Photo Flash: First Look at Maltz Jupiter Theatre's GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

Always be closing.

Those words from David Mamet's 1984 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross have become synonymous with the key to the American Dream; the mantra that drives sales success.

Enter the world of Chicago real estate in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's production of the cutthroat drama (onstage February 8 - 22); a world in which "the sale" is all that matters. In the middle of a high stakes sales competition, a group of tough-talking agents will do anything to close a deal and stay in the game: blackmail, bribery, intimidation and even burglary. This high-octane masterpiece will keep you in suspense as the businessmen fight to stay on top. But at the end of the day, will it all be worth it?

"We are thrilled to bring David Mamet's work to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's stage," said Andrew Kato, the Theatre's producing artistic director. "Known for a street-smart edge, Mamet's distinct style is raw and unparalleled. Glengarry Glen Ross is a challenging, though-provoking drama by one of this century's leading American playwrights."

This production marks the 33rd anniversary of the drama, which Mamet wrote in 1982. It premiered in the 1983-1984 season at the Royal National Theatre in London. That same year, it made its American debut at Chicago's Goodman Theatre before moving to Broadway's Golden Theatre where it ran for a total of 378 performances. Mamet later adapted a popular 1992 film by the same name, starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey, among others.

Directed by multiple Carbonell Award-winning South Florida director J. Barry Lewis (whose recent work at the Theatre includes Dial M for Murder andDoubt: A Parable), the play will feature a cast of acclaimed actors, including Helen Hayes Award nominee Peter Allas, known for his work in theatres across the nation (including the Theatre's 2004 production of Anna In The Tropics) and on TV (including Seinfeld, The Sopranos and more). Other cast members include Drama Logue Award winner Rob Donohoe, known for roles on Broadway, television and in recent productions at Palm Beach Dramaworks, including Dividing The Estate; and John Leonard Thompson (seen on and off-Broadway, internationally and in five shows at Palm Beach Dramaworks).

"Mamet has written a scathing portrayal of the American Dream gone astray," Lewis said. "But in spite of the daily grind of the real estate agents' dog-eat-dog world, Glengarry Glen Ross is not so much about Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman as it is about spirit, toughness and the will to survive; how to turn hot property leads into cool, profitable closings. But at what personal cost?"

The cast also features acclaimed South Florida actors Cliff Burgess (recently seen in the Theatre's production of Other Desert Cities), Peter W. Galman (seen on Broadway, television and recently Our Town at Palm Beach Dramaworks), Carbonell Award winner Kenneth Kay (a faculty member at the Theatre's Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts) and Carbonell Award winner Dan Leonard (seen recently in the Theatre's production of Dial M for Murder and Palm Beach Dramaworks' Our Town).

The production will showcase the artistry of designers known for their recent work at the Theatre: scenic designer Anne Mundell (Other Desert Cities), lighting designer Kirk Bookman (Thoroughly Modern Millie), costume designer Robin L. McGee (Dial M for Murder) and Marty Mets (resident sound designer).

Sponsored by California Closets, Glengarry Glen Ross is onstage at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre February 8 - 22. Please note: the show contains extreme profanity throughout.

Photos by Alicia Donelan

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