# Glengarry Glen Ross

Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1983 stage play written by the American playwright David Mamet. It is a two-act tragedy that depicts 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 real estate to unwitting prospective buyers.
Based on Mamet's experience of working in a similar office, Glengarry Glen Ross explores themes of capitalism, morality, and toxic masculinity. The play's title comes from the two real estate developments frequently mentioned by the characters; Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms. The former is the prime real estate that all of the agents are trying to sell, while the latter was very lucrative for those who sold it several years ago. Glengarry Glen Ross premiered at the Cottesloe Theatre, the smallest house of London's National Theatre, on 21 September 1983. The production was directed by Bill Bryden and was acclaimed as a triumph of ensemble acting.
Glengarry Glen Ross debuted on Broadway on 25 March 1984, at the John Golden Theatre, and closed on 17 February 1985, after 378 performances. Among its four nominations at the 38th Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Director for Gregory Mosher, Joe Mantegna was named Best Featured Actor in a Play for his portrayal of the top salesman, Richard Roma. Mamet won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that same year. A film adaptation, directed by James Foley and featuring an extended screenplay by Mamet, was released in 1992 to critical acclaim.
Since its premiere, Glengarry Glen Ross has been revived on Broadway three times, under the direction of Joe Mantello, Daniel J. Sullivan, and Patrick Marber. Mantello's production, led by Liev Schreiber as Roma, won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2005. Sullivan's adaptation, featuring Bobby Cannavale and Al Pacino, received mixed reviews from critics. Marber's revival, starring Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr, began performances on 10 March 2025.

## Characters

| Characters | Broadway | Film | Broadway Revival | Broadway Revival | Broadway Revival |
| Characters | 1984 | 1992 | 2005 | 2012 | 2025 |
| Richard Roma | Joe Mantegna | Al Pacino | Liev Schreiber | Bobby Cannavale | Kieran Culkin |
| Shelly Levene | Robert Prosky | Jack Lemmon | Alan Alda | Al Pacino | Bob Odenkirk |
| James Lingk | Lane Smith | Jonathan Pryce | Tom Wopat | Jeremy Shamos | John Pirruccello |
| John Williamson | J.T. Walsh | Kevin Spacey | Frederick Weller | David Harbour | Donald Webber, Jr. |
| George Aaronow | Mike Nussbaum | Alan Arkin | Jeffrey Tambor | Richard Schiff | Michael McKean |
| Dave Moss | James Tolkan | Ed Harris | Gordon Clapp | John C. McGinley | Bill Burr |
| Detective Baylen | Jack Wallace | Jude Ciccolella | Jordan Lange | Murphy Guyer | Howard W. Overshown |
* 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 only to himself that it is all luck. He is ruthless, dishonest and immoral, and 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 tends to maneuver clients towards a sale by means of grand but vaguely incoherent soliloquies.
* Shelley "The Machine" Levene: An older, once-successful salesman, who has fallen on hard times and has not closed a big deal in a long time. In Mamet's original 1983 stage version, Levene reveals his daughter's plight as a final ploy to gain Williamson's sympathy to get better leads, although this fails. However, in the 1992 film version, Levene's discussion of his daughter also includes comments and a phone call to her doctor about her poor health, making Levene more sympathetic.
* James Lingk: A timid, middle-aged man who becomes Roma's latest client. Lingk is easily manipulated and finds Roma highly charismatic. After consulting his wife, he becomes desperate to regain the money that Roma has convinced him to commit to a land deal.
* John Williamson: The office manager. The salesmen need him because he hands out the sales leads but Williamson does not like how they treat him, especially Levene, who berates him for the unpromising leads Levene always seems to get.
* George Aaronow: An aging salesman with low self-esteem who, lacking hope and confidence, is not without conscience. His frustration begins to boil up when the office is robbed, and he worries about being convicted based upon Detective Baylen's interrogation. Ironically, he and Roma end up the remaining two salesmen for the firm after Levene is found out and gives up Moss as his co-conspirator.
* Dave Moss: A big-mouthed salesman with big dreams and schemes. Moss resents Williamson and agency owners 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, but eventually convinces Levene to work with him in selling the leads to Jerry Graff, a local competitor. During his final rant against Roma, his indignation reveals that his jealousy extends towards even his fellow salesmen, and he decides to go to Wisconsin to avoid further questioning.
* Baylen: A police detective. He appears in the final act to investigate the office break-in and harshly interrogate each cast member behind closed doors.
* Mitch and Murray: The unsavory unseen characters who are the owners of the real estate agency. Their "sales contest" puts enormous pressure on the salesmen to produce or lose their jobs; only the top two men will receive prizes, while the rest will be fired.

## Synopsis
### Act I

Setting: a Chinese restaurant
Scene 1: Shelly Levene tries to convince office manager John Williamson to give him some of "the Glengarry leads" (names and phone numbers of promising potential clients for expensive properties). Williamson is willing to sell some of the prime leads, but demands cash in advance. Levene cannot come up with the cash and must leave without any good leads to work with.
Scene 2: Dave Moss and George Aaronow hate the pressure management has put on them to succeed. Moss tells Aaronow that they need to strike back by stealing all the Glengarry leads and selling them to another real estate agency. Moss's plan would require Aaronow to break into the office, stage a burglary, and steal all the prime leads. Aaronow wants no part of the plan, but Moss intimidates him, claiming that he is already an accomplice simply by listening to Moss's pitch.
Scene 3: Ricky Roma delivers a monologue to James Lingk. Roma does not bring up the real estate he wants to sell to Lingk until the very end. Instead, Roma preys upon Lingk's insecurities, and his sense that he has never done anything adventurous with his life.

### Act II

Setting: a real estate sales office
The burglary is discovered. Williamson has summoned a police detective. Shelley Levene is happy, because he has finally sold a large plot of land to a couple named Nyborg. James Lingk enters the office, looking for Ricky Roma. Lingk's wife has ordered him to cancel the sales contract he signed with Roma. Roma attempts to smooth-talk Lingk into not canceling the contract, informing Lingk that his check has not yet been brought to the bank; this begins to have its intended calming effect on Lingk, who is clearly agitated. Levene supports the ruse, but Williamson, thinking Lingk is worried about the safety of his check, accidentally ruins Roma's ploy when he tells Lingk that his check has just been deposited. Lingk abruptly leaves, telling Roma he's sorry for letting him down.
Roma is furious at Williamson, who has blown a big sale. Levene picks up where Roma left off, and begins insulting Williamson. Mid-rant, Levene accidentally reveals his knowledge that Williamson made up the claim about the check being cashed, information he could not have known unless he had been in Williamson's office. Williamson accuses Levene of robbing the office. Levene quickly folds and admits that he and Dave Moss were the thieves. Levene tries to bribe Williamson, offering half of his future sales. Williamson reveals that the Nyborg sale is worthless, as the couple is elderly, mentally ill and just like talking to salesmen because they're so lonely. Levene asks why Williamson wants him turned in, and why he wouldn't give him the leads in the first place. Williamson simply states he doesn't like Levene, for the years of verbal abuse, and the old man's flippant nature. Roma comes back from his interrogation and Williamson goes in the back room to speak with the detective. Alone with a devastated Levene, Roma proposes the two men work together. The door opens and the detective demands to speak with Levene, shoving him into the back room.
Roma, unaware of Levene's fate, reveals his true intentions behind the partnership. Roma orders Williamson to not only continue to hand him the best leads, but to add half of Levene's commissions. Williamson tells Roma not to worry about it but Roma won't listen. (This exchange, which suggests that Williamson may let Levene off the hook so that he and Roma can take his future earnings, is omitted in both the published play script and film adaptation.) Aaronow enters the office, desperate to know if they found the perpetrators. Roma says no and heads out to the restaurant.

## Controversy

There was controversy over lines in the play, and in the film adaptation of it, in which it was claimed prejudice was shown against Indian Americans. As a result, Mamet removed the language from a 2004 San Francisco revival. The controversial dialogue is included in the film version in two conversations about leads named Patel, although one of the play's crudest remarks is omitted.

## Productions

The world premiere of Glengarry Glen Ross was at the Cottesloe Theatre of the Royal National Theatre in London on 21 September 1983, directed by Bill Bryden.

### Original 1983 London cast

* Derek Newark – Shelley Levene
* Karl Johnson – John Williamson
* Trevor Ray – Dave Moss
* James Grant – George Aaronow
* Jack Shepherd – Richard Roma
* Tony Haygarth – James Lingk
* John Tams – Baylen
Glengarry Glen Ross had its U.S. premiere on 6 February 1984, at the Goodman Theatre of the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to Broadway on 25 March 1984 at the John Golden Theatre and running for 378 shows.

### 1984 Chicago and Broadway cast

* Robert Prosky – Shelley Levene
* J. T. Walsh – John Williamson
* James Tolkan – Dave Moss
* Mike Nussbaum – George Aaronow
* Joe Mantegna – Richard Roma
* William L. Petersen – James Lingk (Chicago)
* Lane Smith – James Lingk (Broadway)
* Jack Wallace – Baylen
On 18 February 2000, the first major regional revival opened at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey, starring Charles Durning as Levene and Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Roma. Glengarry Glen Ross was revived on Broadway for the first time on 1 May 2005 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, under the direction of Joe Mantello. Met with critical acclaim, it received seven nominations at the 59th Tony Awards, winning Best Revival of a Play and Best Featured Actor in a Play for Liev Schreiber, who starred as Roma.

### 2005 Broadway revival cast

* Alan Alda – Shelly Levene
* Frederick Weller – John Williamson
* Gordon Clapp – Dave Moss
* Jeffrey Tambor – George Aaronow
* Liev Schreiber – Richard Roma
* Tom Wopat – James Link
* Jordan Lage – Baylen
Glengarry Glen Ross has also been produced as a radio play for BBC Radio 3, featuring Héctor Elizondo, Stacy Keach, Bruce Davison, and Alfred Molina as Roma, first airing on 20 March 2005. On 27 September 2007, the play was revived at the Apollo Theatre in London, under the direction of James Macdonald.

### 2007 West End cast

* Jonathan Pryce – Shelley Levene
* Peter McDonald – James Williamson
* Matthew Marsh – Dave Moss
* Paul Freeman – George Aaronow
* Aidan Gillen – Richard Roma
A second Broadway revival, directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, opened on 8 December 2012 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. It was a subject of media scrutiny for its "unusually long" preview period. The production was originally scheduled begin previews on 16 October 2012, but it was delayed to 19 October due to headliner Al Pacino's prior commitments in Los Angeles and Chicago for the film Stand Up Guys. Its opening night was pushed back from its original date of 11 November, citing canceled rehearsals due to Hurricane Sandy. Sullivan's revival received mixed reviews from critics; much of the criticism was aimed at Pacino's portrayal of Levene, but Bobby Cannavale's performance as Roma was better received. Pacino previously played Roma in the 1992 film adaptation.

### 2012 Broadway revival cast

* Al Pacino – Shelley Levene
* David Harbour – John Williamson
* John C. McGinley – Dave Moss
* Richard Schiff – George Aaronow
* Bobby Cannavale – Richard Roma
* Jeremy Shamos – James Lingk
* Murphy Guyer – Baylen
Pretty Villain Productions performed at Rialto Theatre as part of Brighton Fringe in May 2016, winning an award and favourable reviews. On 26 October 2017, a revival in London's West End directed by Sam Yates opened at the Playhouse Theatre, running for 14 weeks. From February 2019, the production toured the United Kingdom starring Mark Benton as Levene and Nigel Harman as Roma.

### 2012 West End revival cast

* Stanley Townsend – Shelley Levene
* Kris Marshall – John Williamson
* Robert Glenister – Dave Moss
* Don Warrington – George Aaronow
* Christian Slater – Richard Roma
* Daniel Ryan – James Lingk
* Oliver Ryan – Baylen
A third Broadway revival, directed by Patrick Marber, began performances on 10 March 2025 at the Palace Theatre. It was headlined by Kieran Culkin as Roma, Bob Odenkirk as Levene, and Bill Burr as Moss; Michael McKean was later cast as Aaronow. Glengarry Glen Ross serves as Odenkirk and Burr's Broadway debuts. The production will feature Monday performances and will not play on Sundays to accommodate Culkin's family time.

### 2025 Broadway revival cast

* Bob Odenkirk – Shelley Levene
* Donald Webber Jr. – John Williamson
* Bill Burr – Dave Moss
* Michael McKean – George Aaronow
* Kieran Culkin – Richard Roma
* John Pirruccello – James Lingk
* Howard W. Overshown – Baylen

## Film adaptation

The 1992 film adaptation, directed by James Foley, was released using an expanded script featuring a role specifically written for Alec Baldwin. His character does not appear in the playscript; he simply gives his name as "Fuck You" in the film, although the end credits refer to him as "Blake". At least some amateur revivals of the play have added the scene back in; one placed it at the start with Blake directly addressing the audience.
* Jack Lemmon as Shelley Levene
* Kevin Spacey as John Williamson
* Ed Harris as Dave Moss
* Alan Arkin as George Aaronow
* Al Pacino as Richard Roma
* Jonathan Pryce as James Lingk
* Jude Ciccolella as Baylen
* Alec Baldwin as Blake

## Awards and nominations
### Original Broadway production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1984 | Tony Award | Best Play | Elliot Martin, David Mamet, Arnold Bernhard, The Goodman Theatre & The Shubert Organization | Nominated |
| 1984 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Joe Mantegna | Won |
| 1984 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Robert Prosky | Nominated |
| 1984 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Play | Gregory Mosher | Nominated |
| 1984 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding New Play | Outstanding New Play | Nominated |
| 1984 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Ensemble Performance | Joe Mantegna | Won |
| 1984 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Director of a Play | Gregory Mosher | Nominated |
| 1984 | New York Drama Critics' Circle | Best American Play | David Mamet | Won |
| 1984 | Pulitzer Prize | Drama | David Mamet | Won |

### 2005 Broadway revival

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Revival of a Play | Best Revival of a Play | Won |
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Liev Schreiber | Won |
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Alan Alda | Nominated |
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Gordon Clapp | Nominated |
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Play | Joe Mantello | Nominated |
| 2005 | Tony Award | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Santo Loquasto | Nominated |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Ensemble Performance | Alan Alda, Jeffrey Tambor, Tom Wopat, Frederick Weller, Gordon Clapp, Liev Schreiber & Jordan Lage | Won |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Director of a Play | Joe Mantello | Nominated |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Set Design for a Play | Santo Loquasto | Won |
| 2005 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated |
| 2005 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Alan Alda | Nominated |
| 2005 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Director of a Play | Joe Mantello | Nominated |
| 2005 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Revival of a Play | Distinguished Revival of a Play | Nominated |
| 2005 | Theatre World Award | Theatre World Award | Gordon Clapp | Won |