Glengarry Glen Ross shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate Chicago real estate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical, illegal acts -- from lies and flattery to bribery, threats, intimidation, and burglary -- to sell undesirable real estate to unwilling prospective buyers.
The play draws partly on Mamet's experiences of life in a Chicago real estate office, where he worked briefly in the late 1960s, says Wikipeida. The title of the play comes from the names of two of the real estate developments being peddled by the salesmen characters, Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms.[1]
Characters -
Richard "Ricky" Roma
The most successful salesman in the office. Although Roma seems to think of himself as a latter day cowboy and regards his ability to make a sale as a sign of his virility, he admits himself it is all luck. He is ruthless, dishonest, and immoral, but succeeds because he has a talent for figuring out a client's weaknesses and crafting a pitch that will exploit those weaknesses. He is a smooth talker and often speaks in grand, poetic soliloquies.
Shelley "The Machine" Levene
An older salesman, a once-successful salesman who has fallen on hard times and has not closed a big deal in a long time. He has a sick daughter and needs money desperately, which is why he is constantly begging Williamson for some promising sales leads.
James Lingk
A timid, middle-aged man who becomes Roma's latest client. Lingk is easily manipulated and finds Roma highly charismatic.
John Williamson
The office manager. The salesmen despise Williamson and look down on him, but need him desperately because he's the one who hands out the sales leads.
George Aaronow
An aging salesman with low self-esteem who lacks confidence and hope. A follower who lacks the ability to stand on his own.
Dave Moss
A big-mouthed salesman with big dreams and schemes. Moss resents Williamson, Mitch, and Murray for putting such pressure on him and plans to strike back at them by stealing all their best sales leads and selling them to a competitor. Moss sees Aaronow as a potential accomplice.
The play is noteworthy for the flow of persuasive patter of the salesmen characters, who spend much time trying to convince customers, the oily office manager, and even each other to give them what they want: down payments for real estate, access to valuable sales leads, and even co-operation in conspiracies. The play also shocked audiences with its (for the time) raw language, with its roughly 150 uses of the word "fuck" or variations (an average of once every 40 seconds of stage time).
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