Category: Theater

“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”

“All that I’m saying, don’t confuse business with pleasure.” 
– 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!

What would you do if you had a conference in Paris, and your most favorite actor is doing a play in London, and you have never seen him on stage before that you are dying to do so, and of course, London is only a two and a half hour train ride from Paris? Yeah, you would do what I did and book tickets for… American Buffalo!

Hurrah!

So… I was extremely lucky to see American Buffalo last week, a pure acting feast provided by the ridiculously talented trio of Damian Lewis, John Goodman and Tom Sturridge.

I know that only a limited number of fans have the opportunity to see the play, so I will try my best here to give you all a detailed account of the play highlighting the fantastic performance of Damian Lewis as Walter “Teach” Cole. Continue reading “A Night at the Theater with Damian Lewis: American Buffalo, Act I”