The Superiority Complex of Just Plain Folks. ‘The Real Americans’ Is a Familiar Road Trip
Laura Collins-HughesMarch 19, 2014: Fueled by a hefty dose of liberal guilt and propelled by an earnest desire to understand his fellow citizens better, a young white playwright-performer leaves the comfort of his native San Francisco on a cross-country road trip. It is an entirely honorable endeavor, but The Real Americans, the solo show that Dan Hoyle has made from his journey through small towns and rural areas of the United States, traces a path too well traveled. Best known for Tings Dey Happen, based on his year as a Fulbright scholar in Nigeria, Mr. Hoyle presents us here with familiar types: in Alabama, a casually racist, self-proclaimed redneck; in Wisconsin, an alcohol-soaked football fan; in California, the playwright’s obnoxious foodie friends.
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