American Buffalo

It's unfortunate that the first Amazon review of Mamet's brilliant work is by Mr. C.B.Liddell, a pompous, pontificating Brit who doesn't understand the play. I'm not sticking up for Mamet: his works are very hit and miss, and even the hits are an acquired taste (like Monty Python), I'm just standing up for a damn good play.

One of the problems with American Buffalo is that its language and setting (low-income Chicago in the 70's) are unfamiliar and difficult to appreciate for many people, but it's loved by many actors and writers in the same way that musicians appreciate "musician's music." Also, like Glengary Glen Ross, it can be emotionally violent and offensive for some people.

Still, a great work of art, in my humble opinion. Don't pass up the chance to see it performed by talented actors who know and love the play!

I am an actress, playwright, and constant theatergoer, so I'd like to think I know when a play is good...and believe me, this play is excellent. It is stark, realistic, and yet has a fantastic quality all its own. The story follows three small time crooks: Donny, the calm vet, Teach, daring and aching for adventure, and Bobby, the slow, amiable kid. Their plot to steal a valuable coin collection is the center of the play, but so much more goes into it. Honor amoung thieves, the busted American dream, and masculinity are at the core of this piece, and Mamet, with his honest style, pulls off what could very easily be a dumb crook spoof. It's a little hard to read at first, as all Mamet is, but if you envision the story, you'll get through it. I recently saw the play in New York at mamet's Atlantic company with Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy, and Mark Webber, and it was truly great. I suggest owning the play and getting to a local performance asap.

Mamet is one of America's finest playwrights while "American Buffalo" might not stand up to universal appeal as much as "Glengarry" or "Speed the Plow" I consider it one of his best works. The language and characters are not idealistic but harsh and real as the Chicago neighborhood it takes place in. Mamet writes of broken characters and the broken American dream, read the play then rent and watch the production starring Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Franz or go watch a local theatrical production when it's done right and done by good actors it is truly an American classic.

The play was a very smooth and quick read, containing a unique language, but it was much more than what was on the surface. The text drew me into the play and provided a very realistic view of American society and the of the ideal American business in a very raw sense. Great!

I have always enjoyed this play. I saw it in NYC in its first run on Broadway, then saw a production at the Berkeley Rep some years later. I watched the filmed version recently. This is (as are many of DM's works) a character study. The plot is just a vehicle to give the characters something to talk about. There are no great truths revealed but there are tremendous depths to the characters. This is an actor's play, full of great dialog exchanges. For the non-theatrical person it plays better than it reads.