Day 110 American Buffalo Play in Woods Hole MA

The Woods Hole Theater company will be presenting the Tony nominated Broadway play American Buffalo over 3 weekends in March 2012.

Set in a 1970’s seedy secondhand junk shop, the story is about three inner-city petty crooks who plot to steal a valuable coin collection.   The play concerns a team of men, Don, Teach, Bob, and Fletcher (who does not appear in the play, but is referred to), who are conspiring to steal a coin collection from a wealthy man. Don, who owns a junk shop, sold a nickel to a man for much less than what it was worth. Out of revenge, he and his young gofer, Bob, plan to steal the man’s coin collection after suspecting that he went away for the weekend. Teach, an experienced and misanthropic friend of Don’s, persuades Don to release Bob from the job because of what Teach feels is inexperience and potential disloyalty, using himself and Fletcher in Bob’s place. Right before the caper is going to be carried out later that night, Bob appears at the store and attempts to sell Don a rare nickel, similar to the one Don sold. When asked where he got the nickel, Bob is evasive. He explains Fletcher’s absence by saying he was mugged and is now in a hospital, but when Don calls the hospital, Fletcher has not been admitted. Bob’s excuse is that he didn’t actually know which hospital Fletcher went to, but by this time Teach is sure that Bob is trying to trick them and in anger strikes him on the head with a metal object from the store. Shortly thereafter a call comes in from another friend of theirs corroborating the Fletcher story and naming the correct hospital, which Don calls and confirms. Don admonishes Teach for wounding Bob and orders him to get his car so they can take him to the hospital.

The original off-Broadway production won the New York Drama Critics Award for best play of 1977. The play was also nominated for two Tony Awards and Four Drama Desk Awards.  The play was also made into a movie with Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Franz in the 1990s.

The play contains profanity and violence. Not suitable for all audiences.

March 15-17, 22-24 and 29-31
Curtain 8 p.m.
Tickets: $15, half price opening night.
Reservations: 508-540-6525

 

Woods Hole Community Hall, 68 Water Street inWoods Hole, MA USA 02543,