FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cindy Moran, Public Relations
Director, 414-224-1761
January 17, 2008
Mamet’s Riveting Portrait of American Capitalism
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
By David Mamet
Directed by Kate Buckley
Made possible in part by the generous support of:
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE THEATER
Previews: January 30 & 31, 2008 Opens: February
1, 2008 Closes: March 2, 2008
“Get them to sign on the line that is dotted!” That’s what
life is all about for the salesmen in David Mamet’s harrowing portrait
of American capitalism at its most brazen. Before Survivor,
and before The
Apprentice, there was Ricky Roma and Shelly “The Machine” Levene,
struggling to win respect on the job and to earn their keep in a cutthroat
world. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Contains adult language. Tickets
can be purchased in person at The Rep Ticket Office at 108 East Wells Street,
or by telephone at 414-224-9490. Tickets can also be purchased online 24/7
at milwaukeerep.com.
David Mamet’s searing drama GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS follows four
ruthless Chicago real estate salesmen who will entertain any plot
to profit. Mitch and Murray, the unseen big wigs at the real estate
company, have arranged a “sales contest” in the office
in which the winner is awarded a Cadillac while the losers are
fired. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS illustrates the characters’ plays
for the upper hand in the competition. Shelly “The
Machine” Levene resorts to begging, flattering and finally
bribing the generally disliked office manager, John Williamson,
to gain a good lead. Dave Moss conspires to break into the office
and steal the best leads. Meanwhile, Moss intends to fully exploit
his coworkers - his loudmouthed scheming implicates the innocuous
George Aaronow as an accomplice for unsuspectingly listening to
Moss’ conniving plan. Ricky Roma, the most successful sales
agent, is charismatic, yet cold blooded in his sale pitches, clawing
his way to the top regardless of his impact on his clients.
True to Moss’ wish, the office is burglarized and chaos
ensues. Still, Moss’ alibi checks out, making him an innocent
party despite his big mouth. Levene enters the office blissfully
unaware of the situation due to the colossal sale he claims to
have closed that morning. The rat-race continues as Williamson’s
animosity towards the salesmen surfaces and Roma’s displeased
clients enter the scene, all while the threat of Mitch and Murray’s
presence heightens as time passes and the police interrogate the
men one at a time in the neighboring room. As tension rises and
tempers flare – fueled by Mamet’s crisp, biting dialogue –the
intensity and chaos on stage will make for an unforgettable, riveting
night of theater.
Joseph Hanreddy, The Rep’s Artistic Director,
describes GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS as “a thrilling roller coaster
ride of a play – laceratingly funny, harrowing and, at the
end of the day, extraordinarily human and moving. It’s an
actor’s piece in that it absolutely demands driven, passionate,
ruthlessly savage performances.”
As Literary Director Kristin Crouch writes for
The Rep’s current edition of Prologue: “The
salesmen have one key weapon in their arsenal for survival: language.
Their verbal skills alone will determine whether each man will
land or lose a sale, earn a paycheck or be dismissed. Collegiality
and cooperation are no longer an option. Communication fractures.
Sentences dwindle to fragments, jargon, mere interruptions, repetitions
or even the primal sounds of vowels and consonants themselves.
Talk, stories and speeches are all reduced to strategy and scheming.
As the pressure in the office increases, every word from their
mouths becomes an instrument for attack. Words are actions. Words
manipulate, deceive, control, evade and betray. As you watch the
performance, listen closely to the sounds and rhythms of the men’s
speeches and you will hear the patterns of the hunt, the attack,
the defense and the final crush of the competition.”
Playwright David Mamet was born Nov. 30, 1947
to a Jewish family in Flossmoor, Ill. His parents raised him Chicago’s
South Shore neighborhood until they divorced in 1958 and Mamet
moved to the suburbs with his mother. An author, essayist, playwright,
screenwriter and director, Mamet discovered his passion for theater
as a student at Goddard College in Vermont, where he later worked
as an acting instructor. After attending the Neighborhood Playhouse
School in New York, Mamet’s post-collegiate career waffled
between odd jobs. One such position in real estate sales inspired
his play, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. In 1992, Mamet adapted GLENNGARY
GLEN ROSS into a screenplay for the acclaimed film production.
In 1973, Mamet’s Chicago theater company produced SEXUAL
PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO. The play drew mixed attention from the media.
Some critics were put off by the profanity that has become a Mamet
trademark. Mamet’s works are known for their clever, brusque
and, at times, offensive language. His signature use of witty and
pithy dialogue has come to be known as “Mametspeak.” His
use of language was considered groundbreaking at the time.
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for drama. The
Verdict (1983) and Wag the Dog (1998) earned Mamet
Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best screenplay. In 2005,
The Writers’ Guild of America honored Mamet with the Laurel
Award for Screen Writing Achievement.
Mamet has two children, Willa and Zosia, from his first marriage
to actress Lindsay Crouse. Noah and Clara are Mamet’s children
from his current marriage to actress and singer-songwriter Rebecca
Pidgeon. Mamet also taught at Yale School of Drama and New
York University. He continues to find success writing and directing
theater.
Director Kate Buckley directed FROZEN last season
in the Stiemke Theater. Since then, she has directed MARIONETTE
MACBETH at both Chicago Shakespeare Theater and The New Victory
Theatre in NY; THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (Oregon Shakespeare Festival);
TIMON OF ATHENS (American Players Theatre); ANTIGONE (Clarence
Brown Theatre Company) and most recently, has been appointed assistant
professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Ms. Buckley
is a founding member of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, served as
Artistic Director of Next Theatre Company in Evanston Illinois,
and has been a Guest Lecturer on Shakespeare at universities and
arts organizations nationally and abroad, most notably at Charles
University in Prague. She received four Best Director nominations
from the Joseph Jefferson Committee. Her productions have won four
consecutive Jefferson Awards for Best Ensemble and she has won
two After Dark Awards for Outstanding Direction. She is a committee
member of the Michael Merritt Award for Design Excellence. In 2006
she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Aurora University.
Other theaters include: Goodman Theatre, the Utah Shakespearean
Festival, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Writers’ Theatre,
Madison Repertory Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee
Shakespeare Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Peninsula Players Theatre
and Next Theatre Company. Upcoming projects: JULIUS CAESAR (Utah
Shakespearean Festival); THE TRIUMPH OF LOVE (Clarence Brown Theatre
Company) and MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN (American Players
Theatre).
Included in the cast for GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS are Resident Acting
Company Members: Mark Corkins (Baylen); Jonathan
Gillard Daly (James Lingk); Lee E. Ernst (John
Williamson); James Pickering (Dave Moss) and Peter
Silbert (Shelly Levene).
In addition, James DeVita (Richard Roma) and Mark
Murphey (George Aaronow) will be joining the cast as guest
actors.
(To learn more about our Resident Acting Company, Guest Actors
or our Intern Company, please visit www.milwaukeerep.com.)
The Production/Design team for GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS includes: Todd
Rosenthal (Scenic Designer);
Rachel Laritz (Costume Designer); Jaymi Lee Smith (Lighting
Designer); Lindsay Jones (Sound Designer);
Kristin Crouch (Literary Director); Briana J. Fahey (Stage
Manager); Richelle Harrington-Calin (Assistant Stage Manager)
and Tim Nicolai (Assistant Director).
Tickets to GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS range in price
from $9.00 – $56.00. Students and senior citizens may purchase
half-price RUSH TICKETS with proper identification 60 minutes before
curtain time for all Quadracci Powerhouse performances at The Rep
Ticket Office. For more information or to charge tickets, call 414-224-9490. Tickets
can be purchased online 24/7 at milwaukeerep.com.
For group sales of 20 or more, call The Rep Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.
Special Events for GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
• Join us for The Rep in Depth, which begins 45
minutes before curtain time before every performance in the Quadracci
Powerhouse Theater. This Rep in Depth will be led by Actor Jonathan
Gillard Daly.
• On Thursday, January 31 and Tuesday, February
6 at 7:30 pm there will be an Audio-Described Performance for patrons
who are blind or have low vision.
• A performance interpreted in American Sign Language is
scheduled for Thursday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m.
• Captioned Theater will take place on Sunday,
March 2 at 2:00 p.m. Lines from the script running concurrently with
the actors’ lines will be projected on the house left wall of the theater.
This is a perfect way for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing to enjoy
the performance.
•The Rep Talkbacks will be held after the Wednesday evening
performances on February 6, February 13, February 20 and February
27. The Rep Talkbacks are offered immediately after select performances
and offer an opportunity for audience members to ask questions about the play
to Rep company members and actors in the production. For more information on
The Rep Talkbacks, please contact the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490.
• A Theater Thursday event will be held on Thursday,
February 7 beginning at 5:45 p.m. Theater Thursdays
are held on the second Thursday of each Quadracci Powerhouse performance and
include a pre-show reception with complimentary appetizers from a downtown
restaurant. This is a subscription-only event, but a limited number of additional
guests can attend, based on availability. Cost for the event is $5.00 per person
at the door. (Patrons must purchase theater tickets separately.) For more information
on Theater Thursdays, please contact Kristy Studinski at kstudinski@milwaukeerep.com at
414-290-0710. Kil@wat will provide appetizers for the Thursday, February
7 Theater Thursday event.
Mamet’s Riveting Portrait
of American Capitalism
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
By David Mamet
Directed by Kate Buckley
Fact Sheet
THEATER: Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
DATES: January 30, 2008 – March
2, 2008
DESCRIPTION: “Get them to sign on
the line that is dotted!” That’s what life is all about
for the salesmen in David Mamet’s harrowing portrait of American
capitalism at its most brazen. Before Survivor, and before The
Apprentice, there was Ricky Roma and Shelly “The Machine” Levene,
struggling to win respect on the job and to earn their keep in
a cutthroat world. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Contains
adult language.
PERFORMANCES:
Wednesday, 1/30/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Preview
Thursday, 1/31/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Preview
Friday, 2/1/08 - 8:00 p.m. - Opening
Saturday, 2/2/08 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 2/3/08 -2:00/7:00
p.m. -7:00/Super
Sunday
Tuesday, 2/5/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Pay-What-You-Can
Wednesday, 2/6/08
- 1:30/7:30 p.m. – 1:30/Bus Matinee,
7:30/Talkback
Thursday, 2/7/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Theater Thursday
Friday, 2/8/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday,
2/9/08 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 2/10/08
- 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 2/12/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, 2/13/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Talkback
Thursday, 2/14/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, 2/15/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 2/16/08 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 2/17/08 - 2:00/7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 2/19/08 - 6:30 p.m. - Early Bird
Wednesday, 2/20/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Talkback
Thursday, 2/21/08 - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, 2/22/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 2/23/08 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 2/24/08
- 2:00/7:00 p.m. - 2:00/Smoke-Free/Family Sunday
Tuesday, 2/26/08 - 7:30 p.m. - Audio Description
Wednesday, 2/27/08 - 1:30/7:30 p.m. – 7:30/Talkback
Thursday, 2/28/08 - 7:30 p.m. - American Sign Language
Friday, 2/29/08 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday,
3/1/08 - 4:00/8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 3/2/08 - 2:00
p.m. - Captioned Theater/Close
TICKET PRICES:
PREVIEWS: $9.00 - $39.00
WEEKDAY/SUNDAY: $12.00 - $44.00
FRIDAY/SATURDAY: $15.00 - $56.00
TICKETS/INFORMATION: 414-224-9490
or buy tickets online at milwaukeerep.com
TICKET OFFICE LOCATION: 108
East Wells Street in Milwaukee’s Downtown Theater District
TICKET OFFICE HOURS: Mon
- Fri, 12 pm - 6 pm on phones, 12 pm - curtain for window
Sat/Sun 12 pm
- 6 pm on phones, 12 pm - curtain for window
###
Open to the public before and after all evening performances, Milwaukee
Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret, located on the second
floor of the Milwaukee Center, is our own full-service, smoke-free
bar and restaurant. Featuring delicious dinners, as well as late
night cocktails, coffee, and desserts, the Cabaret is the ideal
meeting place for patrons attending Rep performances. For dinner
reservations, call 414-224-9490.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater is a nationally recognized
theater company that presents a critically-acclaimed selection of
compelling dramas, powerful classics, award-winning contemporary
works and lively Cabaret shows on three stages from September through
May. The Rep also produces an annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
The Rep's home, the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex, accommodates
the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, the Stiemke Theater and the Stackner
Cabaret. The Rep is also home to a Resident Acting Company of 13
actors who perform with The Rep throughout the season.
The Rep is proud to be a member of the United
Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), which provides major annual financial
support. The Rep is a member of the League
of Resident Theatres (LORT), a management association of some
of the nation's largest non-profit professional theaters that collectively
bargains with the unions that represent the actors, directors and
designers that work at The Rep; a constituent of Theatre
Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the
nonprofit professional theater; and a member of Theatre
Wisconsin, the statewide association of non-profit professional
theaters. This theater operates under an agreement between the League
of Resident Theatres and Actors'
Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage
managers in the United States. The set, costume and lighting designers
are members of United Scenic Artists,
a national labor union. This theater is an equal opportunity employer.
Except in plays where race itself is an issue, casting is decided
based on ability, not race.
Milwaukee
Repertory Theater, 108 E Wells St Milwaukee, WI 53202
Ticket Office: 414-224-9490 Ticket Office Fax: 225-5490
Administrative: 414-224-1761 Fax: 414-224-9097
http://www.milwaukeerep.com |
