David Mamet was born on November 30, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, to Bernard Mamet, a labor lawyer, and his wife, Leonore. As a child, Mamet's parents had high expectations for their son and his younger sister, Lynn. Mamet's father especially emphasized the importance and potency of language. The family spent hours arguing for the sake of argument, and Mamet learned the subtleties inherent to well-spoken words. This experience had a direct bearing on Mamet's plays, for he is known as a master of dialogue.

Mamet's parents divorced when he was eleven, and he subsequently lived with his mother for four years before moving in with his father. At this time, Mamet got his first taste of theater, working backstage and doing bit parts at Chicago's Hull Theatre. At first Mamet wanted to be an actor, and to this end he studied the craft in New York City's famous...