One-person shows can be a disaster for the audience. If the man or woman can’t pull the audience in, a show can turn into a hostage situation. But the audience at &Afterwards had nothing to fear, as they were in the very capable and animated hands of Kevin Boggs, a local storyteller and actor.
Boggs grew up in Tennessee town of about 1,800, known for its storytelling festival. This clearly seeped into his being, as Boggs deftly told the story of how he went from Miss Hillbilly to the King of Dupont Circle, thanks to a job at Kramer’s Books & Afterwords, in about an hour. Mostly set inside the bookstore and cafe, Boggs paints a vivid picture of the staff and customers, both famous and not, who crossed his path and made him the man he is today. There’s the six-foot tall Bosnian refugee, who shares a touching moment with [famous person’s named redacted]; the cutoffs-wearing waiter who teaches Boggs to stand up for himself; and the friend who took Boggs to his first gay bar and changed his life.
&Afterwards is consistently funny and touching in ways that will catch you off guard. It’s just as much about what makes D.C. a special place, as how it made Boggs who he is. Excuse me if I’m sentimental, but Boggs’ description of emerging from the Dupont Circle Metro station for the first time made me feel a sentimental twinge about this city I call home. Here’s betting it will do the same for you.
Remaining performances:
Sunday, July 21 at 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, July 25 at 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 27 at 8:30 p.m.
At Warehouse, 645 New York Avenue NW.
