America the crazy

DRINKING IN AMERICA ★ ★★ ★ Stage 2, Big Rock Backstage Theatre

Drinking in America combines two of my favourite things: alcohol and ’Murika (there is just something magical about the inherent madness in the United States. It’s like every family’s drunken uncle who steals a nanny goat, names it Barry, and decides to marry it. Oh, wait. Is that just my family?)

Utilizing an eclectic mix of modern American stereotypes, playwright Eric Bogosian cleverly explores modern society in the Land of the Free, using a variety of alcoholic beverages as a vehicle to switch characters during the hour-long show.

From the drunken bro, swigging a wine bottle and talking about his apartment full of women, to a champagne-sipping, overweight, married, Southern travelling salesman in a hotel room with an escort, right through to a church preacher proselytizing the need for pew-sitters to become pew-pew-pew Patriots by enacting their Second Amendment rights and to eradicate the world’s ills in a hail of bullets, Bogosian’s characters are rich and complex.

And actor Neil Kuefler genuinely understands those characters and fills the stage with a stellar solo performance.

Kuefler’s skilful delivery differentiates the diversity of characters and their motivations and creates an authentic connection with the crowd (except for that one dude who was on his phone the entire time. You know who you are.)

Also, if you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to live in Trump Nation, the show climaxes with a speech from the aforementioned preacher that is frightening because of the increasing chance that it might actually happen.

God Bless America!