Housed in the cozy bistro of Natasha's Cafe,
Balagula Theatre serves a sophisticated dish with its latest production of
American Buffalo, by David Mamet.
Spiced with profanities and the choppy,
half-complete dialogue that is Mamet's signature, this dramatic fare is
neither for the faint of heart nor for the amateur playgoer -- and that is
what makes it so striking.
Set in a junk shop in 1976 Chicago, American
Buffalo centers on the plight of three small-time, wannabe crooks as
they struggle against their worst enemies -- themselves.
Donny, played by Kody Kiser, is the
tough-on-the-outside owner of Don's Resale Shop by day, aspiring thief by
night. Despite owning a junk shop, he aspires to higher "business"
endeavors. When a customer pays an outrageous price for a buffalo nickel,
Donny gets the idea to steal the man's coin collection and sell it for a
quick profit.
He enlists the help of Bobby (C.G. Niquette), a
young, impressionable junkie. But Donny's business plans go horribly awry
when the charismatic Teach (Bob Singleton) convinces Donny to let Teach
carry out the job instead of Bobby.
If this sounds like a recipe for overdone,
in-your-face, gangster-esque drama, it's not. Instead, American Buffalo
heats up the stage with its trio of psychologically damaged characters. They
seethe with emotional tensions, conflicting loyalties, delusions of
grandeur, and desperation to "succeed" in the very American sense of hitting
it rich.
In director Eric Ryan Seale's vision of this
play, each character seems haunted by his own broken American dream -- in
essence, his own "junk."
Each copes differently when his robust ambitions
collide with the underwhelming, almost cruel staleness of their personal
failures. The small cast does an exemplary job of pulling the audience into
an emotionally volatile landscape where the eroding distinction between
business and friendship both threatens and defines their characters' lives.
Niquette, as Bobby, is a young actor to keep an
eye on in the future. His performance as a not-so-bright but well-meaning
junkie seeking familial acceptance from Donny provides much of the humor,
and later tragedy, of the production.
While Bobby is an allegedly dim and naive youth,
Teach is a paranoid, cynical veteran, the self-appointed guru of "business."
A mammoth character, his compelling charm and confidence drives the momentum
of the show, thanks in no small part to Singleton's emotionally complex,
potent performance.
The climactic scene in which Teach's desperation
and anger explode in violence is simply riveting. The insecurity that
follows ("Are you mad at me?" he repeats) serves only to further move the
audience.
Kiser, as Donny, the would-be "boss" of this
small-time operation, has perhaps the most difficult role as neutralizer of
Teach and Bobby. Torn between a dedication to friendship and the pragmatism
required to survive in his world, Donny struggles with what and whom to
believe, and the audience struggles with him.
Such weighty psychological drama is tough to
pull off, and a disaster if not done well. Fortunately, mature acting and
directing choices create a sophisticated, emotionally charged show with
plenty of layers of meaning to examine.
But it is not always easy. The material is heavy
at times, and it requires the audience members to intentionally invest
themselves rather than kick back and be passively entertained.
If you're up for a rewarding challenge, then
American Buffalo will really give you something to chew on.
