What I liked
From the inventive Festival veterans who brought you last season’s “Best Drama” Nominated “In For A Penny,” “No Better Man” is most definitely NOT just another HFF solo theatre “one-person” show…. Jacob Sidney’s clear passion for his subject matter is infectious – due in no small part to his relaxed charisma and effortless skill in engaging his intimate audience, coupled with his mercurial talent of flipping between multiple roles: mostly as our guide, frequently as the titular figure of “Doc” Maynard, and occasionally as several other key figures in Doc’s and the region’s story. He even gives willing audience members fun (and entirely unthreatening) opportunities to briefly and directly participate in this communal experience of storytelling – which creates absolutely magical and often hilarious results. By the end, I was left with a refreshed appreciation of the powerful bonds formed between people of different heritage and stature when thrust into impossible and often life-threatening situations. Evocative imagery is well-crafted by projection designer Chris Hutchings, and kudos are well-deserved to producer Crystal Keith for steering this wagon train with a steady and sure hand. A proud son of the spectacular “Cascadia” region from where the tale unfolds, I can think of “no better man” than Jacob Sidney himself to tell this wild, aspirational, humorous, romantic, brutally honest, sharply and unapologetically relevant, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting story.
What I didn't like
The production and time restrictions inherent to Fringe may have inevitably caused some aspects of this rich and detailed story to be condensed. But that could also serve to ignite the interest of more curious audience members to find out more on their own.
My overall impression
This is some finely crafted theatre. I came into “No Better Man” with merely a traveler’s affection for both the present day city of Seattle and the natural wonder and mystery of the Pacific Northwest. Just under one hour later, I felt like I had taken a rollercoaster ride through many wild turns on a slippery wooden track which had been conveniently left covered up with the various “brushes” of history (both natural and whitewashed)…. That is, until writer/director/performer Jacob Sidney stepped in with the axe and ambition of an enigmatic, contradictory and perhaps not-widely-known historical figure determined (like so many of us) to “head out west” to reinvent himself, while getting both caught up in (and sometimes being a direct cause of) the whirlwind of history (hmmm… “Hamilton,” anyone?). With a deep-dive focus on one specific corner of our imperfect nation, “No Better Man” is quite clearly a universal story which speaks to all of us (while slyly speaking truth to power) – and well worth a ticket for your time and attention.
