Jon Bennett’s Ameri-CAN’T - 2HOOTS Productions

Fringers who came to Jon Bennett’s show "Fire in the Meth Lab" last year will remember him as an entertaining and energetic performer who is not afraid to dig down into uncomfortable truths. This year he is back with two shows, the first being the autobiographical performance “Ameri-CAN’T”. In this, he talks about his life as a nomadic performer, and how it came to an abrupt and unwelcome end when Covid brought the world to a complete standstill. After spending several weeks sheltering in place with a lady he’d been out with exactly three times, he manages to get home to a family he has barely seen in over a decade.

There is little doubt in this reviewer’s mind that the Covid times will go down as the defining moment in the lives of most who went through it. That first year of lockdown, fear and uncertainty were merely the first domino in achain reaction which will continue for years if not decades. Bennett takes us through the highs and lows of this time: finding time with his family, confronting the idea that artists are “non-essential”, day drinking and gambling, and finally making it back to the United States–only to be stopped at the border.

It’s a breathtaking, nonstop ride, entertaining and at the same time deeply personal. Mr. Bennet is an experienced raconteur, and a welcome return to the KC Fringe Festival.