First, there wasn't anything remotely romantic about Romance, MametFest's screwball kickoff production presented by the University of Manitoba's Black Hole Theatre Company. As is his habit, the American master of machismo has assembled an all-male cast, although director Bill Kerr has added a silent female stenographer.

After the lawyer whines, "You can't order a cheese sandwich without mentioning the Holocaust," the defendant throws up his arms in disgust to say, "I hired a goy lawyer, it's like going to a straight hairdresser."

Kerr and his cast deal well with [DAVID Mamet]'s verbal gymnastics and special kudos should go to [Ken Rudderham], as the addled, mooing judge, and [Scott Pangman], as the disheveled accused. As the Bailiff, Mike Trakalo offers perfect punctuation to scenes with a cock of his eye or a twitch of his hand towards his gun.