SO LONG, CHESTER WHEELER

Michael Crouch delivers a heartwarming—and heartbreaking—performance in this exploration of generational differences and death. When Lewis Madigan loses his job and his boyfriend on the same day, he begrudgingly agrees to be an end-of-life caregiver to his combative and homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler. To fulfill Chester’s dying wish, Lewis takes him on a cross-country road trip to close the door on a conflicted past. Throughout the journey, the unlikely pair explore their tumultuous relationship, reveal vulnerabilities, and open up hidden parts of themselves. While Crouch expertly anchors listeners with the steady beat of Lewis’s narration, his skill shines as he brings a tragic undertone to Chester’s curmudgeonly nature. Underscoring the complexities of all people, Crouch will make listeners laugh and cry in equal turns. A.A.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]