All-female cast for Jason Reitman's 'Glengarry Glen Ross' reading
Just picture this image with a pantsuit. And some nail polish on that finger.
Oh, and Parenthood‘s Mae Whitman where Kevin Spacey is leaning.
Jason Reitman’s latest live stage-reading of an iconic movie script will replace the male dominated Glengarry Glen Ross with an entirely female cast, marking the biggest overall twist for one of his cinematic recreations since last year’s all black performance of Reservoir Dogs.
Entertainment Weekly has the exclusive details on who else will take on roles from the 1992 film, why he wanted to replace XY chromosomes with XX, and we’ll also give you a preview of the poster for the event.
Reitman says the idea came from film critic Elvis Mitchell, who helps orchestrate the monthly events with Film Independent. Every performance re-imagines the script with a new actor in each role, but after the success of their Reservoir Dogs last year they wanted to have another live-read where the entire cast shared a trait that was new to the story.
“We toyed with the idea of doing a gender swap on a film like Top Gun, but instead decided on a full reverse from men to women,” Reitman says. “Glengarry was Elvis’s idea. It’s the perfect candidate as there is no reason this script needs to be read by men outside of our own social stereotypes.”
While the Alec Baldwin character, who is perhaps cinema’s most terrifying motivational speaker, is not in the David Mamet play, he was introduced by the writer to the screenplay — which is what Reitman and Co. will use for their one-night-only show. “This kind of evening allows us to really pursue the original purpose of the live read — to reexamine and celebrate the author’s words through new voices,” Reitman said. “I’m excited to see what plays differently and how this kind of change can further expose the genius of Mamet’s play and screenplay.”
In choosing his cast for the Feb. 21 performance, which takes place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Up in the Air and Young Adult filmmaker said he tried to recruit “lead actresses who often favor strong character choices.”
Here’s who has joined up so far:
Robin Wright — hotshot sales agent Ricky Roma, originated by Al Pacino
Catherine O’Hara — desperate Shelley Levene, originated by Jack Lemmon
Maria Bello — Dave Moss, the tough-talking underperformer played by Ed Harris
Allison Janney — aging, weak-willed George Aaronow, originated by Alan Arkin
Mae Whitman — office manager John Williamson, played by Kevin Spacey
Absent from the list is Blake, Alec Baldwin’s character, who has yet to be cast.
In the comments, let’s hear your suggestions for which actress has the brass to play that part.
The live-reads always sell out long before the film is even announced, but there is usually a wait-list outside and some people get lucky. For information about attending the event, check out LACMA’s website.
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