American Buffalo doesn't Buffalo

Saturday's performance of American Buffalo at the Studio Theatre was my first introduction to "Mametspeak," David Mamet's brand of dialogue. Mamet, a playwright known for Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-plow, and American Buffalo, writes characters who use crude language to mask their insecurities.

The two main characters of American Buffalo, Don and Teach, fling around "fuck," "cunt," and political incorrect slurs whenever they get the chance. After all, they have little control over the other aspects of their lives. The play opens in Don's scrap metal shop. He has just lost $200 the night before in a game of cards. He has also just sold a buffalo nickel for much less than what he thinks it was worth. Though Don maintains a commanding exterior, these two losses clearly still weigh on his mind.

His younger, feeble-minded assistant, Bob, tells Don that the wealthy man who bought the buffalo nickel has just left down. Don throws around the idea of breaking into the coin man's house and stealing the nickel back. Meanwhile, Teach, a slick, leather jacket type, has entered the stage cursing out some women who disrespected him with a snide comment. Once he gets wind of Don and Bob's plan, Teach tries to reclaim his respectability by taking over the robbery plan. He convinces Don to drop Bob. Though Don originally feels buffaloed by the coin collector, the rest of the play forces us to ask who is really buffaloing who here as it explores the consequences of Don's decision to sacrifice Bob's loyalty for potential riches.

Written and set in the mid-70's, during our last serious recession, American Buffalo is a very timely pick for the Studio Theatre today. Don and Teach's insecurities surrounding their masculinity reminds me of the vandalism committed by a laid-off neighbor in a recent Dexter episode.

In the Studio Theatre's intimate theatre-in-the-round environment, these insecurities were even more palpable than if the play was performed on a traditional stage. Sitting extremely closely to the actors, I could see the emotion on their faces--Don's quivering jowls, Teach's hurt pride--clearly without the aid of inches of make-up. Such proximity also made the show one that I won't easily forget.