Glengarry Glen Ross
by David Mamet
Directed by Brian Keegan
Glengarry Glen Ross is a play by David Mamet that premiered on Broadway in 1984. The play is set in a real estate office in Chicago, where four salesmen are desperately trying to sell dubious properties to unsuspecting buyers. The office is run by a ruthless manager who uses any means necessary to motivate his employees to sell, including intimidation and bribery.
The play explores themes of greed, desperation, and the dark side of the American Dream. The characters are all flawed and morally bankrupt, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed in their cutthroat industry. As the pressure mounts and the stakes get higher, the salesmen's relationships with each other begin to fray, leading to a dramatic and shocking conclusion.
Playwright
David Mamet
David Mamet is an acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. Born in Chicago in 1947, Mamet began his career as a playwright in the 1970s, with works such as American Buffalo and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He is known for his distinctive writing style, which often features characters who speak in a clipped, profanity-laced language and stories that explore themes of masculinity, power, and corruption.
Glengarry Glen Ross is one of Mamet's most famous works, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1984 and becoming a classic of American theatre. It has been revived numerous times on Broadway and adapted into a successful film in 1992. Mamet's other notable plays include Oleanna, Speed-the-Plow, and Race.
In addition to his work in theatre, Mamet is also a prolific screenwriter and has written scripts for films such as The Untouchables, Hoffa, and Wag the Dog. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival for his work on The Verdict.
Director
Brian Keegan
Brian Keegan is an experienced actor and director who’s appeared on stage all across Auckland. He was last seen on the Dolphin stage in the 2021 One Acts in The Irish Murderer.
He has also performed in Glengarry Glen Ross before, playing the role of Shelly Levene. Brian adores this play and is excited to bring David Mamet to the Dolphin Stage for the first time.
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Welcome to Glengarry Glen Ross, a comedy about the high stakes world of real estate sales. While this play is often categorised as a drama, my approach to it will be different. I will be emphasising the comedic elements of the script, exploring the absurdity and humour in the cutthroat world of sales. This will require a delicate balance of tone, as we want to find the humor without losing sight of the very real pressures and tensions at play.
My goal is to create a production that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, highlighting the complexities of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. With a focus on the humour in the dialogue and situations, we hope to keep the audience engaged and invested in the story. We will also be experimenting with staging and physical comedy, using the space to create a dynamic and visually interesting production. Our cast of talented actors will be bringing their own unique interpretations to the characters, adding depth and nuance to the comedic aspects of the script. We look forward to bringing this fresh take on Glengarry Glen Ross to life on stage.
Cast
AUDITION Notice!
Why not be a part of this powerful play?
Roles
Shelly Levene
Veteran real estate salesman, 50+.
A washed-up real estate salesman in his fifties. Shelly "The Machine" Levene was successful years ago, but recently has hit a streak of "bad luck" and finds himself in danger of getting fired. He desperately wants to save his career, and this desperation is usually grotesquely apparent.
Ricky Roma
Office manager, 30s or 40s
A big-shot real estate salesman. Roma is the top name on the board at his office, which means he is currently the most successful salesman. It is easy to see why he does better than the other men: he is smart, charming, and incredibly quick-witted. Rather than trying to force customers to submit to his sales tactics, as the others do, he lures people into thinking they want what he is selling.
John Williamson
Office manager, 30s or 40s
The manager of the real estate office. Williamson's job is to oversee the operations of the office and to assign the salesmen their leads. The salesmen dislike him because of his status as "company man"—he merely follows orders from Mitch and Murray, and the salesmen do not think he really understands the business.
Dave Moss
Salesman, 30s or 40s
An angry real estate salesman. Moss harbors a great deal of resentment toward the company. He is not a subtle man, and tends to lash out angrily when under pressure. His sheer aggression makes him a more successful salesman than Aaronow or Levene, but he has none of Roma's verbal agility.
George Aaronow
Salesman, 50s or 60s.
George Aaronow is a timid and aging salesman in Glengarry Glen Ross. He is struggling to keep up with the demands of the job and is constantly berated by his colleagues. Aaronow is a sympathetic character, as he is clearly out of his depth in the cutthroat world of real estate sales. He is easily manipulated and falls prey to Moss's scheme, which leads to dire consequences for him and the rest of the salesmen.
James Lingk
Prospective buyer, 30’s or 40’s.
James Lingk is a nervous and indecisive prospective buyer in Glengarry Glen Ross. He is easily manipulated by the salesmen and is constantly being pressured into making a purchase.
Lingk is a sympathetic character, as he is clearly out of his depth in the high-pressure world of real estate sales. He becomes caught up in the schemes of the salesmen and ultimately becomes a victim of their deceit.
Audition INfo
Dolphin Theatre Rehearsal Room
Sunday, April 16, 2023
12:00 pm
REHEARSALS
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 7.30pm – 10.00pm
Sundays afternoons
NOTEs
All roles are open to ALL ETHNICITIES. Ideally every character would have a neutral American accent, however please do not let a lack of American accent prevent you from auditioning! America is a country full of people from other countries, so there is some flexibility there. The same goes for the characters’ ages. All of the roles can fall anywhere from mid-twenties to late fifties, and I am more than willing to either adjust some of the ages or to age performers up/down slightly as needed. I’m focused on finding strong performers first and foremost.
Audition Application Form
Dolphin theatre is a community theatre and is run entirely by volunteers.
All acting roles are unpaid.