All the words are a stage

David Mamet’s been on more stages than Shakespeare. Comes now an effing revival of his 1975 effing smash the effing terrific “American Buffalo.” This one stars the effing great Emmy and Tony winner Laurence Fishburne plus Sam Rockwell and Darren Criss. Mamet dialogue, not for a school auditorium or the Catholic Hour, speaks in four-letter words. Some start with “C,” some “F,” some “S.”

Fishburne: “You get used to it. What you do is, repeat them over and over. Become comfortable with it. There’s just three words he uses repetitively. You get accustomed to that until it’s almost fun saying it.

“Not that I’m used to saying all those words repetitively in my own personal life. It’s not like I throw them around at home in real life.

“I became comfortable with this dialogue because I started on the project two years ago. I had all the time to work on it because, with Broadway’s closing and the pandemic, our opening was delayed. To learn all the lines, what I did was I’d memorize a couple of sentences at a time. Not at one sitting. It was repetition. Like take a three-page section. Keep saying it over and over until it sticks. I did this alone. Not with anyone. By myself.

“Although this play actually changed the theater, I had never seen it before and it’s one I always wanted to do.”

Born in Georgia, raised in Brooklyn, his first play “was in a cramped little theater space downtown. I was 10 years old.” He now has three children. “My youngest is in high school. My son in New Orleans is an actor. Who knows if that’s difficult being the son of Laurence Fishburne but it’s whatever they want, not up to me. He’s grown. He’s a good guy and he’s making his bones in this business. Right now I’m here until July.”

“Here” is Circle in the Square. Lead producer, Jeffrey Richards. Opening, April 14.

Balancing act

NEW York sends more to Washington than comes back in federal money. Always. But State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says New York received more in federal spending than we paid. He calls it a positive balance due to the influx of federal relief aid and the fed’s pandemic response. Really? The case is — we get $1.59 — an increase from 91 cents the prior year — but still it’s below the national average of $1.92. His arithmetic’s great. How about we all get together, chip in and we send him an abacus?

A resting plot

FRIDAY, March 18 is World Sleep Day — whatever all that means. I never knew about it before. I probably slept through the explanation. Anyway, that night “The Quest for Sleep” doc premieres at downtown’s SVA Theater. It follows insomniacs. Forget sheep. Watch the film. Maybe it’ll help you snooze.

Cooking up funds for war victims

HAMPTONS chef Binh Douglas: “We’re dumping the aperitif ‘Molotov Cocktail.’ We’re donating profits to World Kitchen, which has deployed chefs into the region to feed refugees. We’re serving Ukrainian borscht, stuffed cabbage, something called Chicken Kyiv. Boycotting vodkas doesn’t help. Vodkas with Russian names like Stoli aren’t even made in Russia. I appreciate people just saying ‘Down with Russia’ but — nyet — these people really aren’t doing anything to support Ukraine.”

Hey, Joe!

MEANWHILE, Arthur Avenue in The Bronx is into supporting Italians. Who knew March 19 is St. Joseph’s Day? They’re supporting everyone/anyone named Joe. (Except for Barf Biden). They’re sending friends, eaters, relatives, customers — whoever’s named Joe — a St. Joseph pastry. Who knew there even was a St. Joseph pastry? What next — Coney Island knocks off a Kamala cruller? 

ENOUGH with today’s food and grocery limitations, high prices, low employment and ongoing supply chain problem. Now you go into a restaurant, order a $35 main dish and the waiter wants to know, “On rye or white?”

Only in New York, kids, only in New York.