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| J. Kevin Tallent, Walt Pedano, and Jeff Carpenter Photo by Heather and Dana Butcher / Desert Stages Theatre |
"David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize winning play Glengarry Glen Ross focuses on a series of unpleasant yet complex and intriguing characters...it details the highs and (mostly) lows of the ruthless world of high-pressure sales and cold calls...With a crackerjack cast who create realistic characters, and clearly polished direction, Desert Stages Theatre's stark production is a winner as it focused solidly on Mamet's characters and explosive dialogue. ...Smooth-talking Ricky Roma is at the top of the sales leader board while Shelley Levene, who has been experiencing a sales slump and is extremely agitated, isn't even on the chart. Hot-headed Moss and meek and nervous Aaronow don't like the way the office is run and Moss comes up with a plan to get back at the owners of the firm. All four are after the hot leads in order to sell real estate in Glengarry Highlands, Florida, ensuring their clients that this is a lucrative land deal....Director Virginia Olivieri has found a cast of actors who are more than capable of rising to the occasion required to bring Mamet's characters vibrantly to life. J. Kevin Tallent is superb as Shelly Levene, the older member of the sales force.... Walt Pedano is just as good as the slick, persuasive and persistent Richard Roma ...Olivieri's direction draws rich performances from her cast while also making sure the style of Mamet's writing rings true. The staccato delivery that Mamet's dialogue requires and the repetitive nature of many of the lines may come across as unnatural or farfetched to some. But this highly skilled ensemble, under Olivieri's astute direction, create fireworks from Mamet's succinct words which they deliver in a sure-footed natural cadence that makes this production crackle....While the play might be a hard sell to those looking for a show in which the characters actually grow by learning from their mistakes, are somewhat sympathetic, or at least have some humanity, it is Mamet's sharp dialogue and intriguing characters that have made this play one that will never go out of style. Desert Stages Theatre's production has a fantastic cast and smart direction, and the end result is a loving tribute to the style and substance of Mamet's masterful words." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
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