Just in time for the election season, the Elite Theatre in Oxnard (2731 S. Victoria Ave.) will present a new production of David Mamet’s 2008 political satire, November.

David Mamet

As someone said of Billy Wilder, David Mamet sees the worst in our politicians, and he sees it funny.

The play, directed by Tom Eubanks, produced by Vivien Latham, and starring Ronald Rezac, David Colville, Laura Ring, John Eslick and Rick de Leon, will run this Friday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 2.

The situation of November — one could scarcely call it a plot — is that incumbent President Charles H.P. Smith is facing a steeply uphill re-election battle in a matter of days, and his poll numbers are as “low as Ghandi’s cholesterol.” Everyone in the United States hates him. His political advisor comes up with a harebrained scheme that involves the presidential prerogative of pardoning a turkey at Thanksgiving.

To complicate matters further, he has an important speech coming up, and the only person who can write it is a lesbian who holds the speech hostage to President Smith, agreeing to marry the speechwriter and her girlfriend so they can go to China and adopt a baby. Throw in about 200 politically incorrect one-liners, a lobbyist for the turkey industry and a Native American chieftain, and you have the range of November.

But for the fact that Neil Simon doesn’t do politics, you would swear this was Neil Simon play; it is, basically, the Simon principal applied to a political sitcom. There are no serious issues brought up; nothing seems at stake but the nearly inevitable job change of a thoroughly corrupt and cynical politician.

Nevertheless, it is very, very funny. It is partly reminiscent of the famous BBC series Yes, Prime Minister, which starred Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington — if you make allowances for the huge differences between British political culture and ours. And there isn’t really any likable character in it, only likable actors.

November plays at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

For reservations, call 805.483.5118.   

— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.