By Kimberly Harper
The Gamm Theater continues its season with the David Mamet classic “American Buffalo,” and, under the direction of Tyler Dobrowski, brings the controversial and crackling examination of capitalism and moral relativism to life with stunning authenticity.
Don, played by Fred Sullivan Jr., owns a junk shop in downtown Chicago in the 1970s. Gruff but generally a good guy, Don has taken Bobby, played by Marc Dante Mancini, under his wing. Bobby is a former junkie trying to clean up and do right, but a low IQ usually causes him to mess up more than succeed. Don has recently sold a buffalo nickel to a customer for, he believes, much less than market value. He comes up with a plan to steal the coin back, aided by Bobby. But the day of the heist, Don’s buddy Teach, played by Tony Estrella, convinces him that he’s the better man for the job. Teach’s character is a swaggering know it all who fancies himself an expert in many things, but he is twitchy and shaky, veering closer and closer to a total nervous breakdown with every minor obstacle in his path. The end is a sad crumbling of the whole plan, rife with the knowledge that nothing is going to be the same for any of the men.
Dobrowski has done an amazing job casting and directing this piece. Every moment is realistic, from Teach using the bathroom and hanging a dirty towel back up on the rack to Bobby blankly not understanding simple instructions (a directive to bring back breakfast and coffee takes several attempts). Sullivan makes Don’s internal conflicts believable and relatable, and Estrella masterfully takes Teach from ranting and raving to calm and collected in a blink. Mancini is the perfect sympathetic character – pathetic but not so helpless that you wonder why Don might waste his time with him. There is potential beneath Bobby’s hapless surface, and that makes you root for him. These are three men you won’t always agree with, but you’ll understand them.
The set, a double decker junk shop designed by Patrick Lynch, bursts with the kind of 70s and earlier memorabilia that any antique aficionado would love to rummage through. It’s well designed to withstand just about anything – and it has to, especially when Teach hits the apex of his instability. A sign as you enter the theater warns you of the extreme language ahead – again, thanks to Teach, who Mamet has given some incredibly offensive insults. You never knew four letter words could be so versatile. But they fit with the character Estrella plays so well, and that makes it somehow less shocking. Teach is absolutely the relative you cringe when inviting to Thanksgiving dinner.
I have never been disappointed by a Gamm production yet, and this one is no exception. “American Buffalo” is a play that has to be seen to be believed. It’s that good. Grab your tickets while you can.
“American Buffalo” will run through Dec. 18 at the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Tickets may be obtained by visiting www.gammtheatre.org or by calling 401-723-4266.
