Death of a Salesman's Soul: 'Glengarry Glen Ross'

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The shape of real estate these days is enough to cause anyone to curse repeatedly for 90 minutes.

Thus, Keegan Theatre's production of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross" seems particularly timely. Staged at Church Street Theater and ably directed by Jeremy Skidmore, the 1982 play features real estate salesmen battling themselves and each other for survival.

Act One takes place entirely at a Chinese restaurant the salesmen favor for its proximity and apparent disregard of its customers. At one table, the washed-up Shelley Levene (Kevin Adams) cajoles, insults and eventually bribes the office manager, Williamson (Colin Smith), into giving him the most promising leads, which currently are reserved for powerhouse Ricky Roma.

At another table, Moss (Peter Finnegan) and Aaronow (Stan Shulman) gripe about the pressure to sell; the conversation takes a turn when Moss suggests burgling the office and selling the company's leads to a rival. Finally, Roma (Mark Rhea) arrives, captivating a passive diner with his ruminations on bowel movements and regret.

As anyone who has seen the play — or the 1992 film adaptation — knows, it's a dialogue-heavy affair, requiring actors who can handle the staccato rhythms and furious and at-times creative uses of profanity.

Fortunately, Keegan's talented cast shows such facility, particularly Adams as the desperate-for-a-comeback Levene and Rhea as the ruthless-yet-charismatic Roma.

» Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St. NW; through Dec. 20, $25-$30; 703-892-0202. (Dupont Circle)

Written by Express contributor Erin Trompeter
Photo by Photo by Ray Gniewek