Footlight Footnotes American Buffalo shines at Steppenwolf, Icarus sputters at Lookingglass

Welcome to Footlight Footnotes, The A.V. Club's lowdown on the most interesting and notable productions in the city. Today’s performances: a David Mamet classic and a Greek tragedy retold with airplane-inspired kitsch. 

American Buffalo at Steppenwolf Theatre

The big hoopla surrounding American Buffalo is the return of Tracy Letts to the Steppenwolf stage—now a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner for his play August: Osage County—as the temperamental Teach in David Mamet’s coin-heist drama. When Don (Francis Guinan) sells a valuable coin for considerably less than it's worth, he and two others hatch a plan to retrieve it and any other valuables they can get their hands on. 

Letts, in smarmy '70s dress, dominates the production, from his entrance cursing “fuckin’ Ruthie” to his Act II tantrum that leaves the set in shambles. Equal parts dangerous and lonely, Teach is like a caged animal, lashing out when the opportunity to escape his ineffectual life is botched, and ultimately collapsing into a pathetic mess. Guinan, who was the best part of Steppenwolf’s season opener, Fake, continues his streak of brilliance with his portrayal of Don, the junk-shop owner with little knowledge in regards to the nuances of the collector world, while Patrick Andrews proves himself one of the city’s most malleable actors, going from the emcee in Drury Lane’s Cabaret earlier this season to the drugged-out Bob here. American Buffalo really shines when the three come together, bringing terrific, word-volleying, explosive action to the Steppenwolf stage.

Icarus at Lookingglass Theatre

In Icarus, writer-director David Catlin latches onto aviation imagery and never lets go, from the pre-show announcement delivered à la stewardess over the loudspeaker, to the use of luggage that straddles a thin line between clever and kitschy, to the paper airplanes audience members have taped under their seats. Then again, subtlety has never been Lookingglass’s mission statement. But there’s still plenty to like about the company’s second Greek remake of the season, particularly Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi’s breathtaking aerial choreography. Good thing, too, because the script is the weakest part of the production.

The core relationship between Icarus (Lindsey Noel Whiting) and workaholic father Daedalus (Larry DiStasi) becomes lost in the ambitious plot, which spends too much time focusing on events that, while essential in arriving at Icarus’s fateful flight, detract from the father-son dynamic. The show’s title character is relegated to supporting status as the rivalry between King Minos (Anthony Fleming III) and Athenian leader Aegeus (Adeoye), the seduction of Pasiphae (Whiting) by the Minotaur (Adeoye), and the rise of Theseus (Flemming III) take up most of the play’s 85 minutes. When the focus shifts back to Daedalus and his family, the play becomes much more engaging. And that last fall, exquisitely executed by Whiting, is a mesmerizing feat of athleticism and grace, performed without safety wires of any kind. When Icarus flies, it soars, but it stumbles once it hits the ground.