Oh Boy! Want to see a demonstration of how good, how vivid real acting can be? Check out Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet's dazzling drama now revived on Broadway. It's the most exciting acting ensemble in town. Alan Alda will give you a lesson on how to do a nuanced monologue - his encounters as a nervous, failing, older salesman with the very controlled Frederick Weller as his supervisor are like a mongoose darting at a cobra. The nervous energy Gordon Clapp exudes as he tries to con the stolid Jeffrey Tambor into a crime is full pf prickly tingles. Tambor is like a lump of Styrofoam that you have to push hard to make an impression. Then there's Liev Schreiber (his first name should be spelled "Live" because is he ever!). He inhabits his role as a smooth con/salesman like a silk glove that needs just tiny fine tunings in its manner, such as the shrug of putting on a jacket, or a sleeve adjustment. He's the epitome of slick, and his presence is mesmerizing - strong, fulfilled, and complete, including a perfect Chicago accent. The man is one of the most dynamic actors on the contemporary stage, and it's a delight to see him work. He totally becomes the character.
Tom Wopat, rounding out this band of players, subdues himself into the perfect patsy.
Thanks to director Joe Mantello for giving us this exquisite show, and to Santo Loquasto for the perfect settings of a Chinese restaurant and a sales room. Kenneth Posner subtly sneaks his light shifts onto the stage, finally illuminating with the golden glow of the rising day near the end of the play. All in all, a great theatrical experience.
