Comedy of Losers

The one thing a production of “Glengarry Glen Ross” needs above all else is the authority of a strong ensemble whose performances are, or at least seem, bred in the bone.

Without that, no amount of deft trappings or adroit direction can convey the stark, vicious world of David Mamet’s brutal comedy about a handful of Chicago real-estate agents who will do whatever it takes to survive.

The actors must persuade us not only of the ruthless, often hilarious desperation of four sleazebag salesmen who would sell their own mothers the Brooklyn Bridge; they also must peel back the sad, fatal emptiness of con artists conning themselves most of all.

Happily, Mary Anne McGarry’s provocative staging of “Glengarry Glen Ross”--through May 24 at Coolsville, a cutting-edge nightspot on Laguna Canyon Road--offers a vigorous, well-cast ensemble with conviction and authority to spare.

Led by Mike Hoctor and Steve Hanst in vivid, performances, the company delivers mature theater for grown-ups--a commodity in too-short supply on Orange County stages. The production also gives a more accurate picture of Mamet’s 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning play than the movie version.

Though the 1992 film had all the advantages of Mamet’s own adaptation and the talents of a gold-plated cast, perhaps it was the inescapable literalism of film that gave the material so little room to breathe.

The play became a rather humorless drama of dog-eat-dog losers hustling deadbeat customers in the Bronx, of all places, where an office of real-estate sharks during the ‘80s makes about as much sense as a kangaroo in Minnesota.

At Coolsville, “Glengarry Glen Ross” is restored to its proper locale and its tight, gem-like construction. It is balanced between blackly comic duologues in the first act and a fluid chorus of dark, revelatory truths in the second. The tragic climax feels inevitable but still comes as a surprise, just the way it should.

“Always be closing” is the office motto--in other words, always get the customer, who is invariably regarded as a mark, to sign on the dotted line.

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Hoctor’s Shelly Levene, nicknamed “The Machine” because of his past record as a top “closer,” is a hulking figure on a bad streak. He’s being squeezed by the nasty office manager (John Wilkinson), a pencil-pusher who has never gone out on “a sit”--that is, a contract negotiation in which the salesman wears down his victim, sometimes simply by out-waiting him.

To boost sales, the almighty absentee bosses are holding one of their regular monthly contests: winner gets a Cadillac; runner-up gets a toaster, maybe; also-rans get the ax.

All the salesmen live by their wits, baiting suckers with smooth talk, phony credentials, irresistible logic, appealing pipe dreams--whatever works best--according to their personal styles. All are corrupt, even some of the suckers, in a world where corruption is the coin of the realm.

As Dave Moss, Hanst gives a canny, staccato performance reminiscent of Joe Mantegna (who played a different salesman, Ricky Roma, in the memorable American premiere at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre). Moss is an arrogant aggressor with a burglar’s scheme and a blackmailer’s heart.

Mike Cunningham plays Roma, ably delineating the bluff confidence required for the role. It could be more biting but still holds up as an effectively rounded characterization.

Roma’s mark, the intimidated James Lingk, played with mousy but not overdone hesitation by Michael Thorstensen, provides fine counterpoint, both physically and psychologically. Their well-choreographed encounters have a high entertainment quotient.

Similarly, Moss’ te^te-a-te^te with fellow salesman George Aronow turns into a brilliant comic duet between clever and dumb, the wise guy and the (relatively speaking) innocent. Howard Patterson’s loyal, hangdog portrayal of Aronow is an excellent foil for Moss.

But it is the vindictive struggle between Williamson, the office manager, and Levene over “leads” (prescreened names of high-rated potential customers doled out to the agents on the basis of recent sales) that dominates the play. Their battle prepares the way for Levene’s bravura, heartfelt monologue in the second act, and Hector rightly steals the show with it.

First-class all around.

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Mike Hoctor: Shelly Levene

John Wilkinson: John Williamson

Steve Hanst: Dave Moss

Howard Patterson: George Aronow

Mike Cunningham: Richard Roma

Michael Thorstensen: James Lingk

Richard Curtis: Bartender Baylen

A Changing Masks Theatre Company production of a play by David Mamet, directed by Mary Anne McGarry. Lighting designer: Jon Tschirgi. Lighting operators: C. W. Keller and Quang Bui. Sound designer: McGarry. Asst. director/sound: Diane Kelsey. Stage manager: Sofia Morales. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.

* What: David Mamet’s drama “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

* When: Fridays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 7 p.m. Ends May 24.

* Where: Coolsville, 775 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach.

* Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (405) Freeway or the Santa Ana (5) Freeway to the Laguna (133) Freeway and head west. Coolsville is on Laguna Canyon Road near the Festival of Arts grounds.

* Wherewithal: $15.

* Where to call: (714) 647-7794.