Glengarry Glen Ross: Is Coffee Only for Closers?

Playwright David Mamet in 1983 very much captured what would later be elsewhere called the “greed is good” era with this Tony and Pulitzer award-winning look into an office of seedy real estate salesmen trying to sucker gullible buyers into a world of pipe dreams wrapped up in worthless property.

Most people know Glengarry Glen Ross from a strongly R-rated 1992 cinematic version as it is often avoided by local and community theater groups due to a heavy use of coarse language and outright profanity realistic and appropriate to an all-male gang of high-pressure salesmen three decades ago. The assortment of English and Yiddish vulgarities that pepper the speech of the characters is essential to defining the atmosphere and environment, and although a few sensitive audience members might find it a little tough to take, none of the words would be unfamiliar to the average 12-year-old. Attleboro Community Theatre deserves credit for respecting the original work and presenting the unfiltered language.

Glengarry Glen Ross is all about its characters and this makes it a showpiece for actors to run with the script. A fierce rivalry in a sales contest between the older Shelly Levene (Bruce Church) on his way down and the younger Richard Roma (John Campbell) on his way up is the catalyst for a tense conflict. Office manager John Williamson (Chris Cournoyer) is not a salesman himself and as a result, neither understands those who are nor is respected by them, but he parcels out the precious leads whose quality determines success or failure in an inherently unfair game. Levene and Roma are unscrupulous and willing to lie about anything to make a sale, but colleague and competitor Dave Moss (Dave Almeida) knows he cannot compete even on their terms and is willing to discard even a semblance of morality, trying to enlist weak-willed salesman George Aronow (Craig O’Connor) in his scheme. Levene helps Roma hoodwink dissatisfied buyer James Lingk (Bill Castro), who was sent by his wife to rescind the contract he was talked into signing. Director Mario J. Carneiro also plays Blake, sent from the head office to threaten the salesmen with unpleasant consequences, and Robert P. Messier plays Baylen, a police detective who is called when Moss’ scheme materializes.

Church is believable and sympathetic as Levene, an increasingly desperate man heading for emotional collapse at the end of his wits after depending upon them his whole life; Church brilliantly portrays  aging salesman Levene ranging from euphoric highs to paralyzing lows. Almeida is outstanding as the thoroughly disillusioned Moss who glories in utter cynicism with odd cheerfulness, proving that among thieves there is not even honor: if you’re going to cheat, go as big as possible and enjoy the ride. Campbell and Cournoyer turn in fine performances along with a couple of soliloquies, and O’Connor, Castro, Carneiro and Messier make the most of their supporting stage appearances.

Unfortunately, the decision to stage the last two-thirds of the first act to the far left of the house on a low stage extension made it impossible for me to see it from the seat farthest to the house right in the front row. It sounded good and became something like listening to a radio play for me, but it was not the experience of live theater that I expected and should have received. Having 40% of the play take place behind me and to the left, so that I had to crane my neck and look between other audience members to see any of it, was a serious mistake. Admittedly, my seat was arguably the worst of all in the entire room, but at least the quarter of the seats closest to the main stage and on house right could not have been much better than mine. I would strongly urge anyone to see this play from a seat as far to house left as possible and in the middle between front and back.

Despite shortcomings of staging, Attleboro Community Theatre is to be commended for a strong and faithful Glengarry Glen Ross, distinguished by the high quality of its acting, a nostalgia trip into the go-go sales culture of the greed decade – although those who are nostalgic for the 1980s may be condemned to repeat them.

Glengarry Glen Ross, directed by Mario J. Carneiro, Attleboro Community Theatre, performances at Ezekiel Bates Masonic Lodge, 71 N. Main St., Attleboro, MA, Fri (10/23) and Sat (10/24) 8pm, Sun (10/18, 10/25) 2pm. About 2 hours with one 20-minute intermission. E-mail: AttleboroCommunityTheatreACT@gmail.com Web site: http://attleborocommunitytheatre.com/?page_id=2 Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/928468737200549/