David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre offers a decidedly unglamorous view of the show business world. It emphasises not the ecstatic moments of applause, nor the passionate relationships of those caught up in that world, but the mundane routine of the acting profession. The play's title is surprisingly literal. It is a way of life that the drama seeks to evoke, and it concentrates exclusively upon the theatre, showing almost no concern for anything that takes place beyond the stage door.

The play is written as a series of extremely short, separate scenes linked only by the two characters, both actors, who appear in them all….

There is no storyline to join the different incidents and conversations together, but what the play lacks in plot it partly makes up for in atmosphere….

The image of theatre that the play projects is inevitably limited and distorted by the fact that it is written as a two-character drama. The final result, though a valuable corrective to the 'no business like show business' idea, is no more wholly satisfying or complete, and ironically the concentration upon stage mishaps tends ultimately to reinforce the mythological glamour of theatre, not destroy it. The impression of flawless perfection and feted achievement may be undermined, but it is only replaced with an impression of delightful gaiety and exhilarating unpredictability.

Nevertheless, the play still has a good deal to recommend it since in addition to its analysis of theatre, it also offers a touching study of youth and age. (p. 25)

The play is not an explosive piece of theatre, but after the mechanical explosions and statutory violence of other plays by some of the younger American dramatists …, its contained emotion and understated substance come as a welcome and refreshing change. (p. 27)