DIRECTOR BARBARA DAMASHEK WORKS WITH THREE STRONG ACTORS, all members of Actors’ Equity Association, in the Aurora Theatre production of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo,” a one-day window on the lives of two lonely old men and a young shop hand, each longing to find a way to score big and break free of their stagnant existence. The dour 1975 vignette is playing at the Berkeley theater now through July 13.

Rafael Jordan is Bobby, the young hired hand at Don’s Resale Shop. Donny (Paul Vincent O’Connor) can scarcely afford to feed himself, let alone pay someone to work for him, but he has taken a personal interest in the struggling young kid. He seems to need someone to mentor. Donny’s intentions are good, but he runs into trouble when his pal Teach (James Carpenter) tries to impose himself into the relationship.

The heart of “Buffalo” lies in the developing picture of Donny, the most mature and reserved of the three characters in the play. At first we see a simple man, a store owner, relaxed and confident, enjoying his work and open to forming new relationships. His coarse language is one indicator of his social status — he is low on the totem pole but also low on aspirations. As he interacts with Teach and the new hire, details emerge about what he’s really made of — where his priorities lie, and how far he will go to accomplish his dreams.

Teach needs to challenge his friend Donny’s authority. It’s a familiar scene, Teach trying to tell Donny what’s what and why his way isn’t going to work; and Donny taking in all the verbal abuse while quietly asserting his two cents. Bobby, meanwhile, is a thorn in Teach’s side, a fresh set of ears to witness his arrogant musings. Bobby is at the bottom of the pecking order and he does as he’s told without argument, but he also joins in the conversation with some straightforward observations. He seems to know his place, but at the same time he wants desperately to be a part of what’s going on. In fact, as Teach soon discovers, Bobby has become a key player in Donny’s latest money-making scheme, and Teach is beside himself over it.

Donny may be the center of “American Buffalo,” which takes its name from the Buffalo nickel, an inanimate object that starts the three spiraling into a moral quagmire, but it’s Teach, unflinchingly portrayed by Carpenter, who has the most commanding personality of the three. He is the American man figure that more mature audiences will recognize and appreciate: a man determined to maintain a tough façade, not afraid to throw his weight around or even to offend anyone, yet made all the more vulnerable to violent temper by that very desperation to conceal his inner humanity.

Jordan gets Bobby just right. The young man suffers from a chronic lack of self-confidence. He is closed emotionally, yet his burning desire to be somebody can also be seen in the way he enters into conversation with his elders. He has a voice he keeps mostly to himself, but he is quick to enter the fray, eager to take part in Donny’s latest “thing.”

The three actors in “American Buffalo” each manage to be strong as individuals and at the same time well keyed in to each other as their shared misadventure takes shape. The play follows a thin plot, making for a stagnant story, but the characters are so beautifully unveiled that the lack of complex story structure is hardly missed.

This intimate play finds a fitting arena at the Aurora, where audiences are close-in on three sides of a single-level, rectangular performance space. It’s a thoughtful play, intelligent and piercing. If you’re someone who is fascinated by people, this one’s for you.

If You Go
“American Buffalo” continues at the Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley through July 13. Tickets are $32 to $50 and are available by calling 510-843-4822 or online at auroratheatre.org. The play is intended for mature audiences.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She is also a substitute teacher for the Benicia Unified School District.