“American Buffalo” Speaks for Mamet and James McAvoy While “Cyrano” Says It All – Theatrical Reviews

Behind the scenes and at times, David Mamet can be hoarse and outrageous, as anyone who witnessed his latest useless and insulting media blitz can testify, and then something like that comes out. American buffalo – Perhaps his greatest work, I apologize. Glengar Glen Ross – So in tune with the actors with the playwright’s “dirty poetry” that it is impossible to put aside for a few hours what, according to Mamet, is missing on Fox News these days.

Perfectly starring Lawrence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell and Darren Chris, directed by (and longtime Mamet collaborator) Neil Pepe, who finds all the comedic beats and looks menacing. American buffalo – Opening tonight on Broadway, the Circle Square Theater – Maintains its vibrancy, escaping the equally stellar recent revival of the works of Mamet’s Bad Boy contemporaries (lo and behold, the true west).

First performed in 1975, American buffalo He immediately became known for the snapshot and casual vulgarity of Mamet’s novel of the time, and still richly contains both. Thunders, overlapping rhythms are no longer surprising – the style was chosen and spread centuries ago in almost all the posts –sopranos Crime shows on premium cable, but they are thrilled, at least when they are done with the platter shown on the screen of these products.

Vulgarity also remains. If the F-bombs aren’t in shock, callogenic and homophobic epithets are certainly more common than ever. When Rockwell’s evil Tech speaks in derogatory (offstage) terms to a lesbian couple, mentioning a concentration camp, words sting despite Tech talking about his poor linguistic background (and of course, despite their seemingly sincere and often declared love by the couple). In the world american buffalo, Everything from a rare coin to a friendship becomes another entry in the book of life about who owes whom, and the scammers, imaginary or real, will break the toughest decision.

The setting is the Chicago Junk Shop, beautifully designed by Scott Pask, which spins in circles to the famous Cemetery Square full of tools for life, owned and operated by Don (Fishburn), a tough old man whose past is revealed , especially when he misses his shop. Outside, the light of a patrol car shines.

Although Don is a tough and unfair guy, he seems to have a fatherly love for his type of prostitute Bob (Chris), a young drug addict on the mend who helps out in the store and does weird things that can include getting coffee or putting it in a wrap. . Something more disgusting at home: Bobby observes one of the level customers who bought a buffalo coin the next day. Convinced that the client had gotten the best of the deal, Donnie decided to rob the boy’s house to get the item.

Come and teach. And what an entrance: Rockwell breaks into a shop going crazy over some stupid nonsense, sure. You That homosexual women may (or may not) have recourse to him. Long before Tarantino was kidnapped in a cheese grand piano, Mamet taught him how to cook toast that seemed to offend one of the women.

Whether it’s the bad mood associated with his toasts or just hair loss in general, Tech is ready to carry out the heist plans hatched by his old friend Level, and he wants to. And he wants Bobby to leave, to convince Don that the boy is too green for a job like that. Don agrees, but only if they can invite another friend who has never seen Fletch.

The second action takes place the night Don and Tech wait for Fletch to show up at the store. Instead, Bobby arrives, selling a Buffalo coin and a half-cooked story about his stay at Fletch Hospital. The ever suspicious Tech becomes convinced, and this time Don, that Bobby and Fletch were independently stabbed and robbed.

The famous explosive final scene, when debts are counted and accusations are made, reveals that the violence behind all cheap capitalism – all capitalism, perhaps even before Trump – cannot spare anyone. Punisher, dog who eats in the world of dogs. american buffalo, There are no winners, only less bloodthirsty.

Cyrano of Bergerac

you think you have enough Cyrano of Bergerac recently? და Think again. Edmond Rostand’s classic James Lloyd Olivier award winner, starring James McEvoy in one of the most compelling plays of this season, will debut tonight in its US premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and it’s fantastic.

Together with writer Martin Crimp, he “loosely” adapted Edmond Rostan’s classics, just as Lin-Manuel Miranda loosely took Ron Chernowe’s biography, Alexander Hamilton, this modern dress. Cyrano Not as far removed from Rostand’s soft neo-romanticism as it is with his black skin, slam poetry and drum machine vocal rhythms.

The story is true if the visuals require imagination: the handsome Makewoy, sexier than ever in a tight black T-shirt and skinny jeans, assures us in minutes that we are a physically impoverished poet of love. A warrior who usually needs a trial period.

Guided by the pen of Lloyd and Krimp, Cyrano There is no fun and heartbreaking celebration of language change, even a sword fight is expressed in sharp words. Each line of dialogue skilfully performed not only by Makeo, but also by the large and flawless ensemble, is a delight, an arrow or both, with the exception of the nonconformist comics of the time (“It will work,” Cyrano whispers, “I saw it in the film) with Steve Martin Lilo. “” I can’t talk, I can’t stop talking, “Makevoi whispers with a catchy slogan. I once wrote to you or for you, I’m alive. I’m alive for you, I love you, I’m naked , I’m using you, I’m making buttons smaller than your name – There is no poem – There is no structure that can understand it – I just want – I love you, I love you, I love you, Roxane.

Lloyd manages to perfectly blend textual poetry with his sober and elegant imagery (a scene from a richly lit white box) and the actors often stand in front of the audience and express their deepest feelings, as if they were looking at each other. other making them crazy. At some point, the supporting character begins to draw seemingly random marks on the empty back wall. The letters begin to take shape slowly, in a calligraphic style, without being noticed by the other interpreters. The viewer sees it, but inmates Cyrano, Roxanne (Evelyn Miller) and Christian (Eben Figueredo) never pay attention because they are busy with life. The message reads: “I love words. That’s all.”