The plays and films of David Mamet are noted for their rat-a-tat music, overlapping dialogue and scatological expression.
His 1984 Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play titled “Glengarry Glen Ross,” which plays at 6th at Penn Theatre through March 25, is no exception. It concerns a group of con men who sell worthless property in Florida in subdivisions named Glengarry Estates and Glengarry Highlands.
The current 6th at Penn production, staged by Jerry Pilato with dramaturgy by Bryan Bevell, is ably sung by an interesting and varied ensemble, some familiar, some not, highlighted by a heartbreak performance by longtime San Diego actor/personality Jonathan Dunn-Rankin. He portrays Shelly (“The Machine”) Levene, a pathetic salesman so down on his luck he conspires with a co-worker to steal the company’s list of leads and other accouterments, including the phones.
Mamet structures the play in a series of three brief encounters, followed by a second act in which the conflicts discussed and intrigues plotted in the first scenes come to chaotic fruition. Levene’s co-conspirator is George Aaronow (appropriately nervous Haig Koshkarian in an auspicious company debut).
Jonathan Sachs ably portrays Ricky Roma, a slimeball salesman who hustles James Lingk (Joey Georges) ” whom he meets in a restaurant ” into signing a deal. Roma nearly loses his slick composure when the deal falls out the next day; so eager is he to stay on the “board,” a chalkboard list of leading salesmen.
Ash Fulk portrays John Williamson, a kind of glorified office manager who parcels out the leads ” not impartially, by the way. Dale Morris plays perhaps the slyest and sleaziest of the filthy-mouthed fellows.
These characters are so despicable and underhanded that they become their own, hysterically funny, stereotypical caricature. B.J. Peterson is the cop who comes to solve the burglary. The ensemble is very tight indeed. The production values are worthy, especially Morris’s serviceable scenic design and Mitchell Simkovski’s lighting.
“Glengarry Glen Ross” continues at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday through March 25 at the 6th@Penn Theatre, 3704 6th Ave., San Diego. All money from ticket sales for the final 7 p.m. show on March 25 will go to the cast and crew. Tickets ($20-$23) are available by visiting www.sixthatpenn.com or calling (619) 688-9210.