By Joan Doggrell
Special to The Citizen
“American Buffalo,” by playwright David Mamet, portrays three small, petty men who plot to steal a valuable coin.
Don, owner of a junk shop, has sold a buffalo nickel to a coin collector for only $90 He regrets the sale, believing that the coin is worth much more. So he and his two buddies, Teach and Buddy, plan to steal the coin back. The story is ostensibly about a burglary, but the real center of interest is the way the characters deal with each other when their plans start to fall through.
“The thing that made me fall in love with the show is the use of language,” said director Justin Jessel. “David Mamet uses language in amazing ways in this his very first play. It’s easy to see and hear why the show has received so many awards. It is a phenomenal script, and my actors are incredible in this modern classic. Teach is one of the greatest characters ever put to stage. He’s been played by actors such as Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman.”
“We have taken an almost musical approach to the script, focusing on rhythm, tension, pacing, and emphasis as well as emotion, movement, and character motivation. From cursing to repetition to silence, there is an enormous amount said within this script that transcends the words themselves,” Jessel added.
Jeff Allen, playing Don the junk shop owner, is well known to Newnan audiences. A 20-plus- year veteran with NTC, he is a jack of all trades and master of all of them: actor – he’s an outstanding comedian — director, scenery builder, and performer of any other task needed to stage a show. Most recently, he directed “Twelve Angry Men,” which opened in February at NTC.
Paige Mikles, also familiar to Newnan audiences, is the assistant director.
“Nikolas Carleo, playing Teach, is a seasoned actor even at his young age,” said Jessel. Carleo has performed in Columbus and is now returning to Newnan Theatre Company after finishing up a run on “The Producers.”
Josh Hendricks, with the role of Bobby, has come to Newnan Theatre Company recently and is getting a lot of exposure. He was the foreman in “Twelve Angry Men.”
“American Buffalo” will be staged in NTC’s Black Box.
“Something I really wanted to provide for the audience was two different perspectives for the show, so we are using a unique seating structure: stadium seating in one area where the audience will be separated from the actors by space and height; and a second area where an audience member becomes “a ghost” in the shop, sitting amongst the characters and experiencing everything with them,” said Jessel.
The play illustrates ”an essential part of American consciousness, which is the ability to suspend an ethical sense and adopt in its stead a popular accepted mythology and use that to assuage your conscience like everyone else is doing,” said Mamet (“London Times,” June 19, 1978).
“American Buffalo” premiered in 1975 at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago, and in 1976 won an Obie Award for best new play. It opened on Broadway on February 16, 1977, and won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best play of the 1977 season and was also nominated for two Tony Awards. It received four Drama Desk Award nominations, including Outstanding New Play (American). The 1983 revival was nominated for the Tony Award, Best Reproduction and Al Pacino was nominated for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor in a Play.
The show opens at NTC April 16, and runs through April 26. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the NTC website, www.newnantheatre.org, or via phone by calling 770-683-6282.
Performance times and ticket prices are as follows:
April 16, 8 p.m., $10 for all
April 17, 8 p.m., $10 for children, $12 for students and seniors, $15 for adults
April 18, 8 p.m., $10 for children, $12 for students and seniors, $15 for adults
April 19, 3 p.m., $10 for children, $12 for students and seniors, $15 for adults
April 23, 8 p.m., $10 for all
April 24, 8 p.m., $10 for children, $12 for students and seniors, $15 for adults
April 25, 8 p.m., $10 for children, $12 for students and seniors, $15 for adults
April 26, 3 p.m., $10 for children, $12 for students and seniors, $15 for adults
The show has mature language and some violence and may not be appropriate for children.
If you have questions regarding the content of any show, email Artistic Director Tony Daniel at artistic-director@newnantheatre.org.
Joan Doggrell teaches English at West Georgia Technical College.
