BY LIANA KATZ

In print | Published April 17, 2008

What would you do if your job was on the line? Would you lie, cheat, and steal at the expense of your colleagues? Drama Board’s production of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,” opening this Saturday in Olde Club, explores these questions by delving into the world of a Chicago real-estate office.

Directed by Dustin Trabert ’10 and produced by Nora Nussbaum ’08, “Glengarry Glen Ross” is fraught with tension. Set against a fairly sparse backdrop, the play centers around four middle-aged real-estate salesmen whose abilities to close deals are flagging. In order to increase sales, their bosses, who never actually appear on stage, set up a contest. The top two producers will be rewarded and the bottom two will be fired. With their futures at stake, they “essentially begin trying to sell to customers and to one another in literal and metaphoric ways,” Trabert said.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” spans a wide range of theatrical genres. According to Trabert, there are elements of “whodunit” mystery and comedy, in addition to what he calls a “morality play.” Trabert was drawn to “Glengarry Glen Ross” precisely for the complexity of its moral landscape. “There is a pervasive tone that is more concerned with the decay of culture, of capitalism, of masculinity, of the American dream.” Yet, the play never condemns the actions of any of its characters. This allows the audience to experience a variety of nuanced and perhaps conflicting sympathies.

This production of “Glengarry Glen Ross” has been laughingly dubbed “the DU play” as six out of seven actors are fraternity brothers. This preexisting bond between cast members proved to be a great strength. “We were definitely comfortable giving feedback to each other. We were able to be honest with each other,” said Brian Willis ’11, who plays the cocky salesman Richard Roma. Will Treece ’11, cast as the office manager John Williamson, had no difficulty breaking into the already tight knit cast. “It felt definitely like an ensemble, all working together collaboratively.”

Even though the play focuses on the lives of older businessmen, the cast seemed to have little difficulty slipping into the skin of their respective characters. All seemed to agree that the trick was simply shifts in posture. “You have to figure out how to hold yourself differently. A lot if it is just physicality … the rest follows after that,” said Luke Rampersad ’10, who plays the corporate employee Blake and police detective Baylen. Chris Compton ’09, in the role of the aging Shelley Levene, continued, “You sort of put the weight in your back and … everything starts going slower.”

Physical challenges aside, Trabert had to contend with integrating the play into its surroundings. “Olde Club is such a bizarre space. No one is going to walk in here and think, ‘Oh, that’s clearly a realistic office.’” To this end, the production took a stripped-down approach to its set, creating a more symbolic office and using lighting to complement the changing mood.

Overall, both cast and crew speak in glowing terms about the production. “These guys are fantastic…it is astonishing what they can do with very difficult material,” Trabert said. Due to the dedication and enthusiasm of all, Olde Club has been transformed from a musty music venue into a constricting corporate microcosm.

Show times for Glengarry Glen Ross are 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on April 19, Saturday and 8 p.m. on April 20, Sunday.

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