At the beginning of Glengarry, Glen Ross, we see Shelley Levene trying to cadge better leads from Williamson. Williamson is cool, almost bored, feeding off Levene’s desperation. He insists that he’s only following company policy. But he’s willing to accept a bribe. Dave Ross pitches an office burglary to another salesman, planning to sell the best leads. Levene manages to grab victory from the jaws of defeat, turning a junk lead into an impressive sale. Ricky Roma is the youngest of the men, jaunty and full of piss and vinegar. He’s just scored a sale for an $82,000 property.
As is often the case with Mamet, the dialogue between the guys is punchy. Enraged, hostile, vindictive. The ornery side of banter. Ricky Roma is a smooth huckster. We see him casually connect with James Lingk, an easy mark. Later, client James Lingk confronts Roma, ashamed he surrendered to his wife. Despite Roma’s best efforts to fleece him, he can’t budge. Shelley Levene is an older salesman who’s afraid he’s lost his touch. Williamson is the manager whose disrespect and resentment are hard to miss. They’re not morally bankrupt, exactly, but they find themselves trapped in a business where sympathy is a liability. They might consider quitting, but quitting is for losers
Glengarry, Glen Ross is a high octane, draconian satire, set in a real estate office where the salesmen are in fierce competition. Some are genuine friends, but mostly there’s an edge. Sometimes it’s sarcasm, sometimes it’s convivial, sometimes it’s outright contempt. The power structure is a zero sum game. It’s designed to bring out the worst in each other.
Mamet has chosen this all male petri dish to examine man’s need to respect their warrior instinct, but preserving their humanity. Though that ship may have sailed. They’re not on a salary, or even minimum wage. If they don’t make a sale, they don’t get a commission; if they don’t get a commission, they don’t eat. They’re submerged in this Clash of the Titans. They can’t see past it.
David Mamet is driven to explore manhood. What defines a male, what culture expects, what we expect of each other, the hazards and explosions and how we connect with females. He once said any male-female relationship inevitably involves some sexual attraction. My guess is he’d have no use for a term like “toxic masculinity”, or use different words. That it’s unseemly for men to nurture one another, beyond encouragement and loyalty. Which (I suppose) is not nothing.
The Classics Theatre Project’s production of Glengarry Glen Ross, is tight, seething, authentic, with vivid characterization, and kinetic performance. The pace is on the money, we feel soulfulness battling the hollow heart. Better angels duking it out with cannibals. The ensemble work coalesces beautifully. Standouts in this crackerjack cast include Anthony Magee as the poignant, scrappy Shelley Levene, John Cameron Potts as the sullen, withdrawn Williamson, and Joey Folsom as the slick, charming Ricky Roma.
The Classics Theatre Project presents Glengarry, Glen Ross, playing August 1st-31st, 2025, at The Stone cottage, adjacent to the Addison Water Tower Theatre. Stone Cottage 15650 Addison Rd. Addison, TX 75001. (214) 923-3619. tctpdfw@gmail.com. theclassicstheatreproject.com