‘American Buffalo’ at the Players’ Ring

Faded garish colors and rust-freckled glimmering chrome of several generations of forgotten American fads clutter the set for The Players’ Ring staging of David Mamet’s critically acclaimed “American Buffalo.” Directed by Richard DiMario of Joe Productions and presented in memory of Bernie Tato, who was to have played Don, the story is of three men attempting to scratch out a piece of their twisted sense of the American Dream, a sometimes humorous but always serious play about what happens when your wisdom is made up of half-listened-to lessons from the street.

Teach, Donny and Bobby would rather take twice the time to scam a nickel than earn an honest dollar. When the play opens, Bobby, an ever-recovering junkie and full time go-fer, played accurately by Mickey Blanchette, sits in the midst of the onstage clutter with a vacuous look on his face. He’s whining as he agonizes over his failure to keep track of “the guy.” Donny Dubrow, stiffly portrayed by Alan Bull, is owner of Don’s Resale Shop. In a somewhat fatherly way, he’s lecturing Bobby that panache and a good breakfast are the route to entrepreneurial success. “I want you to remember this. Action counts. Action talks and bullshit walks.” Fletch, the much-referred to winner of last night’s poker game, is the icon of that success. He dresses the part and knows what he needs to know; he could come into any town and own it in a day.

Suddenly Walter “Teach” Cole explodes into the shop, spewing expletives about women who do not appreciate his past acts of largess. Alan Huisman plays the manic Teach, the self-proclaimed intellectual of the trio, with great clarity. Teach rants on about the importance of money, about the meaning of life and everything.

Don diplomatically sends Bobby out for food and coffee, then reluctantly reveals he was tricked into selling a valuable American Buffalo nickel to “the guy.” Don has no idea of the true worth of the coin but, believing the coin rightfully belongs to him, he’s concocted a plan, and “the thing” is to have Bobby break into “the guy’s” place to retrieve the nickel. Teach is nonplussed. Bobby isn’t the one for the job. “Loyalty is fine, but this is business,” Teach blasts. Teach thinks he should break in, find the coin and, hopefully, find an entire coin collection.

Selfish motives and foolish assumptions are the backbone of their scheme. Teach and Don spar over every detail. Teach presents his strategy as exquisite. What is simple he complicates, what is complicated he makes facile, what is obvious he finds profound and what is profound he does not perceive at all. Don, by contrast, has his arms across this chest and is adamantly unconvinced. In spite of total ignorance of the break-in site or the mark’s whereabouts, he wants details. “The guy” left his card at the shop when he scammed the nickel. Why not telephone and see if he answers? Teach and Don face off in a see-saw argument while fumbling with the phone. What happens if he answers the phone? What do you say? The result is laughably predictable.

Success for them follows the assumption that everybody lies, the understanding that no one knows what they are talking about and the knowledge that American businesses are successful because they cheat. That logic serves to justify Don’s perceived ownership of the nickel, and it’s fodder for any lecture Teach will burst into, about anyone, anything and at anytime. It’s also why Bobby constantly has a hand out for money. Loyalty takes a backseat to business and business is about looking out for number one. “I go out there everyday. There is nothing out there,” snarls Teach.

The lighting and sound are designed and provided by Betsy Kimball, who’s found ways to work around the low ceilings of the Ring and uses the cooing of early 1970s Motown in great contrast to the anxiety onstage. Richard DiMario serves as director and provided set and costume design. His set is a wonderful collection of items of best-to-be-forgotten trivia and costumes appropriate for the setting. But, as I watched the trio, I wanted to see them ooze a little more testosterone and spew profanity as if they use it daily. This is a production Bernie Tato would have been proud of, made up of the stuff that was right up his theatrical alley.


“American Buffalo”
The Players’ Ring, Portsmouth, 603-436-8123
directed by Richard DiMario
starring Alan Huisman, Alan Bull and Mickey Blanchette
Through Oct. 30, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 dollars for students. Reservations are suggested.