A straightforward comedy-drama, Another Shot centers around Harry, a really nice, middle-aged Chicago guy who suddenly finds himself stuck in a rehab facility following a drunk driving arrest.
Personably heading the play’s Off Broadway premiere in the role of Harry is Dan Butler, an accomplished stage actor who may be best known to the general public as Bulldog Briscoe, the rabid sports show bro from the original Frasier sitcom TV series. The radio celebrity depicted by Butler here happens to be a considerably gentler soul than his former Frasier persona. Harry is an upbeat, engaging fellow who honestly believes he can handle his liquor consumption and only reluctantly complies with the regimen of group therapy sessions and mindful journal-keeping demanded by the live-in rehab process. “I’m just here to save my job,” Harry insists. “I don’t need to quit drinking.”
Harry eventually learns otherwise during the highly watchable 90-minute span of Another Shot, which opened Tuesday as a commercial off Broadway attraction at the Pershing Square Signature Center. The semi-fictional play is said to be drawn from the real-life experiences of Chicago sports-radio personality Harry Teinowitz, who is credited as its co-writer with playwright Spike Manton.
[Read David Finkle’s ★★★☆☆ review here.]
The episodic play mostly follows a direct path as Harry and a small group of substance abusers experience their rocky eight-week journey towards sobriety. Harry addresses the audience directly at times to annotate the characters and their actions. Every so often between scenes, voiceover segments by recovered alcoholics share their stories, some humorous, others not.
Although Harry can’t admit he has a problem, other people tend to be candid about their troubles. The relatively mellow Vince (Chiké Johnson) is a divorced dad with twin daughters, a nagging girlfriend and a craving for vodka. Plagued by a miserable mother, sad-eyed Andrea (Samantha Mathis) already has gone through rehab five times and nearly as many husbands. A hyperactive Isaiah (Gregg Mozgala) is a pharmacist “who never met a pill he didn’t like,” notes Harry. A kid in his early twenties, George (Quentin Nguyễn-duy) initially remains so befuddled there’s no telling what substance he abuses. Then there’s Barb (Portia), their patient but no-nonsense therapist who salts her counsel with facts like “One out of ten drivers on the road right now are legally drunk.” Barb later touchingly shares how she once was considered a hopeless addict but has managed to stay sober for the last 26 years.
The passing weeks witness relapses and breakthroughs, individual triumphs, sad confessions and even a tragedy. Eventually Harry manages to confront his addiction. If this sounds more like an old-school TV movie of the week than a cutting-edge theater experience, the play’s familiar qualities help to make it a comfortable fit for audiences who prefer their drama to be on the lighter side. Written with easy good humor in a conversational style, Another Shot may not be a distinguished play, but it effectively provides an insider look at rehab.
Jackson Gay, the director, neatly stages the play in a three quarter thrust space upon a set designed by Beowulf Boritt that employs linoleum tile, blue-painted cinderblock, fluorescent overhead lighting and battered furniture to establish typically institutional environs. Costume designer Alejo Vietti strategically supplies the actors with a good assortment of quick-changing vests, sweaters, shirts and hoodies to indicate the passage of time. Mextly Couzin’s lighting and Daniel Baker’s sound design help to energize the show, which rolls along smoothly.
The ensemble persuasively fleshes out its recognizable characters. Portia’s sturdy portrayal of Barb, a therapist who has seen it all yet remains empathetic to all, gives the play and production their backbone. The weariness that Mathis exudes as the burnt-out Andrea is truly poignant. Looking like everybody’s favorite dad or neighbor, Butler seems so darned friendly as Harry that you’ll want to take him out for a drink after the show, and that was one of his character’s problems, of course.
Another Shot opened October 29, 2024, at the Signature Theater and runs through January 4, 2025. Tickets and information: anothershotplay.com
