In the hopes of creating a good first impression with students and staff, the theatre department has chosen “Glengarry Glen Ross” to be its first production of the year, debuting at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11.

“We chose this show for a lot of reasons,” Director Jim Butchart said. “We always try to make the first production of the year appeal to the entire student body as well as theater students.”

Technical Director Steve Chene said the show is about a real estate office in Chicago.

“It depicts the process of workers trying to survive in a ‘cut throat’ environment,” Chene said.

Butchart said that the play is a well-respected modern classic, and a piece that all students should be familiar with.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” was written in 1984 by playwright David Mamet.

Senior John Lichtwalt who plays Richard Roma in the production, said this is his 12th performance within Whitewater’s theatre program.

“Most of us respect Mamet,” Lichtwalt said. “He has a really naturalistic style, he writes the kind of acting that you see in movies; we don’t often get to do act like that in theatre.”

Butchart said that the play is full of language that many people will find offensive. The dialogue is full of sexual references, ethnic and gender slurs, as well as profanity.

“The audience can expect to be challenged by the violent language and emotions,” Chene said.

The vulgar language is because the entire play is written as male-to-male dialogue and when a lot of men get into one competitive environment; this inappropriate language is often used, Butchart said.

“The audience can also expect a story that on the surface level is about what people will do in order to make money,” Butchart said. “But on the deeper level, it shows people living out the ‘American Dream’ at any cost.”

Junior Jake Lesh plays the character George Aaronow. He said this is his eighth theatre role at UW-Whitewater.

“The characters are trying to sell the ‘American Dream,’ but they really sell the opposite,” Lesh said. “They’re searching for their own ‘American Dream,’ while screwing other people over.”

According to Butchart, the plot revolves around the attempt to rob a real estate agency.

“The play is a crime story,” Butchart said.

Chene said that it needs to be understood that the play is not a comedy. It depicts a situation in which the business world has gone bad.

“The show is overall about the capitol system and consumerism,” Butchart said. “It is about a world that holds ultimate value in how much money you have.”

Chene said this play really appeals to him because it shows the lack of compassion co-workers can have for each other in a dog-eat-dog world.

Butchart said that the play is very accessible to students not only because of its contemporary language, but also because of its length. The play contains two acts, the first is half an hour, and the second is forty-five minutes.

With an offiensive language warning, this play will shock and enlighten students about the corruption that can exist in the American business world.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” opens on Oct. 11 and runs through Oct. 15. All shows are in the Barnett Theatre located in the Center of the Arts. Tickets are $4.50 for students with ID and $10 for the general public.