly know why Mamet called this play Oleanna. “The only thing we can derive is that it is based on a utopic colony in Wisconsin called Oleanna,” he said. Perrine explained Mamet visited this place, liked the name and said he wanted to write a play called Oleanna.

While the colony Oleanna is based upon a perfect world, Perrine says that the show actually does not portray one.

For Perrine, directing this play has some personal meaning attached to it. “I had a similar experience in a workplace,” he said, explaining that a person he was in contact with at work brought charges up against him.

Perrine happened to read this play during this point in his life and was amazed at how Mamet’s tale paralleled his own experience. “I wanted to call Mamet and ask him, ‘How did you write my life story and never meet me?'”

Perrine later decided he would like to direct this play when he had an opportunity to do so. “It’s important to see this can happen,” he said.

He also thinks young people could benefit from seeing this show. “Maybe they’ll stop before they say, ‘What did you say to me?'” he said.

DeBrown, who says this is a play where the viewers really have to think, said she ended up playing the part of Carol by pure coincidence. “I came to the wrong audition,” she said, saying she stumbled into a callback audition for Oleanna by mistake.

Perrine told her she could stay and audition for the part, and then offered her the role. “It was fate. I had to take it,” she said.

Performing a Mamet play is hard work, the actors agree, but well worth all the effort they have put into it. “It’s well-written, that’s for sure. It’s hard to perform Mamet. You have to get the language right … otherwise it won’t work,” DeBrown said.

What makes it good is the writer and the three-dimensional characters, DeBrown added. The characters go from one extreme to the other, and Mamet gives the viewers characters with depth who most anyone can relate to.

Serpento, who notes the actors are not paid, said this challenging play gives the actors a chance to show off their abilities.

“If it’s Mamet or Shakespeare, I’ll do it for free … While Mamet and Shakespeare demand a whole bunch from you, they also give you the most,” Serpento said.

Serpento said there is also a tremendous commitment to precision in this play from everyone involved, which definitely comes through during the course of the show.

“If you’re going to play this symphony, play it right or not at all.”

Fortunately, they’re right on.

Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $7 for Playhouse members, full-time students and senior citizens. For more information call the Playhouse at 277-6261.