Glengarry Glen Ross: The actors speak

Saturday, 12 July 2014 00:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The tag line for Glengarry Glen Ross, says it all – ‘Lie, cheat, steal, sell. All in a day’s work.’ Put this into context in a highly-competitive real estate office setting with a line up of shady characters desperate to get ahead of their colleagues no matter what, and you’re promised an evening of mature drama that takes you behind the scenes to look at the machinations, manipulations, dishonesty and darker emotions that rule. David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize winner, directed by Gehan Blok for his new theatre company ‘Identities Inc.’, is set to open on 17 July at the Punchi Theatre, Borella. With a cast of veteran and up-and-coming actors taking on the roles, David Ebert sat down with them all to pose one question about their individual roles and preparations. Following are excerpts:

Andre Perera (Aaronow)

Aaronow is regarded as the “complacent” salesmen. He’s not a go getter like the other salesmen. He’s a quiet, non-confrontational person, who often unwittingly gets pulled into office politics and schemes. Aaronow has never really climbed the corporate ladder and the play finds him being put in an uncomfortable and difficult situation. Playing an older character comes with its challenges. I have to change how I’d walk and talk, my reactions to the situations unfolding in the play, to suit that of an older desperate man who’s down on his luck. Before each scene I take a few moments to clear my mind and breathe into the role, in order to bring to life this character as a believable, relatable person on stage. I have played various roles on stage, ranging from comic characters to more serious, darker, intense ones. Personally, I can relate to some of Aaronow’s laid back, non-confrontational characteristics. So it wasn’t too difficult to mold those emotions and apply them to a much older version of myself, and to put myself into the worn-out salesman shoes of George Aaronow.

Dino Corera (John Williamson)

John Williamson represents the political appointment that many of us are all too familiar with in today’s corporate world. Ruthless in maintaining his reputation with his superiors while being indifferent to his subordinates, he is as cunning as he is uptight. The role is very different to those I have had the privilege of portraying in that he is a clock-watcher who neither substitutes nor dilutes his rules for anyone and is cold and cynical in his dealings. The toughest part in preparing for the role that it takes a little getting used to and fine tuning in terms of not coming off as ‘put on’. Tapping into darker emotions is what Gehan constantly pushes me towards and exploring this side of acting is something quite new to me. I am immensely grateful to him for casting me in a challenging role and entrusting me with it (despite my initial disbelief) and the journey that has followed alongside a stellar bunch of actors who I’m honoured to be on stage with has been quite the experience.

Shanaka Amarasinghe (David Moss)

David Moss is the disgruntled everyman. He doesn’t want to work for anyone, but doesn’t have the gumption to take a risk and back himself. He is indicative of a large percentage of corporate slaves. We’ve all met Moss. In some way or form. All or some of him is recognisable, and is especially relevant in the times we live in today. He is a creature of the system, and serves as a warning as to why the system should change. Mamet’s lines mean that not much external preparation is required. Be true to the script, and be credible, is the mantra. We all need to be intense, and focus, and the rehearsal process has helped us do that within ourselves and with each other. Working with experienced actors, almost all of whom I’ve worked with before, has helped. The hard part has been sustaining the character in short bursts, but Blok has been a slave driver, so hopefully it’ll work out well. Moss is real. And the last few characters I’ve played have also been very real. So no real departure. It’s a great role, and I’m loving it. Playing opposite Andre, who is a very cooperative actor has also been great. The great thing about this role is that it gives me a license. The confrontations are great, and unlike anything you get to do in the workplace here. So there is an element of fantasy to it. Hopefully Moss will strike a chord.

Miranga Ariyaratne (Baylen)

‘Baylen’ in GGR is in essence, an impact character. The character is not visible most of the time, but his entry changes the entire complexion of the play. The characterisation is deceptive since Mamet never really gave a personality to him. So it was entirely upto myself and Blok to figure out the personality of this character and his role in the holistic plot. I was playing a lead in a long running play for almost two years before this. So ‘Baylen’ was a breath of fresh air. But I had to revisit my theatre basics on playing a cameo and how it fits in with the entire plot. One trick I found very useful was to read the script over and over again to uncover those subtle twists and turns. GGR is a very tight script and one can’t help but get carried away with the flow of the play. I had to take a step back more than a couple of times and watch objectively while the other guys rehearsed to figure out exactly what I needed to do bring out the character of ‘Baylen’. With Blok’s fine tuning, I believe the character is now ready for performance.

Niren Neydorff (Lingk)

The role was something new. Lingk seems to be a normal guy, but also does not want to disappoint anyone at the same time. He’s henpecked and dead scared of his wife, and yet is somewhat torn between standing up to his wife and turning down a deal with Roma. Previous roles were quite different so it was a new experience. Had to think about having constant mental struggles based on the conflict mentioned above. It’s mainly trying to be somewhat timid, not too forward and is mostly emotion and reaction based since my character has little to say and more to do with how the story moves ahead.