American Buffalo

David Mamet’s American Buffalo speaks volumes on the policies and politics of the 1970s — and of today. The country was in a recession, America was pulling out of an unpopular war, and dissatisfaction with the administration was at an all time high due to the seemingly endless scandals. The pathetic atmosphere of Donny’s junk shop underscores the decay that many big American cities were facing in the 1970s (and again today), due in part to declining federal support for social services. The situation has many unexpected twists that gives the viewer a laugh or two, which are welcome, since the bleak conclusion of the play is just as bleak as was the end of the 1970s.

American Buffalo is being presented as part of the St. Louis Political Theatre Festival.