Mamet is for Closers

How wonderfully ironic that Theatre Exile is staging Glengarry Glen Ross in Christ Church Neighborhood House.

by David Anthony Fox

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Published: May 2, 2007

How wonderfully ironic that Theatre Exile is staging Glengarry Glen Ross in Christ Church Neighborhood House. The building's graceful 18th-century lines and its history of community service could hardly be more distant from David Mamet's coruscating indictment of modern American greed. Still, the third-floor playhouse � fitted with clever sets by Matt Saunders that suggest first a tacky suburban Chinese restaurant and later a grim office � works just fine.

Glengarry is over 20 years old, but Mamet's play has never seemed fresher. If you thought Arthur Miller knew something about the dark inner life of the American sales force, Mamet's vision will send shivers down your spine.

Meet six men in cut-throat competition to sell real estate. ("Glengarry" is a sketchy land development in Florida.) At the bottom is Shelly Levene, this play's Willy Loman, a once-successful salesman, now old and losing his touch. At the top is glamorously reptilian Richard Roma, whose allure can trap almost anybody. In the middle are Dave Moss and George Asronow. Everybody is disgruntled, and if they agree about anything, it's that they all hate office manager John Williamson, who hands out the all-important leads � names and phone numbers of prospective buyers � with self-serving stinginess. If only there were a way to get the leads without Williamson's help ...

It's Mamet's language that makes Glengarry really zing, and it feels all too shockingly right: business jargon riddled with profanity, insults and racist cant. This is manna from heaven for actors, and the dialogue is traditionally delivered with the staccato ferocity of machine-gunfire. In fact, Glengarry often feels like a high-wire stunt for a cast of virtuosos. That's certainly the case with the famous movie, which enshrines a number of unforgettable moments. (Note the scene Mamet added, where Alec Baldwin gave what was � until he left a voicemail message for his daughter, at least � his most hair-raisingly over-the-top performance.)

There's virtuosity in Theatre Exile's production, but director Matt Pfeiffer and his actors are rather softer than the traditional Glengarry cast. This approach has some drawbacks: We want more sharpness in the play's hairpin turns, and also perhaps a deeper feeling of underlying desperation. On the other hand, there's a marvelous sense of connection among the guys, and in some ways I've never seen the world of Glengarry seem so real.

This is certainly a very worthwhile production of a most important play. Mamet's message won't make him a lot of friends, but I fear he's right: In America, there's more honor among thieves than among salesmen.

(d_fox@citypaper.net)

Glengarry Glen Ross, through May 13, Theatre Exile at Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American St., 215-922-4462.

 

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