Act I

Glengarry Glen Ross has a daring structure with two very different forms for the two acts. Act One is broken up into three scenes, each set in a different booth in a Chinese restaurant in Chicago; while not clearly stated, all of the action may be occurring simultaneously. Through these scenes we come to know the jargon of the real estate sales world: "lead" is a sales prospect; the "board" is a chart of sales closings; "sit" is a face-to-face meeting with a prospect; "closing" is getting the customer's signature on a contract and a check. We also learn, bit by bit, that there is a sales contest on and that the winner of the first prize will receive a Cadillac, second prize a set of steak knives all the rest of the salesmen will be fired.

In the first scene, Shelly Levene, once a top...