What I liked
The Acting. Kevin Neighbors is a phenomenal actor. I loved how he mixed poetry into his show. As well as certain bits (like discovering he’s a bottom). Honestly the whole Grindr sequence was hilarious and amazing. Probably the best sequence throughout.
I also really liked how much weight and emotion there were in certain moments. The scene with the lesbian teacher, how racist the gay community can be, the police scene. All the emotional bits in this show hit really well.
What I didn't like
While it is a fantastical display in acting, a part of me would have liked it if the animals were played by other actors. I just feel like him playing the lion, baboon and hyena in a weird way looked exhausting. And therefore i felt exhausted. But again he’s able to pull it off so it’s not a big deal. I just would’ve appreciated it.
Also maybe add more music? He mentions Blink 182, lady Gaga, Biggie, and i feel like using them as cuts to explore “oh I’m talking to my white friends now” would’ve been cool and kept my attention.
Also i wish there was more sketches. The Grindr sequence was by far the best. I feel like the news one was pretty good to. I would also wish it was shorter. There comes a certain point (maybe an hour in) where the points just start to repeat themselves. And i started losing my attention. I’m not exactly sure what you would cut out necessarily, but the play does feel a bit too long. Actually i think i would cut out the animals as I don’t think they really served the play as much. The majority of the time they appear they don’t really guide Kevin, just tell him his road is long and dismiss his problems. I actually was upset at how unhelpful they were.
Again these are just my opinions, the play was great overall.
My overall impression
This was an impressive show. Kevin Neighbors is a phenomenal actor. The way he switches characters is so interesting and intense. One second he’s acting as his dumb horny teenage friend and the next he’s coming out to his father. The emotional beats in this story were strong, definitely a few minutes where you can you feel the pain Kevin felt in that moment. Overall this right here is the definition of a One Man Show because Kevin Neighbors is so dynamic in portraying all the characters that you actually believe you’re in a room full of people.
