White Buffalo the play

'White Buffalo' relives myth in time of need

By Lawrence B. JohnsonWhat is the power of myth, and what does the hand of God look like? Is absolution itself a miracle?

Playwright Don Zolidis comes at those cosmic questions from oblique angles in "White Buffalo," a portrait of belief and the human condition that receives a gritty, affecting world premiere at Purple Rose Theatre.

Life is hard for single mom Carol Gelling, who's broke with no options but to slug ahead on her ramshackle Wisconsin farm. Her rebellious 18-year-old daughter Abby just wants out. One thing they do share is their joy in a small herd of buffalo the family's had since before Carol's drug-besotted husband Mike bailed on them eight years ago.

But everything changes when a white buffalo is born in their barn. Sioux legend has it that such a rarity augurs the coming of universal peace, and as word gets out the curious begin to stream from everywhere to this field of dreams: Birth it and they will come.Comment:  Given the recent death of a white buffalo calf, this is a timely play. But are any of the participants actual Natives? The review should've covered that point.

For more on the subject, see $45,000 Reward for White Buffalo Killer.