The Strangerer

Jonathan Abarbanel and Kelly Kleiman, WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio

Critic’s Pick of the Week - "Never mind having the multiple meanings of the term "absurd" been on better display than in Theater Oobleck’s new play which is called "The Strangerer". "This represents a head-on collision between Camus’ novel about existential meaninglessness and the U.S. Presidential debates. And as ludicrous and absurd as that sounds it’s also practically the first time I’ve understood what was going on in American politics this decade.

There’s John Kerry presented as a sleep walker, I mean literally a sleep walker which of course explains everything about his candidacy, and moderator Jim Lehrer as a clueless, self-satisfied nincompoop. And in the middle of it all is George W. Bush played by Guy Massey who is astonishing -- I could not praise him highly enough -- trying to find some meaning and authenticity through completely random acts of violence.

It is funny, it is beyond brilliant. Don’t mistake it for a parody which is what it sounds like, it’s the best piece you’ll see this year about American politics, the news business, or existentialism." –