"The Strangerer"

nik.mercer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:55:22 -0700

If you live in New York City and appreciate absurdist, philosophical comedy involving A) Albert Camus, and B) a psychopathic George W. Bush wielding an axe and chugging whiskey, then you'd do well to check out “The Strangerer,” now up at the Barrow Street Theatre. The brilliant play, presented by Chicago’s Theater Oobleck, takes place during the 2004 Presidential debates between Dubya and John Kerry. While the context may be plucked from the historical record, the play itself revolves around the two candidates' bizarre attempts to assassinate the debate moderator, Jim Lehrer.

“The Strangerer” is perverse and cerebral. George W. Bush becomes an idiot savant, a poet of mangled words and malformed genius. Playwright Mickle Maher plays a narcoleptic John Kerry, constantly slumping into unconsciousness at the debate podium. Imagine George Saunders collaborating with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk in their Mr. Show days and you’re halfway there. This is dark, button-pushing entertainment—do yourself a favor and buy tickets now.