BWW REVIEWS: GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS at The Gamm

The Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, RI opens its 26th season David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross, directed by Fred Sullivan, Jr. The 1982 play received a Pulitzer, Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier award. Mamet also wrote the screenplay for the 1992 film, which gives the work a collective conscious familiarity.

Set in a sleazy real estate office selling Florida swampland to suckers, the play has a undeniable connection to Arthur Miller's Death of A Salesman. The guys in the office (it is an all male cast) are at the end of a month-long sales contest. The salesman who closes the most deals wins a shiny new Cadillac. They may lose their friends and their soul, but the Caddy will be theirs.

Shelly Levene (Sam Babbitt), is not worried about the Cadillac. At the end of his career and past his prime, Levine is under enormous pressure as he has not closed a single sale in the past month. Levene has been at the peak, but is now firmly entrenched in the valley. Levine will do whatever it takes to get the good sales leads and close a deal.

If Levine is in the valley Richard Roma (Tony Estrella) is at the mountaintop. Every person Roma encounters is a possible mark. His loyalty is to the deal and the dealmakers. Slick and soulless, Roma is the essence of situational ethics.

Dave Moss (Tom Gleadow) has spent his career being second best. Moss thinks the grass is always greener; that someone else is getting a better shake. He lacks the courage to make a change and projects his unhappiness on others.

George Aaronow (Chuck Reifler) has played follow the leader his whole life. He is down and sees no way up.

The real estate office is run by career bureaucrat Williamson (Marc Dante Mancini). Williamson aspires to be middle management someday.

If your only reference to Glengarry Glen Ross is the movie, you will be surprised, (and pleased, I think) with the dark humor that is Mamet's script. Fred Sullivan knows where to find it, and finds more than is apparent. The desperation is kept at bay, (barely) for most of the Act One.

There was a moment in the middle of Act One when I wondered if Sam Babbitt had a handle on the character of Levene. My doubts were annihilated in Act Two. When Babbit fixes his watery eyes on an unseen audience to recount his sales prowess, we are transfixed.

There are unexpected wisps of what might be a fleeting sensuality between Estrella's character and his hapless mark, played by Kelby T. Akin.

Even without the Alec Baldwin monologue that is in the screenplay, most of the actors gets plenty of opportunity to stretch and each takes full advantage.

Glengarry Glen Ross is one hell of a story and Fred Sullivan Jr. extracts performances from this ensemble cast that are equal to the intensity of Mamet's drama.

Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet is directed by Fred Sullivan, Jr. and runs through October 3^rd at The Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, RI. Tickets range from $30 - $40 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (401) 723-4266 or by visiting www.gammtheatre.org

Photo: Marc Dante Mancini as Williamson and Sam Babbitt as Levene.

Photo by Peter Goldberg, courtesy of The Gamm Theatre.

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