‘Kevin Kling: Unraveled’ − Written and performed by Kevin Kling; Music by Robertson Witmer; Directed by Steven Dietz; Scenic Design by David M. Barber; Costume Design by Peggy McKowen. Produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre in partnership with the Contemporary American Theater Festival at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre in Liberty Hall at 50 E. Merrimack St. in Lowell through February 8th
By Mike Hoban
On its surface, Kevin Kling: Unraveled is a one-person show centered on how one man deals not only with his own physical disabilities but also with the perceptions of others. But Kling − and his show − are not defined by his disability. He is first and foremost a gifted storyteller whose performance is more likely to remind one of Jean Shepherd (the narrator of the holiday classic A Christmas Story) than comic Josh Blue (whose cerebral palsy serves as a launching pad for his jokes).
Like Shepherd, who was raised in Indiana, Minneapolis-based Kling is a Midwesterner who carries that same brand of folksy charm. He also shares Shepherd’s knack for conjuring up not only childhood memories but also the feelings associated with them − a quality that resonates with audiences across generations.
The playwright, actor, and storyteller was born with a congenital defect that left his left arm three-quarters the size of his right arm, and without a thumb. When he was young, his parents sought treatment at the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children (now Shriners Children’s) to correct the limb, to no avail. But the experience was transformed into a very funny vignette in the show, in which he and a fellow patient unsuccessfully try to escape the facility. He further mines his childhood adventures with a bit about his stint as a Little Leaguer (“‘Good eye’ is code for ‘Don’t swing the bat, Kevin’”). His disability doesn’t prevent him from pursuing a career in theater, graduating with a B.A. in theatre from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1979. He began a career as an actor and playwright shortly thereafter, performing extensively in the U.S. and later in communist Eastern Europe (in another enlighteningly humorous bit).
In 2001, he suffered another physical setback when his right arm became partially paralyzed in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Following a long recovery period, he resumed performing and joined a troupe of fellow disabled actors at the Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts, where one of his coaches encouraged him to use his disability to his advantage, telling him to “work your quirk.” The experience was also an inflection point in his life, ultimately becoming a springboard for spiritual growth, as he notes, “There’s a big difference between being born with a disability and ‘achieving’ one later in life.”
Kling’s show is peppered with quotes from the Sufi poet and mystic Rumi and other philosophers and playwrights, including Shakespeare. These references never feel gratuitous; instead, they are woven into his overarching theme of spiritual progress over perfection. Kevin Kling: Unraveled has the feel of an Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, meaning that what may lack in polish, it more than compensates for with an enormous amount of heart, which is the essential appeal of the piece.
Fittingly, he and musical partner Robertson Witmer (who accompanies Kling with a variety of instruments (piano, accordion, pennywhistle throughout the show) close the performance with a rendition of David Bowie’s uplifting “Heroes”. As the audience joins in on the chorus (“We can be heroes, just for one day”), the moment reinforces a central tenet of Kling’s philosophy: “There’s the trip you plan, and the trip you take.” It is a reminder that the unplanned path often leads to serendipitous adventures that far exceed our original expectations. Take the trip to Lowell, it’s worth the (surprisingly short) ride. For tickets and information, go to: https://mrt.org/
