COURTESY OF KENT.EDU
“Glengarry Glen Ross” is a Pulitzer Prize winning drama about Chicago real estate.
The Hartt School will present two works of modern drama next week, David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross” and Caryl Churchill’s “Top Girls.” Both shows will be performed in the Kent McCray Theater at the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center.
“Glengarry Glen Ross” will run Tuesday, Nov. 19, Thursday Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 23, while “Top Girls” will run the opposite nights, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. “Glengarry Glen Ross” is directed at the Hartt School by Guest Director Terry Layman.
The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama when it was first performed in 1984, an award given for achievements in journalism, literature and musical composition in honor of publisher Joseph Pulitzer. It follows the story of real estate agents in Chicago who will use any means necessary to sell unwanted real estate to prospective buyers.
“A brutal and often comedic examination of the pressures and the euphoria of selling,” “Glengarry Glen Ross” examines what it takes to get to the top or simply survive in the competitive business world. The real estate agents in “Glengarry Glen Ross” are willing to do whatever it takes to sell their real estate, including burglary, bribery and intimidation. It takes a close look at the Chicago real estate business that playwright Mamet worked in briefly.
After its successful run in London in 1983, “Glengarry Glen Ross” opened on Broadway in 1984. The Broadway production was nominated for four Tony Awards that year, and won Best Featured Actor for cast member Joe Mantegna. It was adapted into a film in 1992, with a new role written specifically for the film, played by Alec Baldwin. The film also featured names like Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey and Alan Arkin.
“Top Girls,” directed by Nora Chester, is about a career-driven woman trying to reach success in business. Originally performed in London in 1982, “Top Girls” examines the role of women in society and how women can reach success amid gender stereotypes and barriers.
Marlene, the main character, leaves her “poor” background and an illegitimate child to pursue the success that she craves. The play’s themes critique modern feminism and argue for a style of feminism that allows women to remain emotional and caring, while still obtaining financial and social success. It comments on Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the only woman to have held the position of Prime Minister in the United Kingdom. “Top Girls” examines whether or not women are capable of achieving a successful career in addition to a strong family life.
After its opening in London in 1982, “Top Girls” remained on the European stage until 2008 when it opened on Broadway the Manhattan Theatre Club. The original Royal Court production had visited New York, but the MTC production was the first to open on the New York stage. “Top Girls” was revived on the West End (the equivalent of Broadway in London) in 2011 and subsequently went on tour in the United Kingdom in 2012.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Seniors, Alumni and Non-UHa Students. $15 tickets are available for groups of ten or more. University of Hartford students, faculty and staff are entitled to one free ticket to each show with a valid UHa ID or e-mail address. Visit the Lincoln Theater box office or call (860) 768-4228 for tickets.