Don't let the title fool you; Speed the Plow has nothing to do with overalls or dusty fields. The Tony-nominated dramatic comedy by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Mamet explores the business side of Hollywood as it follows two mid-level producers developing a movie pitch for the higher-ups.

Producers Bobby Gould and Charlie Fox have just secured a lead actor in what could be the next big blockbuster and can already envision the payday. When someone jokes Gould should adapt a book he loves and shoot that instead, the idea gets stuck in Gould's mind. He begins to wrestle with the two options: get rich off yet another action flick, or pour his passion into a meaningful, artistic movie. What he decides does not go over well with his partner, and the office's temporary secretary gets involved too.
Speed the Plow is classic Mamet, filled with brutal satire and male panic. Director Jeff Croff calls the dialogue "electric," saying Speed is "no sanitized, eight o'clock network television dialogue; it's coarser, vital and real."
"The two movie producers revel in the power they have, though they are very realistic about what they produce," Croff said. "The challenge is: is it true that we like to be entertained versus provoked, and when is it deliberate in the context of the movie industry? Should they be safe or is it important to answer to more than the bottom line?"
Filled with "high-temperature scenes" and a relevant message, Speed the Plow addresses some of the lesser-known aspects of movie production. Director Croff challenges the audience to consider the play's central theme - art versus commerce - and ask themselves: "What do you believe?"