Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional
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Cititour.com Review
Have you ever read the United States Constitution? Of course not. It’s four pages long – and who has the time? Or so the hilarious stand-up comic and keen political satirist reminds us his new theatrical outing, Colin Quinn Unconstitutional, now at the Barrow Street Theatre. Ok, so this 65-minute work, casually directed by Rebecca A. Trent, is essentially one long stand-up routine. And while it can sometimes feel a bit too rambling and scattershot, there are more than enough outrageously funny lines to make up for the dead spots.
As Quinn proved in his previous, award-winning work, Long Story Short, the former Saturday Night Live star knows how to use history as a smart jumping-off point for more topical humor. Sure, he shares some original thoughts about the creation of America’s founding document, stressing that it was likely drafted by a bunch of drunk guys who were way too obsessed by making sure everything American was defiantly “Anti-English,” and does some nifty impressions of George Washington and James Madison. But it’s his observations about today’s world that garner the loudest laughs.
True, some of the best gags have almost nothing to do with the Constitution, such as a section on how Bruce Springsteen can’t really love the working man if he puts on a 4 ½-hour show on a Tuesday night. Others are more tangentially related, such as a swipe at how stupidly the NRA handled the Sandy Hook incident. And there are some very clever bits about how America’s preoccupation with political correctness means we can’t even tell a true story without being accused of racism, or how the press corps is afraid to make fun of President Obama because of his bi-racial heritage.
He’s also a master at exposing our own individual hypocrisies and inconsistencies, mentioning that he’s pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and also pro-death penalty and pro-guns. “What does that make me? Anti-overcrowding,” he answers to hearty applause.
If history does repeat itself, Quinn will continue to hone and sharpen this piece, as he did Long Story Short, and it will end up on Broadway later this season. But there’s no need to wait for the show to head uptown. If you’re in need of a good laugh, it would be unwise to skip Unconstitutional right now.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://colinquinnunconstitutional.com
Open/Close Dates
Opening 7/4/2013
Closing 7/23/2013
Box Office
(212) 868-4444
Theatre Info
Cherry Lane Theatre
38 Commerce Street
New York, NY 10014
Map
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