1
 I approached Mastergate, Larry Gelbart's new comedy at the Criterion Center, with considerable trepidation.
5003
span

2
 Nothing, 
5001
span

3
I assumed, 
2
attribution

4
would be more hopelessly dated than a political satire on the Iran-Contra affair.
5002
Same-Unit

5
 I had underestimated, however, both Mr. Gelbart's wit and the persistence of scandal in Washington. 
5006
span

6
Though the play clearly is framed around the events of Iran-Contra, 
7
antithesis

7
it takes in the wide sweep of scandals over the past 30 years.
5007
span

8
 In fact, at one point Merry Chase 
5008
span

9
(Melinda Mullins), 
8
elaboration-additional-e

10
a cool, carefully coiffed television announcer, recites a list of a dozen or more scandals of recent years, 
5012
span

11
concluding with those 
5010
span

12
affecting the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the savings and loan industry. 
11
elaboration-object-attribute-e

13
 Onstage, a congressional hearing is in progress, complete with elegant crystal chandelier overhead and a lifesize reproduction of the signing of the Constitution in the background.
5016
background

14
 The witness table is center stage and below it, the paraphernalia for the ever-present media, in this case TNN, the Total News Network.
5016
List

15
 Not only are there camera operators on all sides, 
5016
List

16
but the proceedings are shown on monitors throughout the theater.
5016
List

17
 The metaphor of theater is not entirely coincidental.
5018
span

18
 Mr. Gelbart clearly feels 
5021
attribution

19
that all the participants in a congressional hearing 
5114
span

20
-- the witnesses, the lawyers, the interrogators and the news media -- 
19
elaboration-additional-e

21
are performers.
5021
Same-Unit

22
 As the story of Mastergate unfolds, 
5024
span

23
we learn 
5025
attribution

24
that the Internal Revenue Service confiscated one of the properties of a foreign financier 
5025
span

25
who owes the government millions in taxes.
5026
span

26
 The man, 
5027
span

27
it seems, 
26
attribution

28
has a Lichtenstein corporation, 
5029
span

29
licensed in Libya 
5030
List

30
and sheltered in the Bahamas.
5030
List

31
 He himself lives in a consecutive series of unnumbered houses in a town in Switzerland.
5031
List

32
 The property 
5032
span

33
seized by the IRS 
32
elaboration-object-attribute

34
is a Hollywood film studio, Master Pictures Incorporated 
5115
span

35
(MPI).
34
elaboration-additional-e

36
 Supposedly the IRS will sell off the assets of MPI, 
5038
span

37
but 
5036
span

38
before it can, 
37
temporal-after

39
a lowly IRS agent is called into the hospital room of Wylie Slaughter, the dying head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
5039
span

40
 The lowly agent, Abel Lamb, 
5044
span

41
who 
5040
span

42
as you might guess,
41
comparison

43
 is being led to the slaughter, 
5041
Same-Unit

44
is ordered to take over the studio. 
5045
Same-Unit

45
Soon the studio is producing a $40 million picture 
5047
span

46
called Tet, the Motion Picture, 
5048
Contrast

47
to distinguish it from Tet, the Offensive, as well as Tet, the Book and Tet, the Album.
5048
Contrast

48
 The picture, 
5050
span

49
to be made in the Central American country of San Elvador, 
48
elaboration-additional-e

50
is a cover for sending $800 million of arms to Los Otros, the rebel group 
5052
span

51
attempting to regain neighboring Ambigua,
5053
span

52
 which has been taken over by the leftist dictator Dr. Overtega, a former podiatrist, 
5054
span

53
who leads a revolutionary band of foot soldiers. 
52
elaboration-additional-e

54
The man 
5056
span

55
handling all this for the now-deceased Slaughter 
54
elaboration-object-attribute-e

56
is Major Manley Battle, Mr. Gelbart's stand in for Col. Oliver North.
5057
Same-Unit

57
 Director Michael Engler has assembled a top-flight cast 
5059
span

58
to carry out the impersonations of well-known political figures and to play the stock characters 
5060
span

59
who invariably show up at congressional hearings. 
58
elaboration-additional-e

60
Daniel von Bargen is ramrod-stiff 
5062
span

61
but totally assured 
60
antithesis

62
as Major Battle, 
5064
span

63
mixing just the right brand of self-righteousness and patriotism; 
62
elaboration-additional-e

64
Jeff Weiss is fire, brimstone and teary-eyed emotionalism as the far-right senator 
5066
span

65
who serves as a friendly interrogator of Major Battle; 
64
elaboration-additional-e

66
Zach Grenier is maddeningly officious 
5067
span

67
playing a succession of lawyers; 
66
elaboration-additional-e

68
Joseph Daly has the perfect aw, shucks demeanor of George Bush in his portrayal of the vice president; 
5065
List

69
and Ann McDonough is first-rate as a succession of witnesses' wives.
5068
span

70
 With one she is pregnant,
5069
List

71
 with Major Battle she is knitting an American flag,
5069
List

72
 and as the vice president's wife she rushes in with white hair, 
5070
span

73
wearing a tailored suit and pearls, 
5071
List

74
imitating Barbara Bush's gestures down to the last detail.
5071
List

75
 Though it's clear that Mr. Gelbart's sympathies do not lie with the far right, 
5074
concession

76
it's also true that he is evenhanded in dispensing his satirical jabs, 
5074
span

77
taking sharp aim at senators and congressmen of all stripes and particularly at the media.
76
evidence

78
 Mr. Gelbart also has fun with language.
5076
span

79
 Mastergate is subtitled a play on words, 
5077
List

80
and Mr. Gelbart plays that game as well as anyone.
5077
List

81
 He describes a Mastergate flunky as one 
5079
span

82
who experienced a meteoric disappearance 
5080
List

83
and found himself handling blanket appeals at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
5080
List

84
 This interest in words goes beyond puns and playfulness, however.
5083
concession

85
 Mr. Gelbart deplores the obfuscation, the circumlocution and the debasement of language 
5083
span

86
he sees on all sides.
85
elaboration-additional-e

87
 As the hearings begin, 
5088
temporal-same-time

88
the self-important Sen. Bowman 
5086
span

89
(Jerome Kilty) 
88
elaboration-additional-e

90
announces: 
5087
Same-Unit

91
Let me emphaticize one thing at the outset: 
5091
interpretation-s

92
We are not looking for hides 
5090
span

93
to skin 
92
purpose-e

94
nor goats 
5092
span

95
to scape. 
94
purpose-e

96
Major Battle himself speaks in pure Pentagonese: 
5094
span

97
Without further monetary-stroke-military aid, 
5095
span

98
scores of Ambiguan freedom lovers, 
5096
span

99
who had gone way out on their life and limbs for us, 
98
elaboration-object-attribute-e

100
were literally cut off at the knees 
5098
span

101
without a paddle.
100
manner

102
 At another point he intones: 
5101
attribution

103
Publicity is a small price 
5101
span

104
to pay 
5102
span

105
for secrecy. 
104
reason

106
 The evening is short 
5104
span

107
-- 95 minutes 
5105
span

108
without an intermission -- 
107
manner-e

109
but even so, 
5109
concession

110
as the play progresses 
5116
circumstance

111
the thrust of Mr. Gelbart's satire loses its sharpness 
5116
span

112
as his targets pop up ever more predictably.
111
temporal-same-time

113
 Most of the evening, though, is filled with rare and welcome wit.
5111
span

114
 In Mastergate, Mr. Gelbart has provided us not just one but two commodities 
5112
span

115
that have all but disappeared from the Broadway theater: 
114
elaboration-object-attribute-e

116
sharp political satire and an even sharper appreciation of the value of language.
5112
example-e

5001
span
5002
Same-Unit

5002
multinuc
5005
span

5003
span
5014
span

5004
span



5005
span
1
explanation-argumentative

5006
span
5002
antithesis

5007
span
5013
span

5008
span
5011
Same-Unit

5009
span
5007
evidence

5010
span
10
elaboration-additional-e

5011
multinuc
5009
span

5012
span
5011
Same-Unit

5013
span
5
elaboration-additional

5014
span
5022
span

5015
span
5017
span

5016
multinuc
5015
span

5017
span
5003
elaboration-additional

5018
span
5015
comment

5019
span
17
elaboration-additional

5020
span



5021
multinuc
5019
span

5022
span
5058
span

5023
span
22
temporal-same-time

5024
span
5014
background

5025
span
5023
span

5026
span
24
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5027
span
5028
Same-Unit

5028
multinuc
5031
List

5029
span
5028
Same-Unit

5030
multinuc
28
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5031
multinuc
25
elaboration-additional

5032
span
5033
Same-Unit

5033
multinuc
5035
span

5034
span



5035
span
5031
List

5036
span
5037
Same-Unit

5037
multinuc
36
antithesis

5038
span
5033
elaboration-additional

5039
span
5037
Same-Unit

5040
span
5041
Same-Unit

5041
multinuc
40
elaboration-additional-e

5042
span



5043
span



5044
span
5045
Same-Unit

5045
multinuc
5046
span

5046
span
39
elaboration-additional

5047
span
5049
span

5048
multinuc
45
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5049
span
5045
circumstance

5050
span
5051
Same-Unit

5051
multinuc
5055
List

5052
span
5051
Same-Unit

5053
span
50
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5054
span
51
elaboration-additional-e

5055
multinuc
5047
elaboration-additional

5056
span
5057
Same-Unit

5057
multinuc
5055
List

5058
span
5103
span

5059
span
5072
span

5060
span
5061
span

5061
span
57
purpose

5062
span
5063
Same-Unit

5063
multinuc
5065
List

5064
span
5063
Same-Unit

5065
multinuc
5060
example

5066
span
5065
List

5067
span
5065
List

5068
span
5065
List

5069
multinuc
69
elaboration-set-member

5070
span
5069
List

5071
multinuc
72
elaboration-additional

5072
span
5022
evaluation-s

5073
span
5075
List

5074
span
5073
span

5075
multinuc
5059
elaboration-additional

5076
span
5075
List

5077
multinuc
5078
span

5078
span
5081
span

5079
span
5077
evidence

5080
multinuc
81
elaboration-additional-e

5081
span
78
explanation-argumentative

5082
span
5084
span

5083
span
5082
span

5084
span
5078
elaboration-additional

5085
span
5093
List

5086
span
5087
Same-Unit

5087
multinuc
5089
attribution

5088
span
5085
span

5089
span
5088
span

5090
span
5091
Same-Unit

5091
multinuc
5089
span

5092
span
5091
Same-Unit

5093
multinuc
5082
evidence

5094
span
5093
List

5095
span
5099
List

5096
span
5097
Same-Unit

5097
multinuc
97
manner

5098
span
5097
Same-Unit

5099
multinuc
96
example

5100
span
5099
List

5101
span
5100
span

5102
span
103
elaboration-additional-e

5103
span



5104
span
5107
span

5105
span
106
elaboration-additional-e

5106
span
5110
span

5107
span
5058
summary-s

5108
span



5109
span
5106
span

5110
span
5104
elaboration-additional

5111
span
5106
comment

5112
span
5113
span

5113
span
113
explanation-argumentative

5114
span
5021
Same-Unit

5115
span
5033
Same-Unit

5116
span
5109
span

