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Glengarry Glen Ross By David Mamet Directed by Adam Webster At Redtwist Theatre 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Chicago, IL Call 773-728-7529 (www.redtwist.org) Tickets $22 - $27 - $30 $5 discount for seniors/students Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm Sundays at 3 pm Running time is 1 hour, 45 minutes with intermission Through August 31, 2008 “This is not a world of men.” –Ricky Roma “Just give me some leads that don't come out of a phone book, huh, you give me something hotter than that and I can close it. It's just a streak. I'm gonna turn it around.” –Shelly Levene Powerful Pulitzer Prize winning Mamet drama works nicely with a gender-bending cast. It is an interesting idea to cast females in David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,’ a play that features a testosterone based dialogue of male in-home salesmen. These ‘closers’ were, in 1984, almost 100% men so Mamet wrote only men in the play. Redtwist Theatre felt that in today’s world, many sales agents are women—so why not cast some females? Mamet wouldn’t allow any changes in the script, therefore, several women have male names and are referred to as men. In the hands of such excellent actresses as Jacqueline Grandt (Richard Roma), Debra Rodkin (George Aaronow), Erin Shelton (John Williamson) and Filonna Thomas (Officer Baylen), director Adam Webster has cast strong actors worthy of their roles. This production of “Glengarry Glen Ross” delivers the emotional impact that Mamet’s intense language featuring a blend of rough four-letter expletives and salesmen-speak terms like ‘closing’ ‘the board’ and ‘good leads’ demands.
Mamet uses one-on-one scenes to establish plot, theme and character. “Glengarry Glen Ross” features Mamet’s signature style of dialogue exchanges filled with half sentences, repetition of lines in a fast paced exchanges that contain vivid lingo together with colorful, often cynical, references that the immoral hucksters use as bullets to get their mark to write a check and sign the contract for worthless Florida land. This fast talking style demands audiences pay attention, but once engaged, Mamet delivers humor and a deceptively clever structured semi-whodunit. We meet Shelly Levene (the fabulous Brian Parry), the lost old-time closer who is battling to keep his job after a string of no sales. Parry deftly delivers Shelly’s emotional angst that has him begging for the premium leads in a last ditch effort to get on ‘the board’ before he gets fired. Once Shelly closes a deal for $82, 000 (making him a commission of $12,000)—we witness a terrific scathing verbal attack on manager Williamson by Shelly. Dave Moss (the smooth Eric Hoffman) deftly maneuvers George Aaronow (Debra Rodkin) into becoming the perpetrator of a scheme to burglarize the sale office in order to steal the new premium sales leads.
Mamet has Roma (Jacqueline Grandt in a fine turn) glibly and indirectly ‘selling’ her mark, Lingl (Jeff Helgeson) over drinks. Act two opens with the sales office in disarray after the break-in. Each of the sales folks are interviewed—each verbally abuse both Williamson and Officer Baylen. Mamet’s plot twists and Shelly’s destruction are effectively played out with a surprise twist. This outstanding cast quite effectively handles Mamet’s bitingly acidic language with just the proper amount of angst and cynicism. The street language may offend some. I especially liked Brian Parry, Jacqueline Grandt and Eric Hoffman’s performances. David Mamet would like this gender bending production. I know I did. Recommended Tom Williams Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast Date Reviewed: July 26, 2008 |
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