For years, the booksellers at TurnRow Book Company in Greenwood, Miss., have been obsessed with David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play Glengarry Glen Ross.
The play’s story line, which takes place over two days in the lives of four ruthless real estate agents in 1980s Chicago, resonates with the staff, owner Jamie Kornegay said. “It struck a chord with us because it’s about desperate salesmen sort of at the end of their ropes,” he explained. “We can relate to that in retail. It can be a drag sometimes.”
During their shifts, employees often recite one-liners from the play as inside jokes to one another, Kornegay added, creating a shorthand code for the staff. “There are ‘leads,’ ” he said. “We always want to get them to buy. Then there’s ‘ABC—always be closing.’ We say that when it gets really busy. And of course there’s ‘Coffee’s for closers.’ ”
This summer, the store staff decided to stage a real production of the play. On August 14, 15, and 16, the sales floor was transformed into a stage after the shop closed for the evening. “It’s almost like it’s all been building up to this,” Kornegay said. “It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while. But this summer we decided we were going to pick a date and commit to it.” Proceeds from the sold-out shows, which attracted about 120 people, were donated to Greenwood Mentoring Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mentoring children.
Since May, TurnRow’s booksellers, who, aside from a few high school productions have never acted before, rehearsed twice a week alongside a few actors from local community theater. Kornegay joined the cast as well, in the role of loudmouth salesman Dave Moss. “It was fun for me to be kind of a real jerk,” he said. “My character shouts and yells a lot.”
The production was also a new way for TurnRow to reach out to the community. “It really showed a different angle to the bookstore,” he said, though some customers were surprised they chose the profanity-laden play. “It’s an intense play. The dialogue is that poetry of the profane that Mamet is known for.”
The show was also a way “to beat the summer doldrums,” Kornegay added. “During the summer in Mississippi, things get real sluggish. There are real hot stretches here. Nobody goes out. They just stay inside in the air conditioning. So we were trying to rejuvenate our customers, as well as our staff.” Reaction to the production was positive enough that Kornegay said the store will likely put on another event next summer based on a different play.
