Glengarry: Not A World of Men--Ruiz assembles power cast in Kronauer space

THEATER

Glengarry Glen Ross

Glengarry Glen Ross

"It is not a world of men" seems an odd way to describe Glengarry Glen Ross, a play written by a male about males. But when Richard Roma (James Carmichael '01) uses this phrase in one of his meditations on the facts of life, it seems to convey exactly what this play is all about. Admirably directed by Jerry Ruiz '00, the talented cast of Glengarry Glen Ross creates a captivating depiction of the machinations of the business world, wherein the players sacrifice their integrity in order to gain ultimate control.

Written by acclaimed playwright and director David Mamet, Glengarry escorts us to Chicago-- the author's native city. The story revolves around a sales contest, initiated by the real estate agency at which all the characters are employed. The vicious competition that ensues culminates in crime and betrayal as the agents manipulate each other in a struggle to climb to the top of the office pecking order.

Right from the start, Glengarry presents some difficult challenges. Ruiz, known for his cleverly farcical, physical style of comedic direction in productions such as The Misanthrope and How the Other Half Loves, confronted and solved the problem of how to find subtler, darker and more naturalistic ways of presenting his characters. As Dave Moss, Christian Roulleau '01 is proof of Ruiz's success. He appears to have mastered the naturalistic intonations and body language called for by Glengarry. Although, at first glimpse, Roulleau's character seems to be in danger of becoming rehearsed, soon he expertly shapes and surfaces the dark, manipulative undercurrent of Moss's persona, as well as his jealousy and frustration. David Waller '00 occasionally flounders but eventually pulls through in his well-defined portrayal of John Williamson, the white-bread office manager whose position of power and seemingly cold, tattle-tale tactics render him an object of both envy and scorn by the other sellers.

Another chief challenge of the production is the quick, stop-and-go language and the equally rapid change of tactics behind each line. Glengarry Glen Ross follows in the playwright's tradition of plays such as Sexual Perversity in Chicago and the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Buffalo, famous for the fast-paced, in-your-face language that Mamet prefers to call "poetry" rather than realism. Ruiz directs his cast according to Mamet's concept of "practical aesthetics," which emphasizes intention and reaction. The actor's mind must work quickly, switching from one tactic to another in order to get what he wants. Although there are moments where the actors seem to lose the freshness of the moment, they manage to conjure up the intense and dynamic interaction that the aesthetic requires.

Finally, Glengarry is a difficult piece to achieve because of its self-conscious themes. It is a play about taking control, about manipulation, about struggling to survive. Ruiz uses visual symbols and characterization to avoid a potential pitfall in this essential part of the production. The hunger for money and power is symbolized in Ruiz's constant emphasis on food throughout the production. It also indicates that no matter how different or superior they may profess to be, the characters all share the same drives, needs and desires. Number one sales agent Richard Roma (James Carmichael '00) has several of the most telltale thematic passages, which stick out like neon signs on a deserted highway. For the most part, Carmichael handles these passages with ease, resisting the temptation to be preachy and melodramatic. Carmichael crafts an exceptional portrayal of Roma, the clean-cut "nice guy" whose smooth-talking is so smooth that he even takes in the audience, leaving them all the more crushed at his final betrayal. Carmichael displays an impressive range of emotions that protect his character from stagnancy. He becomes, in one sense, a key figure of opportunist temptation in the play - a devil swathed in the borrowed robes of opportunity.

Although its humor is often dark, comedy does not escape this production. As the precociously naive and fashion-impaired George Aaronow, Juri Henley-Cohn ('00) delicately handles and balances a role which, had it been exaggerated, might have destroyed the naturalism of the piece. As Shelley Levene, an aging seller desperate for a comeback, Paul Monteleoni ('00) continually provides the play with energy and freshness. If ever this humorous vitality turns unwieldy, Monteleoni always manages to rein himself back in with a sudden change of tone or an expression that reestablishes realism in the scene. Although saddled with one of the play's less developed characters, Ray Courtney ('01) as Baylen displays comfort and wry humor in his role.

The beauty of Glengarry is that Mamet presents his characters not merely as the machinations they often portray, but as people with feelings, families, and vulnerabilities that are shared and exploited. Here the character of James Lingk (Joe Gfaller '00), is essential. As a reluctant client of Roma's, Gfaller's uneasiness and pitiable entreaties serve to reveal the cruelty of the system and all its deception.

Unlike their characters, the actors do not compete for top slot. Each takes a calm but definite possession of the stage without eclipsing the other actors. Although their motivations lack sharpness and definition at times, the actors have done excellent work creating very real and complex characters whose interactions are made all the more absorbing by the intimacy of the Kronauer space.

Glengarry is a world of incessant motion. The characters are constantly rising up and down like the figures they so jealously keep track of on a chalkboard - struggling to gain power, reveling in their moment of glory, only to come crashing down a moment later. It is a world where men suppress their own humanity in order to become the "machine" - the ideal businessman - cool, collected, always closing a deal. It's a ripped contract. It's life.

And it's brilliant.