12-22-06
A Nuanced Buffalo
Rich Cotovsky and Brian McCaskill in Raven’s American Buffalo. (Photo: Dan LaPrairie) The verbal stylings of David Mamet have so pervaded American theatre and film that a host of imitators have arisen. The Goodman Theatre recently hosted a Mamet write-alike contest that featured a wide range of short plays that mostly assigned Mamet-type dialogue (i.e. lots of obscenities) to a variety of non-Mamet scenarios.
Of course, to the uninitiated, Mamet is best known for his R-rated dialogue. But in reality, his writing features a careful attention to detail, rhythm, and even poeticism. His plotting never really caught up, but his characters are so vivid that they generally more than make up for any lack of plot.
American Buffalo definitely falls early in Mamet’s career, but it was one of the first scripts to garner him national attention. Don, the owner of a resale shop, plots to steal valuable coins from a former customer with the help of Bob a former (maybe) junkie. Teach, a mutual friend, muscles in on the action, convincing Don to dump Bob as the break-in guy in favor of himself. Of course things end badly, as these three men bring out the worst in each other.
Producing Mamet mainly requires a commitment to the text and the characters. With that commitment the rest of the show generally follows. Director Michael Menendian has assembled a strong cast, who, for the most part, handle Mamet’s language extremely well. In the showcase role, Brian McCaskill brings a nonstop manic energy to Teach that seems dangerous, not only to others, but to himself. At the center of the play, Richard Cotovsky has a solidness as Don that makes sense of both his willingness to rip off his fellow man and his somewhat inexplicable affection for Bob. If Cotovsky occasionally stumbles on his words, it’s balanced by his complete inhabitation of the part. In fact, because Cotovsky appears visibly older than McCaskill, Menendian gives the sense that Teach is a grown up version of Bob – another screwed up kid that Don helped along the way. In fact, it appears that Teach has his own drug issues, given his insane energy, unwillingness to sleep and constant sniffing. Finally, Seth Remington’s Bob has a clear, linear logic, although he doesn’t really match the other two actors on stage. However, since Bob serves as a pawn in the power struggle between Don and Teach, even that serves the story.
Finally, no American Buffalo discussion can be complete without mentioning the junk shop in which it is set. Menendian designs his own set, and it certainly offers him a number of staging opportunities, with one main playing area and a wandering path through the rest of the junk. But it doesn’t really overwhelm the audience. That role is left to the actors.
When things come to a head, in an inevitable burst of violence (extremely well choreographed by David Woolley), the sense of hopelessness is palpable. It seems these three men can never truly rise above their marginal situation. It’s a tribute to Menendian’s production that the failure of these three difficult men, despite not being the sort of folks you’d like to spend any time with at all, still has an emotional impact.
American Buffalo – Raven Theatre
Nina Metz, Tribune – “The junk-shop setting should be jammed with so much useless castoff material and unidentifiable debris that your eyes water from all the dust and rot. The revival currently at the Raven Theatre in Edgewater does not disappoint… If the production itself is somewhat less persuasive, that’s not necessarily the kiss of death. True, director Michael Menendian (who is also set designer) elicits performances that are either too much or not-quite-enough. And the play’s inherent comedy never really surfaces, with the exception of a fight that pits shovel against skillet. And yet, even an OK version of American Buffalo has a charm that is indestructible despite the odds.”
Albert Williams, Reader – “In David Mamet’s 1975 drama, set in a Wrigleyville junk shop, three small-time crooks plot the heist of a valuable buffalo-head nickel. Acutely observing the dynamics of trust and treachery, Mamet provides both an effective character study and a darkly witty indictment of the way American business ethics destroy loyalty and honor. Director Michael Menendian’s vigorous staging captures the crackling comedy and explosive violence of this Chicago classic, but the actors fail to convey the pathos beneath their characters’ blustery bravado.”
Heat – ETA Creative Arts Foundation
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times – ”[T]he play tends to get bogged down in too many heavy-handed revelations from the past, and a senility episode comes off as more than a little melodramatic. While well-played, the scene about a hands-on push for Sharon to vent her anger over her fate also seems excessive. Two of the actresses are making their professional debuts here, and under Ilesa Duncan’s direction, the four ably capture their characters, with Neal all sass and flash and hidden disappointment, [Gay] Glenn taut and uptight, and the lovely [Rhonda Marie] Bynum very much the product of a younger generation. [Carol Rayner] Brazier got off to a shaky start but gained confidence as the show went on.”
Kerry Reid, Reader – “Marsha Estell’s 2004 comedy drama about four African-American women baring their souls during a long, hot summer’s day (and night) receives a respectful if somewhat stilted production under Ilesa Duncan’s direction. Estell has the basics of the genre down pat, providing perfectly timed insights from aging, occasionally addled Mudear; sibling rivalry between her wild child, Rose, and straight-arrow Sharon; and mild rebelliousness from a young woman, Sharon’s daughter Shelly. Each character has at least one ‘revelation,’ none exactly unexpected. But Estell has an undeniable knack for honest dialogue and a refreshingly positive view of how families deal with crises. All that’s needed now is more confident performances from the actors.”
Megan Powell, Time Out Chicago – “Duncan takes time to establish the family’s dynamic, but it’s luxuriant, not lagging – like air conditioning on a hot day, and Estell has an ear for naturally detailed dialogue that effortlessly reveals character… But it’s when Shelly (winningly played by Bynum), whose trajectory toward law school is interrupted by cancer treatment, opens up with her aunt Rose over a late-night joint about her fears for the future, that Heat sings and singes, set against a symphony of cicadas (sharp sound design by Keith Austin over a spot-on front porch by set designer Rob Martin). As Rose, whose swaggering sexuality obscures a lonely heart, Neal is so funny, real and vibrant, she almost steals the thing. Though the play’s climactic moments are a bit drawn out, the actresses’ work here exemplifies the message of Heat: Let your family be your strength.”
Meet Me In St. Louis – Circle Theatre
Chris Jones, Tribune – “The creativity in set design (director and set designer Robert Knuth, who designs his own show, is a master in this space), costume design (Suzanne Mann does a superb job) and choreography (from the talented Kevin Bellie) is almost worth enduring the total lack of any demonstrable truth as the Smith family find themselves changing and growing with their city. But not quite. Heck, all the actors have to do is act like real folks around the dining-room table. But instead, we get huffing and puffing and over-the-topping at every turn. Oy. Give Grandpa a sedative! We have to believe in you, people.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times – “The Circle Theatre production, directed with warmth and high spirits by Bob Knuth, has a great deal going for it. Most notable is Kevin Bellie’s choreography of several big numbers – lavish affairs infused with Broadway-style flash, exuberance and ambition. (Will someone please hire this guy for a show on a big stage?)... The large, fresh-faced cast may fall short in terms of stellar individual voices, but they do full justice to the score when they band together under Carolyn Brady Riley’s musical direction. And they have been cast ideally.”
Scotty Zacher, Gay Chicago – “The stars of this show, notably, are not the actors but instead shine for the design team. Bob Knuth and assistant Lori Willis have created a set that is both beautiful and ingenious, consisting of the Smith’s charming living room, whose walls then pull back, creating a trellised garden for the outdoor scenes. The costumes were no doubt a labor-of-love for Suzanne Mann. She has done a brilliant job with the multitude of period costumes that are exquisitely made with fine detail… Lighting designer Jared Moore has added some nice touches, especially when creating the night scenes.”
Transference – One Way Out Productions
Chris Jones, Tribune – “This commercial outing at the Mercury Theater – the play’s premiere – is directed by Jeff Lee, a longtime Disney director known for staging many versions of The Lion King. That has little to do with this, Lord knows, but Lee is unafraid to persuade his actors to go so far out on the comedic ledge, you constantly worry they’re about to fall down to the sidewalk. Happily, they never quite tumble over. At times, the production is better than the script. I chortled away when Jack took a bite of day-old pizza simply because the rubbery prop was so funny. Little details are key to this style, and you rest happy here that the director knows and keeps his own rules.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times – “The truth is, while [playwright Lee] Scheier’s play is pure sitcom for the stage – and while it feels imported directly from a bygone era – it also happens to be funny. Credit Jeff Lee’s high-energy direction. But more than that, applaud the show’s five tireless, impossibly zany, physically fearless actors, who possess a talent for transforming the mundane into the happily mad. And cheer for actress Bethany Caputo – who easily could be taken for a lost sister of Joan Cusack. Buoyantly brilliant, she straight out steals the show.”
Tony Adler, Reader – “Chicago journalist Lee Scheier’s new comedy concerns a prominent attorney who is convinced he’s really a whippet – but in fact it’s the play that’s the dog. Transference is about 96 percent unendurably appalling: a wannabe wacky satire on psychoanalysis that comes off dumb, desperate, and random. The other 4 percent is also appalling but develops a peculiar charm thanks to the actors’ efforts.”
Scotty Zacher, Gay Chicago – “On the surface, Lee Scheier does not seem to be cut from the same mold as many Chicago playwrights. Being that she specializes in medical and legal writing, who knew that she would possess such a gift in creating zany characters with dialogue ripe for insane embellishments? The talented director, Jeff Lee, throws his hat into the ring, corralling the spastic script into a herdable endeavor. Add into the mix one of the most talented ensembles to grace the Chicago stage in recent memory, and Transference is one heck of a show. The actors are so energetic and possess such a sublime sense of timing that the audience is easily sucked into this comedic romp.”
Catey Sullivan, Windy City – “Transference is worse than train-wreck bad – it’s inconsequentially bad. It’s a waste of time, money and actors. It’s the kind of show that makes one marvel, for about a second, at the lower-than-the-bottom-of-your-shoe opinion its creators/producers must have of audiences. When the marvel factor wears off – how dumb do people think the ticket-buying public is? – disgust sets in. If you’ve got an opinion this low of your audience, you don’t deserve an audience.”
Quote of the Fortnight:
“There are fundamentally two kinds of Christmas musical revues: wholesome fa-la-las targeted at children (tip-off: posters featuring furry animals and the chipmunk song on its playlist), and so-called ‘adult’ nyah-nyah-nyahs targeted at overgrown children (tip-off: posters featuring grinches and the tune Santa Baby on its playlist).” – Mary Shen Barnidge reviewing City Lit’s production of Christmas as We Grow Older in the Windy City Times.