Oleanna is a play by David Mamet about the power struggle between a university professor and one of his female students who accuses him of sexual harassment and, by doing so, spoils his chances of being accorded tenure. A play (noun) is a common form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between characters, and usually intended for performance rather than reading. ... David Alan Mamet (born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, screenwriter, director and poet born in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... A professor is a senior teacher and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Sexual harassment is harassment of a sexual nature, typically in the workplace or other setting where raising objections or refusing may have negative consequences. ... Tenure commonly refers to academic tenure systems, in which professors (at the university level)—and in some jurisdictions schoolteachers (at primary or secondary school levels)—are granted the right not to be fired without cause after an initial probationary period. ...

The play has often been characterized as an attack on political correctness and affirmative action, yet it should also be viewed as a close scrutiny of power relations, especially in the elusive world of academia. Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... Affirmative action (US English), or positive discrimination (British English), is a policy or a program providing advantages for people of a minority group who are seen to have traditionally been discriminated against, with the aim of creating a more egalitarian society. ...

Oleanna has also been turned into a movie directed by Mamet, starring William H. Macy and Deborah Eisenstadt. Publicity photo of William H. Macy William Hall Macy (born March 13, 1950) is an actor, teacher, and director, in theatre, film, and television. ...

External link

• Spark Notes (http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/oleanna/)