American Buffalo at L.A. Theatre Works

David Mamet.

Authors

• David Mamet

Tony Awards and Nominations for American Buffalo

One of Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet's defining works, American Buffalo* opens at The Grove Theatre on Friday, February 28th. In 1977, when American Buffalo opened on Broadway, it was hailed as a new American classic, nominated for a Tony Award and won both an Obie Award, and a New York Critics Circle Award.

A classic tragedy, a modern masterpiece, American Buffalo is a story of three men struggling in the pursuit of their distorted vision of the American Dream. During one long day in a run-down junk shop, three men of great ambition and low morals plan a heist of a customer's valuable coin collection. When the con goes awry, it's every man for himself. This fast paced drama is all aggression and testosterone, with characters wielding words like weapons to intimidate, cajole and manipulate each other. By turns touching and cynical, poignant and violent, filled with explosive humor, frenetic energy and surprising tenderness, American Buffalo is a piercing story of how people can be corrupted into betraying their ideals and those they love. The results are hilarious, powerful and ultimately tragic in a play that's recognized as a modern masterpiece.