“We all live like the cavemen.” – Walter "Teach" Cole
Advance Warning: A sign at the entrance of Wyndham’s theatre warns the audience about explicit language in American Buffalo. I would love to imitate that and warn you all, for the sake of giving a detailed review of the play, I choose to use some of that explicit language in my blog post. So, please read at your own risk – thank you!
In case you missed the first part of my review, and want to take a look, here it is.
American Buffalo, as it brings to life a day in the lives of three no-hopers that are dying to have a shot at their slice of the American Dream, addresses the themes of friendship, loyalty and business. The play, in particular, examines how the new corporate culture penetrates into daily lives and brings about unbearable cost to people through meddling with the core “values” they have held for the longest time. One can lie, break business deals, and simply do whatever it takes to get his own way in the new world, and there is no place for trust. Teach, coming from outside, symbolizes these “new values” in a way. He “teaches” Don how the new world works: “All I mean, a guy can be too loyal, Don. Don’t be dense on this. What are we saying here? Business.” Continue reading “A Night at the Theater with Damian Lewis: American Buffalo, Act II”
