The Prospect Theater Project is performing the acclaimed David Mamet play “Glengarry Glen Ross” over the next three weeks.
“Glengarry Glen Ross” is an intimate look into the world of a real-estate office and its employees — five men all wrestling with an age-old battle of principles vs. power in the high-stakes arena created by commission-based paychecks. Just how far will any person go to close a deal? On one side of the spectrum, Richard “Ricky” Roma, played by Nick Zagone, is a smooth-talking shark who will stop at nearly nothing; on the other side, Shelly “The Machine” Levene, played by Jack Souza, tries to hold onto his ideals as he sells the promise of the American Dream to would-be buyers.
Levene comes from an earlier generation, one that struggles with the primal drive of profit-for-profit’s-sake embraced by those like Roma or their boss, John Williamson (James Kusy). Williamson’s newest gimmicks have the old guard—Levene, Dave Moss (Tom Solomon), and George Aronow (Carl Bengston) — desperate to close some sales. Trying to hit sales quotas, Williamson pits the men against each other in a contest — the top seller wins a Cadillac — and withholds the best leads for his top salesmen. But the dog-eat-dog atmosphere drives tensions so high that one of them may do something dangerous in their quest to get ahead, even if it means steamrolling over hapless clients like James Lingk (Gary Thomas), or cops like Officer Bayler (David Ackerman).
Directed by Michael Hewitt, Glengarry Glen Ross is a breakneck ride from start to finish, with language that is not for the faint of heart.
Tickets are on sale now on the Prospect website, and the reservation line is open. Performances are set for 8 p.m. tonight, Saturday, and March 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11 and 2 p.m. Sunday, and March 5 and 12. All shows are at PTP’s permanent space at 1214 K Street in Modesto. Parking is free in the lot across from the theatre, and student pricing ($10) is available for those with a valid ID. Due to language, this show is recommended for audiences aged 17 years and older.