Lakeboat

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Lakeboat is a semiautobiographical play by David Mamet, first produced in 1980.

As he would later do with Glengarry Glen Ross, Mamet drew upon experiences from a past vocation to create high drama. In this case, he turned to his days as a cook aboard a cargo ship to frame this tale of Dale Katzman, a college student from an Ivy League school "near Boston" who takes a summer job as a cook in the galley of the T. Harrison, a steamboat for a Chicago-based steel concern. Dale's predecessor, Guigliani, endured a particularly violent end while on terra firma, the cause and nature of which is speculated by the other crew members. Dale, and the audience, gets to know each of them, including: Fireman, who reads voraciously when not "watching the gauges"; Fred, who imparts his unique, politically incorrect philosophy regarding women on the young man, and, especially; Joe Litko, a 23-year veteran of the seas, who sees much of himself in Dale. The dialogue is Mametspeak at its most raw, as secrets are shared, picayune matters are debated, and fantasies are laid out, vividly.

In 2001, Mamet penned the screenplay for a film adaptation, which featured his half-brother Tony Mamet in the lead role of Dale. The ensemble cast also included Robert Forster as Joe Litko, Denis Leary as Fireman, and Jack Wallace, a veteran of Mamet productions, as Fred. Joe Mantegna, well-versed in the world of Mamet, made his directorial debut with the feature.

[edit] A Memorable Exchange

FRED: Well, Dale ... Coming on like this out of nowhere you got a thing or two to find out. Now, the main thing about the boats, other than their primary importance in the Steel Industry, is that you don't get any pussy. You got that?

DALE: Yes.

FRED: Except when we tie up. This is important to know because it precludes your whole life on the boats. This is why everyone says "fuck" all the time.

DALE: Why?

FRED: They say "fuck" in direct proportion to how bored they are. Huh?

DALE: Yeah.