Why did david mamet name his play oleanna

Play written by David Mamet

Oleanna is a 1992 two-character play by David Mamet, about the power struggle between a universityprofessor and one of his female students, who accuses him of sexual harassment and, by doing so, spoils his chances of being accorded tenure. The play's title, taken from a folk song, refers to a 19th-century escapist vision of utopia.^[1] Mamet adapted his play into a 1994 film of the same name.

Plot summary

Act I

Carol, a college student, is in the office of her professor, John. She expresses frustration that she does not understand the material in his class, despite having read the assigned books and attending his lectures. Of particular concern is a book written by John himself, wherein he questions the modern insistence that everyone participate in higher education, referring to it as "systematic hazing". While talking with Carol, John is often interrupted by the phone ringing. He is about to be granted David mamet plays list!