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{{Short description|1972 play}}
{{italic title}}
{{one source|date=August 2011}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
'''''The Duck Variations''''' is a 1972 [[Play (theatre)|play]] by [[United States|American]] [[playwright]] [[David Mamet]]. The play depicts a discussion taking place between two elderly men sitting on a park bench watching [[ducks]]. The dialogue begins with the [[mating]] habits of ducks and runs to examine [[law]], friendship and death. The principal irony is that the men really know nothing about ducks. If they did, it would not improve their beautiful fugue on the theme of the possibility of happiness. Rather they use what experience has taught them and scattered, possibly incorrect ideas and facts to make guesses. They each assure the other that their guesses are established fact. By argument and occasional agreement a composite view of ducks and by extension, the world, begins to emerge.

==Synopsis==
The play is focused around two old men who randomly meet on a park bench. Although it is usually played that the two men do not know of each other (the stage directions are ambiguous—they could meet, or they could be old friends), they awkwardly begin to talk to each other. As they fumble for topics to speak upon, somehow they always end up reverting to the ducks swimming around in the lake. Although their conversations seem misguided, as they talk about the ducks, many wise conversations are actually discussed. They talk about the leader of the ducks, and how every other duck follows that leader. When the leader duck dies, then a new leader must be chosen. They also talk about how everything the ducks do has a purpose. Within the dialog of the men, they talk about why things occur naturally, friendship, and death, not only in reference to the ducks, but also in [[human nature]].

==Production history==
The play was initially performed in 1972 at the Saint Nicholas Theatre, directed by Mamet.<ref>Sommer, Lawrence. [http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-duck-variations/Content?oid=875301 ''The Duck Variations''] chicagoreader.com, accessed October 24, 2015</ref>

The double bill of ''Sexual Perversity in Chicago'' and ''The Duck Variations'' was produced [[Off-Broadway]] at the Cherry Lane Theatre, from June 16, 1976
to April 17, 1977. The plays won the 1976 [[Obie Award]], Best New American Play.<ref>[http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2924 Listing] lortel.org, accessed October 24, 2015</ref>

The play was presented at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Los Angeles in 2008, as part of a program titled "Two Unrelated Plays by David Mamet," starring [[Harold Gould]] as Emil and [[Michael Lerner (actor)|Michael Lerner]] as George. According to theatre critic Charles McNulty, ''The Duck Variations,'' about seniors and death, is often paired with ''Sexual Perversity in Chicago,'' about young adults and sex.<ref>McNulty, Charles. "Two Unrelated Plays by David Mamet", ''Los Angeles Times'', May 20, 2008</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{mamet}}

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[[Category:1972 plays]]
[[Category:Plays by David Mamet]]

The Duck Variations - Revision history

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