At the John Golden Theatre (52 W 45th St., New York, NY 10036) on 3.25.84. And it was opening night as all the big-gun critics were there (including Frank Rich). The voltage in the room seemed to augment the play’s impact. I was in heaven.

Directed by Gregory Mosher, and starring Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum, Robert Prosky, Lane Smith, James Tolkan, Jack Wallace and J. T. Walsh. And it was beautiful, brilliant, electifying, mesmerizing, historic.

Particularly Mantegna as Rick Roma — he owned that role the way Marlon Brando owned Stanley Kowalski and Humphrey Bogart owned Duke Mantee.

And the Alec Baldwin character wasn’t even in it…no Cadillac Eldorado, no set of steak knives as a second prize, no “third prize is you’re fired”….none of that.

I’m flirting with trying to see the new limited-run version with Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr. I know it can’t measure up to the original but maybe. I’ll play it by ear.

Joe Mantegna to N.Y.Times: “I’m reading this script — about leads and all this stuff — I didn’t know what the hell Mamet was even talking about. But the guy’s name is Ricky Roma. My name’s Joe Mantegna. He’s an Italian-American. He’s from Chicago. I certainly knew hustlers. I just had to fill in the blanks. When I walked on that stage, my feeling was: I am that matador. And I’m gonna kill every bull that comes into the arena.”