ART IN AMERICA

Can art heal a violent conflict? This delightful tall tale of the commissioning of a play to help bring together the two sides of a dispute over land and water rights in Colorado is wonderfully written and performed by its talented author. Ron McLarty's middle-aged, overweight protagonist, Steven Kearney, a sad-sack author with two garbage bags full of unpublished manuscripts, is unceremoniously tossed out by his girlfriend. McLarty affects a bewildered delivery and a leisurely pace, making his observations about the colorful characters living in the hamlet of Creedemore both insightful and funny. The story’s life-affirming and uplifting ending is both hopeful and hilarious. Do people really talk like this? You bet'cha! R.O. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]