`November’ is fun without message

The time is about eight years ago, as the curtain opens on “November” at Avenue Theater. We spend one day in the Oval Office, which is an experience unlike any other you can expect this week. The polls are really bad for incumbent president Charles Smith (Kevin Hart), who is running for re-election — and greatly concerned about his future presidential library — will there be one? “Everybody hates you and you’re out of cash,” growls his top assistant, Archer Brown (Eric Mather). There’s trouble in Bulgaria and “some guy wants to file a complaint.” “Couldn’t we make it rain?” Smith wonders upon hearing about severe drought. He asks for his speechwriter, Bernstein (Amie McKenzie), and is told she’s gone to China to adopt a little daughter—and write Smith’s concession speech. She appears to ask that the president marry her and her female lover on TV — after which she will hand over the speech. And the representative of the National Association of Turkeys and Turkey Products (Bernie Cardell) and two turkeys are waiting in the anteroom … He wants Smith to pardon the turkeys from slaughter before Thanksgiving — one of the sillier annual rituals. But first, the sensitive critters need to smell Smith’s hand! “How much will they pay?” Smith wonders. The National Pork people are on the phone—“why couldn’t we have pork for Thanksgiving — or tuna?” And Indian chief Dwight Grackle is on another phone line wanting the president to give him Nantucket Island for a 4,000-bed hotel and casino … Playwright David Mamet is known for his snarky humor and he’s in fine form here. John Ashton directs a sharp cast, well-versed in comic timing, and the dialogue gets sillier. For a laugh-out-loud evening with no compelling message, visit Denver’s Avenue Theater before May 21. If you go David Mamet’s “November” is at Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave. in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood, through May 21. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $27.50 and are available at 303-321-5925 or avenuetheater.com