Theater Review for The Ridgefield Press by Adam Horvath
Glengarry Glen Ross
One man’s consequence is another man’s profit in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” a play
centered on pocketing deals and snatching advantages in the business world, and a
production currently on stage at the Ridgefield Theater Barn.
Directed by Katherine Ray, “Glengarry” is able to illustrate the stressors, perspectives,
and quick-witted tactics of its salesman cast with care and clarity. As both director and
set designer, Katherine Ray does well in projecting this image through her use of the
stage, and the coordination of her characters. For, while “Glengarry” is brief in its
original script, Ray is still able to evoke a wide range of personalities from her cast,
expressing the play’s vastly different outlooks and temperaments. Yet, even then, Ray
is still able to encapsulate these strong wills within a tightly formed set design that
communicates both the calculating side of doing business along with the personal
desperation that can inspire everything from supplication and rage to manipulation and
deceit.
Bob Hennessey, in his role as the bitter and conniving Moss, performs with superb
appeal along with Aaron Kaplan in his role as the ambitious smooth-talking Ricky Roma.
The strength of these two performances lends itself to the investment of the audience,
which is then quick to appreciate the playful interjections, and comic physicality, of
David Bass as the nervous Aaronow. Joe Harding’s performance is also a welcome
addition with its realistic portrayal of the seasoned, and compromising, Shelly Levine.
As such, this production of “Glengarry,” does a fine job representing the attitudes of the
play. Though the rapid flow of the play’s plot development, with the plays overall brevity,
may seem quick for those unfamiliar with the story, there is no doubt that any given
audience member will find amusement and authenticity in the direction of this current
production.